Day 367

• 2.0 miles
• Slow
• 0700
• From/To Home
• Streak extender -- August 11.   This is the run I forgot to log and thanks to Ms. Laurawesome Matera for determining which day I missed.  
• Run was prior to our Stay-cation day at Arizona Grand with the Jeffries and Petersons.

Day 356

• 6.78 miles
• 7:31/mile pace
• 0630
• From/To Home
• Pretty poor route choice as I made 2 rectangles around the 'hood, which resulted in longer than usual mileage running straight east as the sun was coming up...anyway, felt OK today I guess, but still just miffed at how slow I am now.  Maybe what I need is some good hiking and camping this weekend to get me back into it?   Running that is, I've never really been into camping, although I think it is fun, just haven't done much of it at all.

Day 354

• 5 miles
• 8:20/mile pace
• 0600
• From/To Home
• Slow run around the block...almost zero people out, which was strange as I wasn't up especially early.   Need new shoes, amazing that I couldn't or didn't get to it this past weekend....

Day 346

• 6.5 miles
• 8:18/mile pace
• 0900
• From/To home
• It has definitely starting to cool down, which is very welcomed, though I think I dislike running in lots of cloths more than wearing very few items of clothing and still being hot...but we're not to the cold temps yet, so...anyway, this was just a very slow effort.   This is now a long run for me, man, I seriously suck.

Day 344

• 1.7 miles
• Slow
• 1810
• From/To Home
• Pushing Case and Finn again, it was fun and Becca enjoys it more than I do -- by-the-way, she's starting to get more serious about running again...could be the straw that finally breaks my back on this streak as it is much easier to do when she does everything around the house and with the kids etc.   Yeah, that's just an excuse, but well...the last 2 months have been mentally taxing, for this slow guy anyway.

Day 342

• 1.82 miles
• Slow
• 0645
• From/To Home
• Difficult, but enjoyed, trip around the 'hood with Finn and Case -- Case gets me to go off road as often as possible, for his entertainment, which makes the effort significantly harder, but more fun too.   Thankfully the Burley stroller can handle it pretty well...but yeah, I wish I had a "Bob."  

Day 340

• 2.5 miles
• 8:25/mile pace
• 0619
• Mt. Pleasant, SC
• Streak extender -- trying to shorten and slow down my streak extender runs so as to enable them to be more full recoveries....realize that saying this after nearly a month of short slow runs is a bit funny, but that's my thought process anyway.
• Saw my cousin Kathryn out on the street during my run...which would be really amazing, except that I'm staying in her house, so it wasn't that amazing.

Day 337

• 2 miles
• 8:30/mile pace
• 0607
• Redondo Beach, CA
• Short slow run that was a little less comfortable than such a short and slow run should be, but it is done...also did a few push ups, which I will need to make a habit of it I want to consider a push up streak starting on my 40th birthday -- yes, I am still of the belief that I probably was overtrained when I was so miserable a few weeks back and very possibly still recovering from the same, so, yeah, I know starting another streak is an absurd concept, but if I weren't prone to absurdity, would you be reading this blog? 

Day 336

• 7.35 miles
• 8:41/mile pace
• 0555
• From/To Home
• Ran to, through and around Thunderbird park, then returned home....the hills had a big affect on me and my average pace, but I'm trying to convince myself that doing 7 miles for the first time in what seems like months is a step in the right direction.  

Day 329

• 1.2 miles
• Slow
• 2010
• From/To Home
• Minimum streak extender.

Day 326

• 3.11 miles
• 8:16/mile pace
• 0715
• From/To Home
• Went to bed late then woke up a few times with Finn and Case, which all led to the easy justification of sleeping in, which lead to not having much time, which led to a short run....no excuse for how slow it was, but it is done.   Still feeling cruddy, but a little better I guess.   Good enough to start a trip to the other side of the world at least.

