Running Wild

Included 2 1/8 mile sprint repeats

Included 2 1/8 mile sprint repeats

Included 4 1/8 mile sprint repeats

Ran 6 miles at Point Mallard

6 miles at Point Mallard

Included 4 1/8 mile sprint repeats

Ran after work on the 3M trails with Eric.  Included one 1/8 mile sprint repeats.  There was a mixture of snow and freezing rain falling and I got quite cold.

Ran after work on the 3M trails.  Included 4 1/8 mile sprint repeats

I happened across Eric http://Schotz.fastrunningblog.com/ running at Delano park and he joined me for a detour to Point Mallard for an easy 6 miles.  It was about 36 degrees, but it was clear and nice.

It was colder than I'm used to running in today at 27 degrees, but it was sunny and nice out.  I did 6 miles on the Point Mallard trail at a fairly fast pace.

Today I did the 5k course in 3M's park and also did 4 1/8 mile sprint repeats after work.  It was about 42 degrees.

Too cold and rainy to run today.  In truth, I was exhausted from not enough sleep.

Did a 5k followed by 4 1/8 mile sprints after work

Did a 6 mile run at the Point Mallard trail in the early afternoon.  The evening was spent having about fifty 13 year olds over for the birthday party of a friend's daughter at my house & barn.  I don't know what the threshold value is for the group size that induces normally reasonable 13 year olds to start acting like loons, but I can report that it's something lower than fifty.

Ran in the afternoon at Point Mallard.  Very nice day out today.  Temp about 40 but sunny.  I listened to a Science Friday Podcast about how music is stored and processed in the brain, and how it is fundamentally different from other information.  It talked about several different types of disorders that people have that regard music, such as brilliant composers who can only remember the last 7 seconds due to brain injury, and can't remember that they know a certain piece of music, but who can play pieces straight through.  Other people have music hallucinations, and think they are actually hearing music all the time, or see various colors in response to differient pieces of music.

5k plus 4 1/8 mile repeats.

I listend to a segment on Wernher von Braun, the rocket scientist. It touched on how he was an officer in the SS, and joined the rocket program in the US after the war. His SS past was a secret and he wasn't known to the american public until the 60s when he popularized the concept of space travel, most notably in films with Disney. The weather was quite nice for January in Alabama, in the 60s.

The weather outside was frightful after work.  Raining buckets.  Couldn't run. Simply impossible. Went home to take a nap and drink some wine while watching Tivo'd CNBC.

Did a very nice 6 mile run at Point Mallard with my new Forerunner 205 GPS watch.  I know Casey will appreciate being able to see the stats.  : )

This run is a flat out and back on a 3 mile long crushed limestone trail that runs through the trees between a golf course and the Tennesee river.  It's very scenic with views of the river and lots of wild waterfowl.

Summary Data Total Time (h:m:s) 0:46:04 7:39 pace Moving Time (h:m:s) 0:46:05 7:39 pace Distance (mi ) 6.02 Moving Speed (mph) 7.8 avg. 10.9 max. Elevation Gain (ft) +1,153 / -1,114   Temperature (°F) 41°F avg. 42.8°F high Wind Speed ( mph) NE   9.2 avg. NE   9.2 max.

 Bonus section:  How to get a Forerunner 205 for $134 with free next day delivery:  Set up a FatWallet account and link to Zappos through fatwallet to get 6% cash back.  Purchase the Forerunner 205 from Zappos for $255, netting $16 cash back.  Call the Zappos CSR and do a 110% pricematch to the $159 price of the Forerunner on Amazon, yielding a $106 refund. 

A huge storm came through in the late afternoon and it was cold and raining hard.  I deemed it a good day for recovery.

Tonight after work I ran on the trails in the park at 3M in Decatur.  We have a 5k course and a 2 mile course where we hold a high school cross country meet each year, and I ran both courses.  The park is on the banks of the Tennesse river and has a lots of hills.  I listened to a podcast that covered a range of topics from the new X-prize to put a privately funded rover on the moon, to scientists who have genetically engineered mice to have neurons that each fluoresce in different colors (100 million different colors), to talking with the author of a book that encourages girls to excel in math.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:45:15	8:11 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:43:27	7:52 pace
Distance (mi )	5.52
Moving Speed (mph)	7.6 avg.	10.9 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+1,372 / -1,355
Temperature (°F)	39.2°F avg.	39.2°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NW   3.5 avg.	NW   3.5 max.

