This Is How We Do Romance

Monday and Tuesday: No run. Busy with peaches.

Wednesday: 2 miles on the treadmill. Mile 1 at 3 mph, Mile 2 at 3.2 mph. Increase incline by 0.5 every 2 minutes

Thursday: No run (again!!) Finished reading the book about the Green River serial killer. Tackled mountains of paperwork in the study. I'm once again able to see the top of the my desk.

Reorganized a few of my filing system.
This is the "before" picture.

Friday:  I feel like I have to show-off here because I did this today.

It has been a while since I did all three miles at one time. Walking is quite mind-numbingly slow.
I must also add that I walked with 5-lb dumb bells in each hand, working on the biceps and triceps.

Today's temperature was 108 degrees. Too hot. I am so ready for fall and winter to be here.

I went to the library to return Ann Rule's Green River Running Red.

And I had a sighting! 

Little people going to the library. 

This brought a smile to my face. 

This is what I am loving these days. 

Sandwich with avocado and cucumber slices and some sliced ham. 

I love the avocado in the sandwiches. 

The green makes me happy! 

Have you ever added avocado to your sandwiches? 

What's your favorite combination?

Lastly, after feeding myself, I fed the sourdough starter. 

I just hope I didn't overfeed or starve this baby. 

I bought this starter as a birthday present for my boyfriend. 

Yeah. This is how we do romance here. 

"Hey sweetheart. Here's some wild yeast and bacteria for your birthday!" 

What's the "weirdest" present you have gifted your significant other?

Got tight? Then stretch.

I usually run on Tuesdays.

However, since I didn't get out of the door much last week,

I decided to do an easy 1 miler this morning to make it up. 

I wasn't worried about pace. 

I really wanted to get used to running in the heat, with the sun beating down on me. 

I stepped outside the door at 10:50 a.m. 

It was hot. 

Finished that 1 mile in 12 minutes. 

I'm OK with that. 

****

My Achilles' tendon and calves have been feeling a little tight of late. 

While reading about this on the Internet, I came across plantar fasciities. 

Here are some exercises I think it might be helpful. 

Seriously ....

running IS hard work.
It is easy to put one foot in front of the another and run. But to keep running, to keep a certain pace, to go a certain distance, man .... that's hard work.


This weather is getting to me a little. Now, I find myself silly when I was complaining about how cold it was back in the winter to be running out in the cold.  Now, I find myself a spoilt brat to be complaining about running in the heat. It rained a little today over here in SE Arkansas. The sky is still a tad gloomy. One would think it is a pretty day out, but it was warm. I can feel it - the heat rising from the ground, enveloping my body and almost choking the life out of me.

I ran on the treadmill at the YMCA. Thermostat has it at 69 degrees F. It felt like 75 degrees F and the air was stuffy and stale. They almost need to have a fan or something to get the air circulating a little. As I put one foot in front of another, my mind drifted to a cold icy Powerade, or Sonic slush, or ice cold diet Coke. Why don't they turn the temperature down to 65 degrees F?  What would you have done? Would you go and ask the people in charge to turn the temperature down? Do you have any "stay cool" tips that kinda lessen or bluff you into believing that it is cooler than it actually is? Do share.

The Bad and the Good.

The Lowdown. Buttercup and I completed another weekend long run. Here's the breakdown of our 5-mile run today:
Mile 1 = 10:33.25
Mile 2 = 11:29.61
Mile 3 = 12:04.95
Mile 4 =11:27.95
Mile 5 = 11:08.78
Total: 5 miles in 56:46 minutes at an average pace of 11:21/mile.

Buttercup - all pooped out right after our run

Buttercup still lounging around after 5 hours.
She got excited and hyper when I went outside to give her yummies.
.

The Bad.   Let's start with the bad for this run. 
1. I woke up with a headache. But I decided to go ahead because Ms. Sandra said a good run usually takes care of the headache. I trust her. 
2. Period cramps. Yes. Today. Need I say more? 
3. Allergies. I had to swallow clungs of yikey stuff. And I can't breathe through my nose.
4. Gee. What's the temperature out there today? 70? Okay, I checked weather.com and it said it is
AND it feels like 60. But it sure didn't feel like 60. 
5. I didn't attain my "Under 12:00/mile goal for each mile. On Mile #3, I went about 4 seconds over that goal.

The Good. 
1. I did go under 12:00/mile for the rest of the laps, AND ...
2. My average was 11:21/mile.
3. I finished quite strongly. I thought to myself, "Man! How can I be so slow on my final lap?"
4. Buttercup was quite a good companion today. No stress from her on me.
5. Knee wasn't hurting.
6. It was a pretty day. The sun is out. I didn't freeze. 
7. I didn't have to worry about other dogs or walkers or runners. It was just Buttercup and I. A really peaceful, quiet run.
8. My Forerunner (Rennur) didn't die on me.  He was a little weak today cos' I didn't charge him up good. So glad he didn't give up on me.
9. No scary encounters. I came home alive. 
Overall ... A great run! I gave it all I have until I really didn't have any more to give. I finished it. And I felt good after I caught my breath.  I hope you are/will be having a good weekend run.