Summer As It Was Meant To Be

This morning I ran 9.2 miles with Runner's Edge on a simply gorgeous morning for running!  Temps at the 6:30 am start I opted for were 64, and only rose to 75 by finish.  The run went from Renner Rd. and 95th street north along the Mill Creek trail which is at it prettiest for this section up to the dam at Shawnee Mission Park.  Several long wooden bridges and tree covered most of the way.  I averaged 11:00 for my outbound and 12:00 for my return which featured a 1 mile uphill at the end.  It was a very nice morning run and reminded me of what I actually like about running -- great scenery, group pace and commardarie, and a longer run than I would have done on my own.  Clearly, I'm just now transitioning from my summer of bike riding to fall running.  Days like today sure make it easier! -- Bill

Sunflower To Roses Bike Ride

Katie McClave and I rode this ride Sunday and recommend it highly to our list of annual target bike rides.  700 riders with proceeds going to 3 different Cancer organizations and distances of 12 miles to 64 make this a well attended, well organized ride with great spirit.  We caught a beautiful morning with 64 degree start temperatures.  Katie and I chose the 36 mile route out to Spring Hill and back, which we did at an easy 13.3 mph average moving pace.  I would recommend the 57-64 option in the future which goes out to the lake at Paola -- right by Ken and Pam's farmhouse (I had visions of Pam meeting us at the rest stop on the lake and cheering us on.  Ken, we need to get you into bicycling to make this happen!)  The ride had a nice big pack all the way out to the first rest stop at mile 6, and a lot of different speed pace teams riding the longer distances.  A really good meal, beer garden, and live rock band made for a great finish.  I will definitely be back next year, schedule permitting.  This was Katie and my send off to college ride, and it closed out a great summer of bike riding together.  She leaves for Creighton in 2 weeks. 

Building a base

Boy, today was really nice, especially early. The temperature had dropped to about 64, and the air was dry. It was perfect for my normal short, easy Sunday run.

Problem was, by the time we got home from church and ate some breakfast, the temp was getting close to 80. But I figured this was going to be such a leisurely workout that it wouldn't matter that much how hot it was.

I immediately discovered that Saturday's 13 in the humid, warm weather, and my pace for it, had taken quite a bit of energy out of my legs. Add to that the high, hot sun, and a large, recent meal, and it all meant the workout was more effort than I expected. I kept the pace slow, stopped once for some water, and went off the clock a couple of times for short breaks.

Overall, I did 4.2 miles in 41:40, which is a 9:56 pace. I guess that's what an "easy" run should look like, so I have no problem with it.

So for the week I had 34.6 miles, and for the month 138.8. Both totals are consistently moving up as I get deeper into training for the KC marathon. The chart shows the monthly buildup since March. My schedule has me doing as many as five 40+ miles weeks, and one week at 54 miles, but those weeks assume I'll be able to fit in a couple 9 and 10 mile runs in the middle of the week. I have my doubts about that.

Anyway, I'm happy with my progress and with the fact that so far I've avoided any injuries or even aches and pains.

Tomorrow I'll celebrate my 62nd birthday with a 7-mile hill workout. I'll probably run 4 hilly miles in the morning, then do 3 easy ones in the evening with the MRC.  -- Rob