Today was a nice day outside so I did a trail run at Hurricane Creek park in Cullman, which is south of Decatur.  It's a steep, wooded area with lots of single track trail.  The pace is slow because it's very steep and rocky with lots of leaves on the trail.  The park is a beautiful place that few people in the area know about.  At one point the trail goes behind a large portion of the cliff face that has cleaved off for about 40 yards, which is called the Twilight Tunnel.

Summary Data Total Time (h:m:s) 1:17:43 13:46 pace Moving Time (h:m:s) 1:07:42 12:00 pace Distance (mi ) 5.64 Moving Speed (mph) 5.0 avg. 13.4 max. Elevation Gain (ft) +2,804 / -2,811   Temperature (°F) 57.2°F avg. 57.2°F high Wind Speed ( mph) SSW   8.0 avg. SSW   9.2 max.

No running as it rained from dawn to dusk today.  I'm up for running in the rain in the summertime, but in February a solid day of rain is a good day to stay inside.

I did the 5K and 2 mile courses in the park at 3M after work today.  My pace was quite a bit slower than the last time I ran this course, I think due to the weight lifting squats that I did last night.  It makes my hamstrings feel spent for a couple of days afterwards.  I listened to podcasts about cellulosic ethanol production to address energy needs in the future and a discussion about the issues surrounding big pharma sponsorship of university research and drug trials and the conflicts of interest that arise.

It was unseasonably warm today, which was nice.

Summary Data Total Time (h:m:s) 0:51:14 9:15 pace Moving Time (h:m:s) 0:46:16 8:21 pace Distance (mi ) 5.54 Moving Speed (mph) 7.2 avg. 12.2 max. Elevation Gain (ft) +610 / -614   Temperature (°F) 66.2°F avg. 68°F high Wind Speed ( mph) SSE   9.2 avg. SSE   12.6 max.

Couldn't run today due to the demands of work.  : (   ,but I did lift in the evening.

Tonight I ran the 5k course followed by the 2 mile course at the 3M park.  My pace was almost 40 seconds/mile faster than when I ran it 2 days ago.  It was in the mid 60s at lunchtime, but down to the low 40s and very windy by the time I ran after work.

I listened to a Science Friday podcast about the global helium shortage and learned that the largest helium usage is for cooling superconducting magnets in medical MRI machines.  I also listened to an interview with Paul Davies, who wrote the book Cosmic Jackpot , http://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Jackpot-Universe-Just-Right/dp/0618592261,  which attempts to wade into the morass of of why the universe's fundamental constants seem to be structured in such a way as to support life and mind.

Summary Data Total Time (h:m:s) 0:42:43 7:44 pace Moving Time (h:m:s) 0:42:44 7:44 pace Distance (mi ) 5.52 Moving Speed (mph) 7.7 avg. 10.8 max. Elevation Gain (ft) +606 / -607   Temperature (°F) 42.8°F avg. 42.8°F high Wind Speed ( mph) W   19.5 avg. W   19.5 max.   At two places (at about .5 miles and again at about 3.5 miles) in the elevation chart below you can see the sequence of running down blacktop road in the park, running up the fenceline, then running down the powerline, and then running up the hill again on a wooded path. Profile Loading...

Really a pretty nice day today.  Sunny, and the temperature wasn't bad for February.  Ran the 3M 5k and 2 mile course again as it's pretty much what I can get in after work and still have daylight.  Today I eased up a bit and ran a bit slower than yesterday, but I think I enjoyed it more.   I listened to a podcast about oncogenes, the genes involved in causing cells to metastasize and become cancerous, and inhibitory genes that normally prevent it.  That was followed by a segment about how American students measure up against the rest of the world in math and science.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:45:00	8:07 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:44:30	8:02 pace
Distance (mi )	5.54
Moving Speed (mph)	7.5 avg.	11.0 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+605 / -608
Temperature (°F)	46.4°F avg.	50°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SSE   2.3 avg.	SSE   4.6 max.

