Thor's Running Journal

 It's blistering hot. I got home from work last night sorta late, but got a full nights sleep and resolved to do a 10 miler. The weather through the night passed, but still threatened downpour. That would have been a welcome relief. The morning just got hotter and hotter mile after mile. I tried to stay hydrated and maintain some semblance of pace even if not as intense as other runs.  Now that I've run through a harsh winter, I think I prefer the cold, even the freezing, to the heat. I feel like I get duped into thinking the summer running will be pleasant, but then the reality it strains my body more than I expect. I suppose I just need to acclimate. Adjust the expectations. Leave the house know that I'll be running in a sauna. I hear all the pros are using saunas these days. 

I ran past the cheap sushi place this morning. All the big eye catching text signs on the windows and doors made me stop. The aesthetic seemed like something out of a first-person video game. I ate there a few times. Nice place if you just want sushi and aren't too interested in the presentation and don't have a real refined sense of taste. Sometimes good enough is good.

 I saw "serious runner guy" this morning about a quarter of a mile ahead of me this morning on my run. I tried to catch up, but he turned down Hemmeter and disappeared like a ghost. When I first started running I'd pass this guy every now and again and he always looked very serious and focused. I have no idea who he is, but he's gained a nickname.  If I were giving a running name, I bet it would be something like headband dude because I always wear a sweatband on my head. Maybe "Lights" because of the lights I wear when I run in the dark. It's interesting to see the real consistent runners around town who must have stories, but because we're running in different directions or different times there is zero interaction.  In addition to "Serious Runner Guy" there is "Fast Walker Lady" and "Hard Runner" who isn't moving especially fast from the looks of it, but is rock solid with respect to his consistency. Always out th...

Being a race spectator today I again was reminded how running is such an interesting sport collectively and individually. There were some who clearly were out to win while others were just out to finish. The 5k distance might have felt like a piece of cake for the speedsters and super fit, but for others it felt grueling. There were some clearly dropped a pretty penny on apparel, and others who showed up in cut off jeans. Truly an interesting blend. Joylynn ran the 5k and the younger two ran the 1 mile. She was going to run the 10k, but a calf injury set her back and she dropped down to the 5k earlier in the week. An all too familiar story. But she trained well and I'm super proud of the effort she put in. She took up the mantra of less talk more action and found ways to train with consistency. E. fell apart when he found out he got 4th in his age group because it put him out of contention for a medal. Pure, raw, unfiltered disappointment in the form of tears. It added some insult ...

For all the miles that I've put on the streets of the city I live in, there are still instances like this morning where I end up some road I never went down before. Because of my love of loops, I tend to avoid dead end streets because they force me to turn around. Since I started running in the daylight the past several weeks neighborhoods look different than when it is dark it mixed me up a bit and before I knew it the what I thought would be a throughway actually ended in a cul-de-sac comprised of one home with a very unkept lawn and truck parked in the driveway and three others quite simple and plain looking. Neat, but ordinary. I adjusted my running route in my head and retraced my steps feeling slightly disappointed, but also satisfied the error gave me a new a unique experience for the day. Getting lost is the spice of life especially when I am not so lost I won't be able to make it back home.  In other news, it's been a week of sunrises and sunsets and the endless da...

 Yesterday morning I went on an 8 mile run, came home slept a bit, then woke up and went sailing for 10 hours. At the end of it all I felt tired, but not spent in the way I feel at the end the winter days that seem void of daylight.  There is a freshness about working to try and wear myself every day with activity and action. It all is a little more loose and relaxed too because I don't have a regimented check list of miles to run or ride or sail. The activity has a greater sense of fun and play. It doesn't need a specific end to make it worth while. Like my kids who go from one activity to the next in some undetermined pattern, I am moving between athletic endeavors in a similar way.  This is a good break. I'll welcome the training calendar in about another month, but for now I'm just rolling with what the day brings.