Week 7 – September 9, 2023

Distance: 6.5 Miles

Weather at run time: 60s, Sunrise 6:43am

Obviously there is a gap between week 6 and week 7. There have been several runs during this timeframe that I didn’t report here. I have found it difficult to maintain a consistent routine during the summer, and therefore didn’t attempt to track my runs here. However, going into the fall I feel better positioned to get back into a consistent running rhythm. That being said, today I started my run around 6:50am. I wore shorts and a t-shirt. I did not bring any gels or water today. I also have not been able to find my Garmin so I just used the Under Armor app on my phone to track my progress. It was very cloudy today but the weather was pleasant, and it certainly felt like fall. Although it was fairly early in the morning there were a lot of people out by the canal, walking, biking, running, etc. Originally, I planned to only run 4 miles because as I already mentioned my running hasn’t been consistent and I didn’t want to overdue it. The weather was perfect for running though, and I was enjoying it so I went a bit further.

Glad football is back, and hope everyone has a great weekend!

Week 6 – April 8, 2023

Distance: 12 Miles

Weather at run time: 20s, Sunrise 6:40am

Began my run today around 8:20am. I felt pretty tired, and was not in a great running mood, which was unfortunate. I hoped that once I started my mood would improve, but today, I just wasn’t really feeling it. I wore my long sleeve, pants, hat, water vest, and brought 1 gel packet. The water vest is taking some adapting to. It is heavy, but I really appreciate it during the second part of the run. Since I left a bit later in the morning there were more people on the canal. The weather didn’t bother me too much today. It was cold, which I’m tired of at this point, but the sun was out, which made up for it. I consumed my gel packet just before mile 6. I turned around at about 6.3 miles. This was my longest run so far, and the first run where my legs felt pretty sore at the end. Glad to be increasing distance – I expect next week to be a speed week. Hope everyone is enjoying Easter weekend!

Week 5 – April 2, 2023

Distance: 8 Miles

Weather at run time: 20s, Sunrise 6:49am

The goal for this week was to concentrate less on distance, and more on speed. Overall, I felt like it was a success. I woke up today around 5:30am. I had skipped dinner last night, and did not think it was a good idea to immediately go for a run. Instead, I ate a big breakfast around 6am, and waited until 10am to go for my run. I wore long sleeves, pants, and a hat. I brought 1 gel packet, but decided not to consume it because I still felt ok from breakfast. The run went fine. It was cold out, but the sun put me in a good mood. There were a lot of people on the canal today, which is becoming typical. I saw some deer around mile 4, but otherwise didn’t see much wildlife. I tried to pick up my pace on the final mile, and felt like my legs were still pretty fresh. Next week I plan to go up in distance again, and I won’t be as focused on my pace. Excited that we’re finally getting some Spring weather!

Week 4 – March 26, 2023

Distance: 10 Miles

Weather at run time: 30s, Sunrise 7:03am

I did my long run on Sunday this week, instead of Saturday, as I would typically do. It rained pretty hard yesterday, and I had some other obligations so I decided to hold off on my long run. However, I still did do 4 miles so it wasn’t a complete loss. Today I wore, pants, long sleeves, and my water vest. This is my first time using my water vest this year, and it took a little while to adjust to the added weight. Also, I took 1 gel packet with me that I consumed around mile 6. My run started around 8am this morning. It was very windy outside, which did make running difficult at times. There were a decent amount of people out this morning; joggers, walkers, bikers, and lot’s of dog walkers. The sun came out after a couple of miles which definitely made the run more enjoyable. I normally turn around a little after I go half the total mileage. However, today I did 6 miles before turning around because I thought mentally it would be easier to keep going if I didn’t feel like I had to run the entire way back. It worked out well. I’m going to tone down the mileage next week, but I’m happy with my progress so far. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Week 3 – March 18, 2023

Distance: 8 Miles

Weather at run time: 34 degrees, Sunrise 7:15am

This is the longest I’ve run in awhile, and it felt good. I woke up around 6am, but thought I might as well wait for the sun to rise a bit as I was in no rush. I set out for my run around 7:25am. I wore a long sleeve, pants, a hat, my reflector vest, and I brought 1 gel pack with me. Setting out right around sunrise was nice, the sky was fairly clear, and the wind hadn’t picked up yet. The ice and snow was all melted, so the side walks, and canal path were clear. My run took me to Kreag Road Park, which was a bit over 4 miles. When I turned around I forced myself to consume my gel packet. I didn’t really want to. I hadn’t brought any water with me, and the gel leaves an aftertaste. I’m not used to consuming food while running which is why I made myself do it. As my mileage increases I will need to get used to using the gels again. The gel threw my stomach for a moment, but it then settled. I saw a lot more people on the way back. There were a bunch of people walking or running the canal path, trying to enjoy the morning sunshine. Overall, I was very satisfied with this run and didn’t feel too bad after. Hopefully I can continue further next week.

Week 2 – March 11, 2023

Distance: 6 Miles

Weather at run time: 20s, Sunrise 6:29am

This run was pretty planned. I’ve been working out consistently for the last couple of weeks, and was eager to try a long run. I wore a long sleeve, running pants, a hat, gloves, and a reflector vest. I did not take any gels or water on this run. At first, the conditions were pretty much as expected so I stuck to the rode to avoid ice, and navigated down towards the canal. The canal path by the village wasn’t too bad, but as I got further along the snow got pretty deep, and it was hard to get a good footing. Therefore, I turned off into some neighborhoods, and again stuck to the street until I circled back. There were very few people out this morning (can’t blame them). I’m hoping we get some more spring type weather soon, but the forecast doesn’t look positive. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Week 1 – March 5, 2022

Distance: 7.5 Miles

Weather at run time: 20s, Sunrise 6:39am

Today was the first long run day of a new chapter. As in the past, it kind of happened spontaneously. I woke up around 5:30am and thought I would do a 3 mile run. Since I was not planning to do a long distance, I didn’t take any water or gel packs. I wore a long sleeve, pants, and a hat, but decided against gloves. I expected the sidewalks and roads to still be pretty icy, but was surprised that for the most part, they were pretty clear. When I got to the canal, I again thought I would find the trail in rough shape; but again, it was was much better than expected. When I got to the 3 mile mark I was enjoying my run so much I decided to just keep going. Around mile 6 I passed two family friends who were walking their dog; otherwise, I didn’t encounter too many people. I still felt pretty good when I ended this run, but because it has been a few months since I’ve consistently run any distance I didn’t want to push it today. It was great to be able to run outside again; I’m very excited that the weather is beginning to turn. I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend, and hopefully nicer weather continues.