Today I ran at Point Mallard for a 6 mile run at a 7:21 pace, which was 18 seconds/mile faster than I ran it a week ago.  It was a nice day to be out, sunny and in the mid 50s.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:48:26	8:03 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:44:14	7:21 pace
Distance (mi )	6.01
Moving Speed (mph)	8.2 avg.	12.0 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+104 / -105
Temperature (°F)	55.4°F avg.	55.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	S   6.9 avg.	S   6.9 max.

Did 6 miles at Point Mallard again today.  Ran at a 7:17 pace on average, with the first 1/2 at a 7:11 pace and the second 1/2 at a 7:24 pace.  Today was a really nice day with temperatures in the upper 50s and sunny.  I'd like to get my 10k training runs to be a sub 7 minute pace on a nice flat course like this, and I think that is going to be a short term objective.

Summary Data Total Time (h:m:s) 0:44:52 7:27 pace Moving Time (h:m:s) 0:43:58 7:17 pace Distance (mi ) 6.02 Moving Speed (mph) 8.2 avg. 12.7 max. Elevation Gain (ft) +104 / -105   Temperature (°F) 57.2°F avg. 57.2°F high Wind Speed ( mph) W   16.1 avg. W   16.1 max.

Today was a beautiful day for a run at Point Mallard.  My legs felt a little tired from a fast run yesterday and weight lifting squats last night, so I thought I would take my dog, Abbie out for a slow easy run.  Abbie was my enthusiastic (insistent) running partner for years, but she's 10 now, and has grown fond of a lazier lifestyle.  She can recognize running clothes and won't get in the car if she thinks it's going to be more activity than she's up for.  I don't know how to convince her that I'm looking for something short and slow today myself, so in the end I let her stay at home.  Since it was just me I ran at what I felt like I could do, rather than the s-l-o-w pace I would have kept if Abs had come along.  My pace was about 30 seconds per mile slower than yesterday.  The first 1/2 at a 7:25 pace and the second 1/2 at a 7:50 pace.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:46:40	7:44 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:46:40	7:44 pace
Distance (mi )	6.02
Moving Speed (mph)	7.7 avg.	11.5 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+106 / -107
Temperature (°F)	56.3°F avg.	57.2°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	W   13.8 avg.	W   13.8 max.

I completely felt like I needed a rest day off from running today, but it was simply too nice outside to skip.  I compromised by doing a 5k at an 8:12 pace and a couple of 1/8 mile speed repeats at a 4:48 and 4:36 pace and calling it quits.

Check out this study on the benefits of High Intensity Interval Training, which I would like to incorporate in my training schedule in a more serious way.  Note that the HIIT subjects lost 3X as much fat despite having 1/2 the energy expenditure during exercise as endurance training alone.

http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss/HIITvsET.html

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:26	9:04 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:33:43	7:57 pace
Distance (mi )	4.23
Moving Speed (mph)	7.5 avg.	14.7 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+432 / -428
Temperature (°F)	60.8°F avg.	62.6°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	S   10.3 avg.	S   12.6 max.

Couldn't run today as I had to take my dog to the vet after work for her annual shots.  I was planning on taking her out to the trail after that but it was raining by then.  It's a shame too, because it was relatively warm today.

Hmm, well, no running today either.  It was 26 degrees after work, and they were calling for mid 50s tomorrow, so I decided that this could be a day off running.  I'll lift tonight instead.

Today I did the 5k course in the 3M park, followed by 4 repeats of 1/8 mile intervals with 1/8 mile recovery jogs in between.  The 5k was at an 8:01 pace and the 4 intervals were at 4:49, 4:48, 4:25, and 4:47 pace according to the Forerunner 205, but were 4:56, 5:04, 4:48, and 4:56 pace just based on the time and known distance.  I think I could increase the accuracy of my Forerunner 205 by setting it to a faster data collection rate when I do the sprint intervals.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:33:06	8:06 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:33:02	8:05 pace
Distance (mi )	4.08
Moving Speed (mph)	7.4 avg.	15.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+379 / -375
Temperature (°F)	51.8°F avg.	51.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	S   6.9 avg.	S   6.9 max.

