Weather in Houston has been cool lately, so my late afternoon/early evening runs are typically very nice. I’ve been fortunate that the weather has been cooler because I know what’s coming soon: hot weather. That will force me to change my run times to early mornings before work.
I prefer running after work because it allows for me to run longer and/or slower if I feel like it without it impacting the rest of my day. I don’t like to go to bed too early, and I don’t like waking up too early. I typically give myself an hour before I have to leave for work to wake up, get dressed, run, cool down, shower, get dressed for work, make breakfast, and eat breakfast. If I keep my run to 30-35 minutes, I actually can make it work. It’s hectic, but doable. If I’m running and I feel great and want to run longer, I can’t. I have a schedule to keep, and I have to cut it short and head in.
Maybe I have to learn to run in the heat. I did it in the dessert as a young guy and I’m sure I can get used to it again. I just don’t like it so much. It makes for slower and much sweatier runs that feel more draining (because they literally cause more stress on the body, so they are more stressful overall).
With all that said, I’m looking forward to an easy run tonight. I may go for another 4+ mile run like I did on Wednesday. I’m looking to start upping my distances while maintaining the 9:30 average speed. I know I can do sub-9’s when I need to (like my upcoming PRT) and from everything I’ve been reading, the distance running is where it’s at to build stamina and muscle. I try to throw some sprints in every now and then, but I’m not on any serious program for it. I feel like I’m still in a building mode, and I’m not quite there yet.
I’m hoping for the 70-80 push ups tonight; we’ll see where that goes. I look forward to posting my post-run report here soon.
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