July 2022 Monthly Running Challenge

Thanks everyone, they seem to have all the closest fires under control right now, but there are new ones every couple of days. There's a lot of talk about them being due to the current heat and lack of rain this last year, there's also a lot of shouting about the authorities not doing enough work in the winter to clear undergrowth and stuff, but I still suspect there is a pyromaniac behind this current streak... it's never been this bad before and even if they manage to catch a lot of them quickly and get them put out before they spread much, it still isn't normal for my municipality alone to be having a new fire start every 2 or 3 days.

This is a cutback week, so I just ran up to the village on the mountain and back without adding extra loops and hills as I have been doing recently. I was beating myself up a bit towards the end because I didn't sleep much, it was hot and I was struggling, especially around mile 8. Then it dawned on me that a lot of my trouble was that I was focusing on it being 'just 10 miles' and that should be easy and I remembered that 4 years ago I had just signed up for my first HM and 10 miles was the terrifyingly long longest run on the training plan I had found myself, and everyone kept telling me "if you can run 10 miles, you can run a half". That made me remember that thing about what is hard today will be your warmup one day and all that stuff, and stop beating myself up. Then when I got home Strava cheered me up no end by telling me I'd got a PR on the aptly-named Hell Hill and another one on another hill segment on that route. What doesn't kill you definitely makes you stronger.
But please everyone, next year don't let me sign up for long autumn races LOL. These next 6 weeks are going to be grim. Especially the day in early or mid September when I get to do today's loop twice!
We're going away for the weekend so I probably won't get back online until Monday evening. I can't remember what my goal was for this month, but I'm at 168.5km which makes it my highest mileage month ever, and I should get another 5k in on Sunday. Roll on massage day on Tuesday!

@martaindale I totally understand that feeling. The most scared I have ever been in my life was an encounter with a white pig, in the dark, when I was in HS. I had gone out to the car to get something I needed, turned around and saw something white standing there, I was so scared I couldn't move or scream. Apparently, the pig was the same way because after we stared at each other for a couple of seconds and then registering what the other was, we both let out screams at the same time and ran. LOL

Nice runs with your brother @Scott6255 .

@Teresa502 I feel the same way about Garmin and my sleep some days. It will say I had poor sleep when I felt like it was okay. Some nights it says I had no REM, but know that I had dreamed, so I'm not sure what it uses to decide all of those things. I am kind of keeping track, for comparison purposes. It usually has my actual sleep times pretty spot on. I'm glad you were able to get your run in around the rain. We got caught in a downpour when we first got to Abingdon, but then it stopped.

Nice running @marisap2010 .

Great running @kgirlhart . I agree with you...I don't want anything living under my house.

Great running @eleanorhawkins . I don't think I have reached the point that what I thought I couldn't do before is now easy. Well, one mile is. Does that count? I really do look forward to the day when 5 miles is easy for me. I think that may be far in the future. At least I don't think it is impossible. You are an inspiration. I hope you enjoy your weekend away.

We did have a fun day in Abingdon VA on Thursday. We did get rained on when we first got there, but at least we had 2 umbrellas between the three of us. We were a little bit disappointed in the venders that were there too @Teresa502 . And parking was really hard to find. We didn't have time to check out any of the other things they had going on in different parts of town because we did drop in and get tickets for the 2:00 pm showing of "9 to 5." We had BBQ at one of the local restaurants and then went to the musical. It was so good and funny. Only thing is, it was a little bit more risque than we were expecting. For the first time in a long time, it was probably good that mom doesn't hear well and missed a lot of the curse words. She was able to follow the story line though and enjoyed the show. It was after 7 before I got home and was able to get my treadmill walk done.

Yesterday, I worked until 2, had to do a bit of shopping, and then mowed mom's lawn when I got home, so got in another mile walk on the treadmill late.

I have yet to get myself going today, so not sure what I will do. Probably a short run. Not even going to be close to my goal, but.....it's still better than zero.