Ran at Point Mallard today with Lori and Abbie.  It was raining in a fine drizzle the entire run but the temperature was not too cold to be running wet.  My pace overall was 7:13, which is a 4 second/mile improvement over the previous run on this course.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:43:17	7:13 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:43:18	7:13 pace
Distance (mi )	5.99
Moving Speed (mph)	8.3 avg.	13.5 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+107 / -104
Temperature (°F)	54.5°F avg.	55.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SSE   1.7 avg.	SSE   3.5 max.

Today Lori and I took Abbie to Hurricane Creek park and ran/walked the trails there.  My GPS watch lost satellite lock when we went underground in the twilight tunnel and it didn't reacquire for some time, so it didn't log about a mile additional that I did.  I saw some trail today that I had never seen before, including a very steep wooden catwalk running up the wall of the valley, called the gauntlet, that connects the out and back along the creek with the  racecourse.  It was a very nice temperature for February.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	1:16:03	19:30 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:52:15	13:23 pace
Distance (mi )	3.90
Moving Speed (mph)	4.5 avg.	11.3 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+1,471 / -1,484
Temperature (°F)	63.2°F avg.	64.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	ENE   3.1 avg.	ENE   5.8 max.

 Ran 6 miles at Point Mallard while Lori took Abbie on a 3 mile run/walk/swim in the river.  It rained a lot this morning, but by this afternoon it was warm and sunny.  I felt pretty slow today, perhaps due to all the climbing at Hurricane Creek yesterday.

I had the day off work today, and after dropping Lori off at the Huntsville airport I went to Point Mallard on the way home and did a 6 mile run.  It was pretty windy today, and my hamstrings were feeling pretty weak from doing squats last night, but it was sunny and pretty nice for February.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:57:25	9:27 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:47:12	7:46 pace
Distance (mi )	6.07
Moving Speed (mph)	7.7 avg.	13.0 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+107 / -107
Temperature (°F)	50.9°F avg.	51.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	WSW   14.9 avg.	WSW   17.2 max.

No running today.  Tired.  Kept up last night by my neighbor's baying beagles.  ugh.

Today I ran at the 3M trails on the 5k course.  Easy run today with nice weather.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:29:20	8:03 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:29:21	8:03 pace
Distance (mi )	3.64
Moving Speed (mph)	7.5 avg.	10.7 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+401 / -404
Temperature (°F)	60.2°F avg.	64.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NNW   6.9 avg.	NNW   8.1 max.

I ran the 3M 5k course today after work.  My GPS watch lost signal about a mile into it, but I was running at a 7:26 pace for that first portion.

Today I ran some laps at Delano Park in Decatur with 3 other guys, Eric Schotz, http://schotz.fastrunningblog.com/, John Elmore, http://jelmo.fastrunningblog.com/, and Eric C.  They are part of a 4 man relay that have a goal of exceeding 100 miles in the Delano Park 12 hour run in 2 weeks.  We did 6 laps slow and 1 lap fast, with the fast lap being about a 6 minute mile pace.  The slow laps were closer to an 8 minute mile pace.  Not a bad day to be out for February.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:54:02	8:02 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:51:43	7:41 pace
Distance (mi )	6.72
Moving Speed (mph)	7.8 avg.	14.3 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+136 / -135
Temperature (°F)	51.8°F avg.	51.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	WNW   6.9 avg.	WNW   6.9 max.

Tonight I ran the 3M 5k course after work.  It was a nice day for February and I listened to a podcast about scientists that have sequenced woolly mammoth DNA using fragments isolated from permafrost preserved wooly mammoth hair from 10 different mammoths.  Not the cells in the hair folicles, but trace amounts of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA that is trapped in the hair protein matrix.  The advantage of this source is that the keratin encapsulates the DNA and the hair can be carefully cleaned and this DNA extracted in a form that is free of bacterial DNA contamination, which is present in bone and tissue sources.  The latest DNA sequencing machines can sequence 100 million base pairs per day, so getting the entire sequence is a manageable task.  The information will be used to study how related mammoths and mastadons are to each other and to current elephants.  No woolly mammoth ranches in the works.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:30:09	8:24 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:30:05	8:23 pace
Distance (mi )	3.59
Moving Speed (mph)	7.2 avg.	15.3 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+393 / -394
Temperature (°F)	55.4°F avg.	55.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SE   4.6 avg.	SE   4.6 max.