Day 325

• 1.82 miles
• 8:22/mile pace
• 2143
• From/To Home
• My efforts are getting less and less impressive...and considering that they were never impressive to begin with it is kind of depressing, but ah, the streak continues and I really think I am starting to feel better again, though still insanely congested.  I think Finn's had the illness for a while, but he doesn't complain as much as I do.  He also can't even start a running streak since he doesn't even know how to walk yet, so...

Day 318

• 18.25 miles
• 8:11/mile pace
• 0420
• From/To Home
• 4:20am has a different meaning to some people than others. 
• Long runs continue to be more difficult than I believe they should be, but I finally warmed up and was able to speed up after a necessary stop in the desert etc.
• Forgetting to have Gatorade in the house is a rookie mistake that I hope I don't make again, but stopping mid-run long bike ride style was kinda nice.

Day 310

• 1.7 miles
• Slow
• 0710
• From/To Home
• Inspired by the 12 mile run my wife completed before this run I really pushed the distance today...head still lethargic, thinking the short and slow runs will extend another day at least.

Day 309

• 1.75 miles
• Slow
• 0715
• From/To Home
• Proving that it is all about mental preparation and attitude, this run was one of the hardest to date...that stated, I still plan to take it easy through tomorrow to see if I can bounce back a little bit.   I would like to feel legitimately good, like, spring in my step good (I don't feel bad/sick or anything, just sluggish) by Sunday so I could at least get in the long run, but we shall see. 

Day 308

• 1.7 miles
• Slow
• 0640
• From/To Home
• Have decided to take it very easy for a few days to see if that will help me...yes, I am concerned about the fact that I will not be "improving" my fitness, but when JEC asked the other day if I were perhaps overtrained it seemed quite possible...so...today I ran a very slow loop within the neighborhood and only sped up when I caught up to a pregnant lady that has been faithfully running throughout her entire pregnancy, which I estimate to be 8 months long and counting -- seems I am more vain than I am committed to the extended recovery effort, but the increased speed only lasted maybe .2/mile, so probably no harm done.  

Day 307

• 5 miles
• 8:10/mile pace
• 0650
• From/To home
• Super easy 35 minutes followed by hard 5 minutes. 

Day 306

• 1.81 miles
• 8:53/mile pace
• 0715
• From/To Home
• Slow streak extender, probably slowest I have run in 2012.

Day 305

• 13.25 miles
• 7:42/mile pace
• 0530
• Tempe, AZ -- IMAZ loop plus a bit
• Well, another collosal failure.   Seriously, I didn't have it at all...and I can't even think of any excuses.   Previous disappointing long runs included G.I. issues, heat, whatever...this one, just plain inability to come close to the scheduled pace.   By not close I mean, similar to how far off I'd have been from the podium if I'd have run in the 100 meter final against (Olympic spoiler alert! -- NBC coverage is so frustrating...we live in America and can't even watch anything live...???)  Usain Bolt and the rest of the insanely fast finals field.   Not sure what to make of it, not wanting to give up, but wondering if perhaps I should...by giving up I mostly mean adjusting my goals, but when I was supposed to speed up at the end of this long run and ended up actually slowing down overall, well, at that point I was wondering if adjustment of my goals might include refamiliarizing myself with my golf clubs.   I definitely have confidence issues right now, but I'm thinking there must be something more to it than that as concern over ability to maintain certain speeds shouldn't affect me to the point of not being able to make previously (like a month or 2 ago) easily maintained speeds.  Odd, but hey, at least I didn't get eaten by any alligators.  

Day 303

• 1.82 miles
• 8:33/mile pace
• 0555
• From/To Home
• One loop around the neighborhood.   Finishing a short and slow run early in the day then watching recorded Olympics before work is a really cool way to start the day.  Perhaps not as 'cool' as Case's since he decided to play in the sprinklers at 7am and get his little brother to crawl behind him to enjoy the same, but cool none-the-less.