Hello everyone... I kind of dropped off the face of the earth here but I have been running some and have read through with appropriate likes and hugs. It has been hot here like everywhere it seems. We aren't used to the humidity and typically have @eleanorhawkins 'hot hairdryer your face' winds with low humidity and this year we are getting monsoon moisture (but no real rain to speak of) instead. I don't know how you all in the south deal with the humidity but I guess it is just something else you have to get used too. It does make me wish I had access to a treadmill though. I suspect in late August or September I will be complaining of the hot, dry winds and wishing for (a little) more humidity.
@polskagirl01 - glad you got to meet another Vizsla. Even though they tend to be pretty slim they can get heavy like any dog if they don't get enough regular exercise. They are also susceptible to thyroid issues. Hobbes has a friend at doggy daycare appropriately named Chubbs 😁 She is definitely the heaviest Vizsla I have met but she doesn't get exercised much at all because of the owners schedules.
@Mau_Hutch - that island getaway sounds awesome! I had to look up where it was and wow! gorgeous area!
@martaindale - we have lots of possums here and they are protected - you can trap them but not kill or otherwise harm them. They are actually very good for the environment and eat a lot of pests like slugs and snails (along with fruit off the trees). When I worked at the baby zoo in college we had a pair of orphaned babies and they were actually a lot of fun.
@Scott6255 - so happy you got to run with your brother! Are you two doing any races together this year?
@eleanorhawkins - I hope the fires are not being set intentionally. Some of our big ones have been and they seem to be able to track down the arsonists. Almost worse though are the ones that are set from the power companies not maintaining the cables properly and then they arc in the wind and start a fire... Be super careful running when it is so smokey. I have been reading here about the particulate from the ash that remains in the air and can be carried quite a distance. Makes me shudder that I used to go out a run even when you could see the ash falling like snow... We aren't that close to where many of the fires are/were but the ash would get picked up and carried all the way to the ocean.
@martaindale - I hope the run group works out. I have often thought I would like to find one here but most are way faster than I can do and way younger than me so we don't even have much in common. Thanks for setting up August!

Yesterday I headed out for a walk with Hobbes the Vizsla and planned to go back out after I dropped him at home. It was just too hot so I didn't go... Today I planned to go out early but got up late even after going to bed early and sleeping forever... Guess I was tired. So that meant I got out later than planned and of course it was already hot and very humid for us. I even got sprinkled on at one point. Did my 60/30 intervals and tried to keep an even slow pace. Still had to stop a few times and eventually my legs just said enough and I walked home. That's it for me for July. Hit my goal but not my stretch goal. If I had run in San Francisco it would have been closer to 100miles... Maybe August!


The Run the World group is still slogging through the warm Pacific waters but getting closer to California every day. We're making great progress!

I got out for a 6 mile run this morning to finish the month at 84 miles (my goal was 70 so I guess I met my stretch goal!). It started raining on my 1.60 mile cool down walk but felt wonderful! About an hour later we just had a thunderstorm roll through so my timing was good for getting it done today. Some friends and I are going to a backpacking class this afternoon to learn some tips for filtering water, hanging a food bag so that the bears don't get it, etc. @marisap2010 - I love, love, love the hat and the shoes!!

7/1 15.14 miles
7/2 16.24 miles
7/3 15.5 miles, 1525 days on the run, 707 days HM+ Streak
7/4 15.16 miles
7/5 15.31 miles, HEAT ADVISORY until Friday
7/6 15.26 miles, EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING until Friday
7/7 15.33 miles, Running Partner A ~1 hour, EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING until Friday
7/8 15.17 miles, 1530 days on the run, 712 days HM+ Streak, EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING
7/9 16.69 miles, 7 years MFP! (7/9/2015), Running Partners A & E
7/10 15.15 miles
7/11 15.28 miles
7/12 15.52 miles, Running Partner A ~mile 4 - 11
7/13 15.59 miles, 1535 days on the run, 717 days HM+ Streak
7/14 15.24 miles, Running Partner A ~mile 1 - 10
7/15 13.58 miles, fitbit disappoints me
7/16 16.33 miles, Running Partners A & E
7/17 15.49 miles
7/18 15.49 miles, 1540 days on the run, 722 days HM+ Streak
7/19 15.44 miles, Running Partner A ~mile 4-12
7/20 15.17 miles Heat Advisory, Excessive Heat Warning
7/21 15.43 miles, Running Partners A & E ~mile 3 - 10
7/22 15.56 miles
7/23 15.48 miles, 1545 days on the run, 727 days HM+ Streak, HEAT ADVISORY
7/24 16.64 miles, HEAT ADVISORY
7/25 15.38 miles
7/26 15.39 miles
7/27 15.52 miles
7/28 15.51 miles, 1550 days on the run, 732 days HM+ Streak, Running Partners A & E ~9 miles
7/29 15.16 miles
7/30 19.38 miles, Running Partner E ~ mile 3-17
7/31 15.46 miles, Crazy Laps!, 1.07 miles, Crazy Laps!

484.06 miles for July 2022
1553 days on the run, 735 days HM+ Streak

Something I read and thought I would post. Native Tennessean, but the quote was what I liked.
https://fox17.com/news/local/columbia-native-tn-guardsmen-to-compete-against-national-guards-best-soldiers-officers
“It reminds me that I must pay rent on my fitness everyday and that my attitude and effort are the two main things I can control,” said Kleinfelder.