After a 4 day hiatis, I did a 6 mile run on the Point Mallard trail today.  It was very nice weather today, warm and sunny, after a week that was cold and/or rainy often.  The podcast I listened to was interviewing a bunch of old guys who were in the fledgling space program when Sputnik went up and shook everything up.  One of the perspectives they shared was that the US wasn't really behind the soviets at the time.  In fact, the reason that the soviets had such large launch vehicles to use was that they couldn't make ICBM warheads as small as the US could, so they had these huge million pound thrust rockets.  Neither side was expecting the publicity and attention that Sputnik got in the press and the public eye, and it ignited the space race.  It was even put forth that without Sputnik and the uproar it caused about the soviets beating the US into space, that the lunar program wouldn't have happened.  As it was, we had the technology on hand and assembled already necessary to do it ourselves within 90 days of Sputnik.    Von Braun said he could do it in 30 days, no problem, but was talked into 90 to be conservative.  A lot of the narrative described the people and this work taking place at Redstone in Huntsville AL, just 20 miles from where I was running today. 

I got a blister on my heel running today, even though I was using the shoes I've been running in with no problems for weeks.  No explanation.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:44:34	7:24 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:44:35	7:24 pace
Distance (mi )	6.02
Moving Speed (mph)	8.1 avg.	11.9 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+102 / -101
Temperature (°F)	62.6°F avg.	62.6°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	WNW   5.8 avg.	WNW   8.1 max.

Started a run at Point Mallard but the blister on my heel from yesterday tore open.  I cut it short after that.

 Ran as part of a relay in the Delano 12 hour today.  Eric Schotz and Jon Elmore were race directors and did a great job.

Ran 6 miles at Point Mallard.  This was 72 hours after a 21.5 mile run, but it was noticably slower and a bit more sore in the joints than usual.

Did a run at Point Mallard again tonight.  Pace was 7:56, which is still slower than usual due to a long run on Sunday.  I was feeling some IT band pain in my right hip still.

I listened to a podcast of an interview with Carl Sagan from 2003 or so, right after he had published Pale Blue Dot.  It was a very interesting and entertaining hour long interview in which he expressed the motivation for colonization of other worlds as an insurance policy to preserve the human race in the event of a catastrophy on this planet.  This was a decades to centuries hence view, not a topic concerning the next few years.  Also discussed was the SETI program and the follow-on privately funded efforts with similar objectives.  It was a very nice day to be out on the trail.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:47:40	7:56 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:47:39	7:56 pace
Distance (mi )	6.00
Moving Speed (mph)	7.6 avg.	10.7 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+104 / -102
Temperature (°F)	63.2°F avg.	68°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	S   9.6 avg.	S   11.5 max.

Ran 6 miles at Point Mallard

Ran the 5k course and the 2 mile course at the 3M park after work

Ran at Point Mallard

Ran at Point Mallard

I took Abbie to the trail tonight and we did an easy, slow 3.

I had a really nice run at Point Mallard today. It was sunny and about 60 degrees and I was able to keep a pretty good pace going. I listened to a podcast that was discussing the economics of cellulosic ethanol vs corn based ethanol for gasoline supplementation. The point was primarily that producing corn takes just about as much energy as the energy content of the ethanol that you can make with it, in large part due to the energy cost of the fertilizer needed. Nevertheless, we are putting and have put legislation in place that subsidizes both the production of corn and the production of corn based ethanol to the point that it's being used to the exclusion of cellulosic sources, such as wood scrap, straw, grasses, and field waste.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:48:20	8:00 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:44:51	7:25 pace
Distance (mi )	6.04
Moving Speed (mph)	8.1 avg.	12.9 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+104 / -103
Temperature (°F)	59°F avg.	62.6°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	N   12.6 avg.	N   13.8 max.

