Author: Mark Allman

Good early morning for a run. Didn’t feel too bad at all after a few days off. I’ve modified the routes that I’ve used in the past to lessen the exposure to traffic, busier intersections, etc. Not bad, but it is, let’s say, a bit more elaborate. Haven’t noticed any critter issues on the back roads — hopefully there won’t be any skunks out and about come Spring.

Today’s run was a 11.17 mile rolling hills route. Pace was 10:08. Total climb was about 585 feet.

A tired early morning. We all have these. Just fight through it. Nice morning for a run, though. Partly cloudy and temperature about 35 degrees and no real wind.

40 or so days until Houston.

Today’s run was a 8.18 mile mix of hills and flat terrain. Pace was 9:38. Total climb was about 430 feet.

An easy recovery run early morning. Painful at the beginning, as usual, but it fades after a about a quarter mile.

Houston is in a bit less than six weeks. It’s the first marathon in a busy 2024 schedule.

Today’s run was a 2.18 mile mildly rolling route. Pace was 9:41. Total climb was about 91 feet.

Race day. Rain, stiff wind and temperature around 43 degrees. The course had all kinds of side roads with pothole patches, a narrow main road with next to no berm, lots of freezing cold puddles, etc. Cold enough and wet enough so that I started losing some feeling in the toes. Whatever. It was a good training run and I didn’t get run over.

Today’s run was a 5K and then a half marathon (16.2 miles total). Average pace was about 9:49. Total climb was about 930 feet.

A cool, clear early morning for a run. A mostly full moon helps to see where the holes and “patches” are on all the black asphalt roads. It also helps drivers see us runners. I’ll take it all.

Temperature was around 28 degrees with a bit of a breeze. It means more bulky gear, but that also then means a bit more work. That’s what I’m out there for.

Today’s run was a 13.09 mile rolling hills route. Pace was 9:40. Total climb was about 647 feet. Weight was 148.2.

Two more days lost to vaccine shots. This time it was the flu shot. Apparently, those of us 65 and older get a “senior,” or high-dose shot. Sounds like a good idea (better protection) but the catch is that you’re going to get hit worse with “flu-like symptoms” after the shot. Frankly, I’d rather get the flu.

Today’s run was a 3.48 mile mildly rolling hills route. Get back on the road. Pace was 9:16.

A nice, cool morning for a run. Temperature around 30 degrees, clear skies and not much wind. Also not as much traffic as usual. I’ll take it.

Today’s run was a “get back to doing distance” 13.09 mile rolling hills route. Pace was 10:01.

5K race day. Lots of kids and young people back from college for Thanksgiving. This year’s race was a record — well over 3000 people. It’s great that so many people are up and out for some exercise, but with all the families it doesn’t make for a “race” where you can realistically target a time.

Every year I think I’m going to try to get near the front. Never seems to work out. There were people pushing strollers that started near the front. Whatever.

Today’s run was a 3.1 mile mildly rolling route. Overall pace was 8:40. The first mile was probably 9:30 to 10:00 at best. Utter chaos on the road until you can get clear.

Decided to switch today’s work to the indoor bike trainer. I haven’t done anything on the bike in months, and I probably should be doing at least some cross-training. When I’m done with the bike work I can hardly lift my legs for a few minutes!

Today’s ride was a 30 minute workout. Hard to say how far that would translate to distance. I should finish the trainer setup to get some numbers on things like distance.

Cool, windy mid-morning for a run. Temperature around 37 and clear skies. With what’s coming (apparently) in a few days, I’ll take clear skies.

It’s the start of the 2024 training season. Looking forward to putting in much more work. Nowhere near enough in 2023.

Today’s run was a 9.28 mile hills route. Pace was 9:34.