This heat is killin' me

I hate running in this weather. There's too much sweat, heat, and sun going on. I'm a winter person. That being said, I'm still going on with it. I hate it, and I miss when we used to have spring and fall, so I could get used to this. Weather's out of my control though.

The heat is really killing the appetite, though. So that's good. The only problem is that on days like this a nice cold soda or beer is just too perfect.

Torturing myself

My punishment for missing the race on Sunday was to make myself run the full 5K immediately after work in the sweltering heat of mid-afternoon. I was going to force myself to extend things too, but I was already dehydrated from work, and not drinking enough water today. Also, I can't be sure I was fully recovered from the weekend.

On top of that, I didn't take shady routes and did it all in the sun. I was reeling afterwards, but I forced my way through. Of course there will be warmer, and more humid days ahead, but today was a big jump in temperature and I haven't adjusted yet.

In the process I gave away my super hero identity (The Human Waterfall)

I wish I could say...

I wish I could say that I ran in the WIOG Leaping Lizard 5K. I wish I could say I improved my time yet again. I wish I could say I got up and had a productive morning.

Instead I compiled another big night of drinking at the World Expo of Beer to follow the binge on Friday with too many Johnny Vegas shots for Nicole's birthday. I spent the entire morning including an hour of church fighting a hangover until the Olive Garden wiped that away.

Nothing today...

After a day at work of climbing all over stuff, sorting a lot of material by hand, and then coming home and doing yard work. I'm done. I even had to get up 2 hours earlier today to line up with the shift people I was overseeing, and I don't do mornings.

I deserve a break. It's Miller time!

Fighting the Decade

People always told me when I hit 30 I'd slow down, and start to notice aches and pains. Of course I thought this was all nonsense, and thought I'd be different. Truth be told, though, I just don't recover like I used to. I only ran a mile and a half today, because I was playing tennis later with Jason. They just put the nets up on the courts in the neighborhood, and I wanted to take advantage of it, so I called him after work.

Jessi was working. She got called in to cover for somebody, who, in turn, was covering for another store where they had somebody die. So she really couldn't say no given the circumstances. Maybe she'll repeat this month for Employee of the Month. So I had the day all to myself. I was planning on watching all my shows like Breaking Bad and Heroes while she was out for the day, but I couldn't justify wasting such a beautiful day inside. So I was out jogging and playing tennis until 7.

I used to run and play tennis in the same day all the time, but I got the rubberlegs today. I just never bounced back from the run, and since we haven't played tennis in so long, all the muscles involved were getting a work-out. Jason and I both getting pretty winded at points, and we weren't even playing competitive. This never used to happen. Tennis was easy and effortless. I don't remember ever having to stop and catch my breath. So disappointing.

At the very least I hope this is what's missing from the rest of my health and helps the running as well. I know when I was in good shape, tennis was a big part, and I hope it can reinforce what I'm already doing.

For now, I need the bed. I just hope I can get out of it tomorrow...

Social Runners and Walkers: Vampires and Zombies of the Road.

Ok, I'm back. Lots of personal crap going on, so don't chastise me for ignoring my blog. I've been keeping with the program, but I've had to cut a few runs short this last couple weeks because of time constraints and trying to fit them in between work and something going on in the early evening. Sometimes 40 minutes is all I have, and when that 40 minutes has to include getting a shower and getting dressed, you can only count on a mile or two.

There's been a few times where I felt I could go on forever, but had time issues. I'd really like to start amping up the distance to prep. for an 8K, as the 5K I have nailed down (not that improving time wouldn't help, but I thinking pushing an extra 3K would help that as well).

Today I went out for a walk with the girlfriend and the streets were flooding with these group walkers and runners. Essentially you pay something like $125 from May-Aug to run with others in some training program for this race in town.

Now, to be completely forthright, these people annoy the living crap out of me. It's not just that they pay to be with people and run with people, which annoys me enough because of my lone wolf runner mentality, either. It's that they flood the streets, yapping all the way, blocking road traffic, and listening to the trainers' every instruction like trained dogs. I just don't get it. There's no way a huddled mass of people of all different body types and fitness just all happen to run/walk at exactly the same speed.

I just don't get it. I run to get out some frustration and to be left alone for 30 measly minutes a day with my headphones blaring and compete with myself. If I even see a person on the street or sidewalk I'm on, I move to the other side of the road. These masses of people out there, at least when it's my running day, ruin it for me. I don't want you in my way, I don't want to see you, and I definitely don't want to join you like you have tried to yell out to me at times. The worst part is that some of these pinheads are people I know, and they try to lure me into it.

The walkers are even worse. Why do you need a group and trainer to walk? Just EFFING walk. It's the most ridiculous thing in the world for a trainer to be telling the walkers to "take it easy" for a few blocks. You've been walking, that's it. Every person with two working legs can pull that off. "What about the people who have been speed-walking," you say. Well, screw them. There's nothing in the course of mankind's stay on this world that has looked any dumber than speed-walking. Walk or run. Don't do some sort of half-bred mix of the two. You have to be the most annoyingly indecisive person in the world when you can't even make a decision when it comes to your gait.

Heart of a Spartan

I haven't written in a while. I'd like to say that I've been too busy hard at work training, but that's not true at all. I have no idea what the weight battle is at right now as I haven't done a weigh in for nearly a week. I haven't been eating horrible, but I haven't been extremely healthy either.

I've spent a lot of my time the past couple days hanging out with my friends and doing a lot of drinking. Also, with the new smoking ban in bars and restaurants, I felt the need to have a few cigarettes out at the bar just because it was the last night I ever could. I'm not sure I've had a real cigarette in a few years, so it was pretty nasty. Definitely not something to start back up.

I did run a 5K today finishing in Spartan Stadium at my Alma Mater, Michigan State. My time, once it's officially confirmed will be my best time for the 5K since I've started running again. I'm sure knowing that I was going to run through the tunnel onto the field added to that. Then again, I'm pretty sure that the rain adding weight to my clothes and shoes weighed me down quite a bit as well.

I had a great run, though, and my family came down to watch me, come down on the field with me, and take pictures. We had a little picnic afterward in the hour when the rain stopped. After, I hung out with my friend who lives down there, and we talked and had a few beers while I petted his new weimaraner, Alice.

All in all, I think I'm making progress, nonetheless. My times keep getting better. My energy is up, and I feel good. Well, except right now. Getting up at 6, after going to your friend's bonfire the night before, then running, hanging out with another friend, driving to and fro, going out with the girlfriend, etc. after already having a busy week is pretty taxing. I may just go to bed before midnight for once.