Ran at Point Mallard again today.  It was a bit cooler than yesterday but sunny.  I listened to a podcast that was explaining that in addition to the BRAC1 & 2 genes that have been known since the mid 90s to indicate a predisposition to breast cancer, the human haplotype map is allowing investigators to identify additional genes that are more subtle indicators of breast cancer risk.  Also covered was a description of studies that were mapping activity in rat brains as they slept that indicated that they were replaying the days events in their sleep, repeating the sequence of neural activity in the visual and smell areas of the brain, but in reverse order to the sequence that they fired when they went through the maze.  This progressed into a discussion of the importance of sleep to memory storage in humans.  A minimum of 7 hours seems to be the magic number, which I seem to rarely get.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:45:08	7:30 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:44:29	7:24 pace
Distance (mi )	6.01
Moving Speed (mph)	8.1 avg.	12.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+111 / -111
Temperature (°F)	48.2°F avg.	51.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NNW   8.8 avg.	NNW   10.4 max.

Ran the Capitol 10k in Austin TX today, followed later in the day by a 5 mile run with Mark Lettang on the Brushy Creek trail.  My GPS watch indicated a 6:56 pace, which could have been faster perhaps, but I was letting myself enjoy the run.  The Cap 10k is the largest race in Austin, with something like 17,000 runners.  They have live bands at several points on the course and lots of community involvement and many of the runners are in costume.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:43:44	6:56 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:43:44	6:56 pace
Distance (mi )	6.30
Moving Speed (mph)	8.6 avg.	12.0 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+433 / -442

3M trail run with Eric.

Point Mallard Trail Run

Point Mallard Trail run

First run with new shoes, Saucony Trigon 5s.  A bit faster than typical for me on this course at a 7:15 minutes per mile average pace.  This might be due to new shoes, or it might be due to putting the spurs to it a bit more because of having new shoes.  During this run I listened to a podcast about global warming.  It discussed the need to establish carbon emission as a commodity that can be traded and valued so that steps that will reduce carbon emission can be finacially motivated.

Spring must be taking hold because I saw my first snake of the season on the trail today.  A speckled kingsnake.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:43:36	7:15 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:43:37	7:15 pace
Distance (mi )	6.01
Moving Speed (mph)	8.3 avg.	12.6 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+105 / -105
Temperature (°F)	71.6°F avg.	71.6°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	N   0.0 avg.	N   0.0 max.

Point Mallard Run

Ran the Re-creation 5k with Eric Schotz, Todd Hogue, and Jon Elmore in Hunstsville.  Also ran 2 miles before the race to warm up and 1 mile after the race to cool down.  I finished 16th overall at 20:06.  4th in my age group. 

Point Mallard Run

Point Mallard Run.

Point Mallard run with Eric.  I didn't have my watch on for this run, but I think Eric said we averaged a 7:11 minute/mile pace.

Point Mallard run.  Listened to a podcast that discussed the extinction of the Great Auk.  This bird was once present by the millions on Newfoundland, particularly on Funk island, and was driven to extinction by the early 19th century.  Since they were flighless they were easy prey to capture and salt to replinish the larders of ships after 6 weeks of sailing crossing the Atlantic. These were the bird referred to at the time as penquin long before the birds in Antartica were called that due to the similar appearance.  A major point of the piece was that even species that are present in great abundance are susceptible to extinction, with parallels drawn to the Atlantic Cod.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:44:58	7:29 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:44:58	7:29 pace
Distance (mi )	6.00
Moving Speed (mph)	8.0 avg.	14.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+103 / -103
Temperature (°F)	54.5°F avg.	59°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SE   2.3 avg.	SE   4.6 max.

I ran on the 3M trails after work today, but the wind was really blowing and it had so much pollen in the air that my eyes really started to get red and irritated due to allergies.  It got so bad that I couldn't keep them open for more than a few seconds at a time, so I called it a day.  In my book, when you're having a hard time just staying on the trail it's time to quit.

I did four 1/8 mile uphill sprints on the lane going up to my house.  A total of 1 mile including the return downhill recovery jogs.

This was a very hot run on the Brushy Creek trail in Austin.  It was about 4 in the afternoon and 95 degrees.  Lori was on her bike and I was running.  The trail is a crushed granite surface so we were going as fast as I felt like running.  I tried to keep cool by dunking my head in the creek periodically but thermal management was definately an issue.  95 isn't that hot, but I haven't been acclimated to it yet this year.  Afterwards we went out to dinner at ZTejas with friends and it felt great to relax with them.

