Where's the Beach?

This weekend was fairly low-key for us. I struggled with a too-warm, too-humid long run on Saturday. I started the run solo and got in 4 miles before meeting up with Jason. I was already struggling with my pace. I couldn't seem to keep it under control. I know it sounds stupid to say, but I couldn't seem to slow myself down to where I needed to be. I was just running wildly. Thankfully, Jason is much better at pacing so that helped. It also helped having some company to keep me out of my head. He dropped off after 4.5 miles and I finished out my run very much glad to be back at the house and done with 10.3 miles (those last .3 may as well have been another full mile in my mind). I'm definitely going to have to slow down and really adjust to the humidity again. I felt pretty crummy for a few hours after the run. I haven't felt bad after a run in a very very long time. In fact, probably this time last year readjusting to the temps again. We ended up going for lunch ...

A Humid Relay Run This morning was sort of a funny kind of run. Sometimes Jason will run a couple of miles with me before I meet up with Amy. We end up usually meeting around 6:10-6:15 depending on mileage.  Today she was going to run 2 miles with a friend then we were going to meet up closer to 6:30. Now I had to change my route/timing situation. You know how it is, you know exactly which route puts you exactly at x time. Oh now I had to think ;-) It was funny because Jason and I did pass Amy and her friend once right when they were just about to get started, then again as they were heading the opposite direction from us. Jason and I ended up with 3.4 miles together, then it was a trade off of running partners.  Jason and her friend were done, now it was round two of the run. Amy and I zipped on along chatting away…and sweating away too. When I checked the weather before the run at 5:30 am, it was 77 degrees, humidity was 83% and dew point of 71. Folks...

Well, it's Friday. That means Fun for Friday of course - as well as the Happy Friday Dance! It also meant my long run for the week. This morning I accidentally set my alarm 10 minutes earlier than what I had meant. That meant a 5 am wakeup call rather than a 5:10 wake up call. And yes, those precious 10 minutes do matter. It was thundering with spotty lightening when I rolled out of bed. The plan was that Jason was going to run a couple of miles with me, then I was meeting Amy to run the rest of the miles. My goal was to get in 10. It was sprinkling a little before we headed out. Jason actually asked, "Are you really going out in that?" Um, yes and so are you buddy. It wasn't bad though, the rain part. The humidity, however, was oppressive. I need to grow gills apparently. Have I mentioned before how much I hate humidity? No? Surely I have... The rain stopped completely by the time I met up with Amy. Man I missed that rain. We were both dripping as if we...

Well, Saturday we made it to Perdido Key, FL. So far we're having really nice weather. The highs are only reaching about 80 degrees. Couple that with a steady breeze and the shade from our umbrella and it's almost chilly. But chilly for a run it is not. Sunday morning I woke up just after 6 am. I was itching to get out for a run after being in the car the previous two days (we drove half way Friday afternoon then the rest of the way Saturday). I was hoping to beat the brunt of the heat, but avoiding humidity was impossible. Luckily, I know a route that takes you to a neighborhood where there's a running/walking path along an inlet. It keeps you from having to run down the main strip, for the most part. But there aren't really any trees shading the path. And since it's off the beach, you lose the breeze as well. So, hot. What is hot? Hot is having to run on this hot stretch of the road for 2 miles of a 6.5 miler. Hot is having zero shade. Hot is 100% ...