Well, I got my wish. It certainly got warmer. In what seemed like a one-week period it went from a sort of would-be-warm-if-it-weren't-for-the-wind-coming-out-of-the-north climate to a it's-so-hot-that-this-light-breeze-doesn't-even-feel-good climate. It's been a miserable summer so far here in Tulsa. It got hot early and stayed hot. So what do I do now? I mean besides lose 30 to 45 seconds a mile because of the arm-pittish humidity? I get up at 4:45 in the morning to run these days. Yes, you heard your robot read that off of your computer screen correctly. 4:45. It's the only way that I can get the miles in!
I know that I'm not the only runner to get up early to run, but what an adjustment. Now, granted I don't do it for every run because sometimes it's not feasible. I've still been doing my speed workouts with my running partner on Tuesdays after work, which is murder. But for the six milers throughout the week...if I can get 'em done in the morning that's when it happens.
When I get up in the morning I don't exactly have time to drive out to a trail so I've carved out a path in the neighborhood across the street from my apartment. It's just easier to run right out the door. The neighborhood just so happens to be the neighborhood that I grew up in. It's fun because I pass all sorts of places that I used spend time. Houses where childhood friends used to live; the man-made creek that we used to play in and hunt for crawdads. That's also the creek that my friend Steve accidentally stabbed his little sister in the eye with a pocket knife. True story. What's really beginning to irritate me about the neighborhood, though, is all the freaking dogs that are just running around free. For a while there were these two little yappy dogs that I can only assume kept getting out of their back yard and would camp out in front of the house. For several mornings in a row, I would pass that house and they would chase me for about 10 yards. I wasn't afraid of them. It's just that their little annoying barks were a little much at 5:15 in the morning. This morning, however, was a different story all together. I had already gotten turned around once (it's dark and I lack depth perception without my glasses), but I had gotten back on track. I was running on a straight-away that I would say is about a half mile. Out of nowhere I hear a not so friendly big dog bark. Sure enough, he was free and he began to chase. I swore. Sorry. But it happened. I had no idea what I was going to do if this dog caught up to me. I had a feeling it was a kill or be killed situation. I heard his nails grind against the asphalt behind me as he pursued. Luckily, I guess he was just trying to scare me away from his house. Good tactic because it worked. I got away from him, but there was no way that I was going to go back that way, so I had to take a different route back. I weaved my way back but every time I thought I had reached the outlet to my regular route, I had to take a turn in the wrong direction. By the time I got back on track I was pretty spent. But I still had about a mile and quarter to get back. Oh, and during this whole adventure, I somehow--earlier in the run--forgot to start my watch again after I had stopped to tie my shoe. Grrrr. My watch only gave me credit for 5.35 miles when I'm fairly certain I went at least 7. Ah, well.
The good news that's come out of the heat wave, is that somehow I've managed to keep about a 35-mile a week average. I just hope that once the weather cools down, I'm able to get my speed back. These nine-minute miles just aren't working for me. I ran twelve on Saturday morning and managed an 8:40 pace, so I guess it's not all bad. But I was so much faster when the weather was cooler.
That's what I get for complaining.
So the dog helped you get in a little speed training, huh? I want to hear about the pocket knife story sometime.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Good post