Did a pair of runs today with Lori  on her bike.  The first was in the afternoon and was a trail run over some rocky trails north of the neighborhood where Lori lives.  This trail was not very well suited to the bike that Lori was on and was more of a chance to explore some of those trails.  The second run was after dark and was in the neighborhood with Lori on her bike again.  This was more fun because it was cooler, and we were on smooth surfaces so we could both go faster.

Today I ran a pair of races, a 10k followed by a 2 mile run, with Eric Schotz and Jon Elmore in Moulton AL.  I was second in my age group in both races (after Eric).

Started with a 1.5 mile warm up, followed by a 10k Race at a 6:39 pace

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:41:46	6:39 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:41:46	6:39 pace
Distance (mi )	6.27
Moving Speed (mph)	9.0 avg.	14.3 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+162 / -166
Temperature (°F)	53.6°F avg.	60.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	E   2.5 avg.	E   4.6 max.

followed by a 2 Mile Run at a 6:24 pace

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:12:55	6:24 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:12:55	6:24 pace
Distance (mi )	2.02
Moving Speed (mph)	9.4 avg.	12.6 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+52 / -55
Temperature (°F)	62.6°F avg.	64.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SSW   5.8 avg.	SSW   6.9 max.

This was my first time running a course that started at my house and went to a small trail loop at the Trinity City Hall and back.  The route involves a nice little climb up to the top of Trinity Mountain and a run along a ridgetop through a residential neighborhood before dropping back down off the mountain to get into Trinity proper, and then back again.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:52:52	7:48 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:52:52	7:48 pace
Distance (mi )	6.78
Moving Speed (mph)	7.7 avg.	12.6 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+624 / -626
Temperature (°F)	80.6°F avg.	80.6°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NNW   10.4 avg.	NNW   10.4 max.

Elevation Change	Total (ft)
Total Elevation	1,250
Elevation Gain	624
Elevation Loss	626
Net Elevation Change	-2

Vertical Speed	Average ( ft/min)	Maximum (ft/min)
Ascent	11.8	117.2
Descent	-11.8	-160.0

Grade	Average (%)	Maximum (%)
Overall Grade	-0.0	--
Ascent Grade	3.5	23.2
Descent Grade	-3.5	-21.8

Relevant Data
Start Elevation (ft):	730
Finish Elevation (ft):	727
Min. Elevation (ft):	628
Max. Elevation (ft):	816

Today I ran on the 3M trails at lunchtime.  I ran the 5k course twice.  It was a pretty nice day to be out.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:55:19	8:23 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:55:19	8:23 pace
Distance (mi )	6.60
Moving Speed (mph)	7.2 avg.	12.9 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+737 / -739
Temperature (°F)	69.8°F avg.	69.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	WNW   6.5 avg.	WNW   8.1 max.

Today Lori and I did 4 repeats of 1/8 mile sprints up the hill I live on.  Then we ran at Point Mallard with Abbie in the evening.  On the way back we came across a yellow lab running loose with a german shepard puppy.  They had collars and tags with the owners phone number.  We tried to take both dogs home to call their owners, but the yellow lab broke loose and took off running with my leash still trailing behind.  We took the german shepard puppy home and called her owner's cell phone.  He stopped by his house before coming to get her and found the yellow lab outside the house already, still dragging the leash around, so all's well that ends well.

Today I ran on the Point Mallard trail with Lori riding along on a bike.  This was a pretty hot run, with the temperature in the 90s.  We should have waited until later in the evening after it had cooled off.  This was my second day running in a new pair of Nimbus 10s, and I got a blister that formed on my heel.  Also, the squats yesterday and lunges today really slowed me down today.  As a result, this was one of my slowest runs in a long time, with an 8:17 pace.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:58:14	9:08 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:52:51	8:17 pace
Distance (mi )	6.38
Moving Speed (mph)	7.2 avg.	10.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+108 / -108
Temperature (°F)	85.1°F avg.	89.6°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	ENE   2.9 avg.	ENE   5.8 max.

Tonight I ran from my house north to the Trinity city hall and back.  It's been raining a lot for the past couple of days and it just cleared out a few hours ago so the temperature was still cool.  I listened to podcasts about the prospects of understanding the aging process in terms of the genes that are active.  Single gene deletions or activations can double the lifespans of nematode worms and mice, for example.  Another was about the impact that an inuit tribe had on the ecosystem of an artic lake 400 years ago by butchering whales in the watershed of the lake.   The resulting nutrient flow into the lake made algal blooms that could be seen in the diatom fossil record of the sediments.  Lastly, there was a segment about a catalytic hydrogen generation method that used ethanol as the feedstock and had twice the efficiency as burning the ethanol directly.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:52:51	7:44 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:52:51	7:44 pace
Distance (mi )	6.83
Moving Speed (mph)	7.8 avg.	13.9 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+618 / -619
Temperature (°F)	71.6°F avg.	71.6°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NNE   10.4 avg.	NNE   10.4 max.

Profile

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Plot: Elevation  vs. Distance       Time Display: Grade

Tonight I did the run from my house to the Trinity City Hall again.  The route includes a loop around the city hall and the baseball fields that is a crushed limestone surface.  I tend to do this route in the evening and there are usually peewee ball games going on.  I listened to podcasts that discussed natural gas hydrate deposits in Canada that are estimated to exceed the worlds known petroleum reserves.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:58:11	8:13 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:54:05	7:38 pace
Distance (mi )	7.08
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	11.7 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+677 / -679
Temperature (°F)	80.6°F avg.	82.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SSW   7.5 avg.	SSW   8.1 max.

While on a business trip in St. Paul MN, I took time for a run at Battle Creek Park this evening.  I was limited to 30 minutes because I was at the park with a co-worker.  This was a very nice park with many trails through a wooded area.  I would definately come to run here any chance I got.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:30:10	8:03 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:29:35	7:54 pace
Distance (mi )	3.74
Moving Speed (mph)	7.6 avg.	12.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+459 / -451
Temperature (°F)	69.8°F avg.	69.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	ENE   1.7 avg.	ENE   3.5 max.

Tonight I went to the Point Mallard trail for a nice evening run.  I got home from my business trip at about 3:00 am last night so I've been a little tired today, but this was a nice run.  Many thanks to Eric and his family for watching my dog, Abbie while I was gone.  I listened to an interesting podcast about a program that blind people can use to see using sound.  It utilizes a camera mounted in eyeglasses that a blind person wears.  The program converts the camera images to a series of stereo sound sweeps that repeat with a 1 second frequency sweeping from left to right.  The pitch indicates the height of the object, the timing in the sweep indicates left to right, and the volume indicates the lightness or darkness.  The blind person's brain slowly learns to interpret this audio input as visual information and begins to process the information in the visual cortex, forming images in the brain.  Amazing stuff.  MRIs of the brains of users verifies that the visual cortex is doing the processing.  The other segment was about the history of the polio vaccine in the 50s.  In the US we started a clinical trial for the first Polio vaccine but it was halted and shelved when 6 children contracted Polio as a result of the vaccine.  The problem was traced to a specific company, Cutter Laboratories, a supplier of the vaccine, and to inactivated virus in their product.   The Canadian dept of Health recognized that the problem was something that could be addressed and started their own clinical trials which were successful, and this success was instrumental in the eventual resumption of clincial trials in the US.

Summary Data Total Time (h:m:s) 0:49:08 8:05 pace Moving Time (h:m:s) 0:49:03 8:04 pace Distance (mi ) 6.08 Moving Speed (mph) 7.4 avg. 11.0 max. Elevation Gain (ft) +102 / -103   Temperature (°F) 86.9°F avg. 89.6°F high Wind Speed ( mph) SSW   5.8 avg. SSW   6.9 max.

Tonight I did a run that was somewhat difficult.  It was pretty hot, I wasn't carrying any water, and part of it was through an overgrown poisen ivy choked wooded trail with about a dozen biting deerflies swarming above my head.  I pulled up a bushy weed and was running while swinging it over my head like a madman, which was really pretty effective.  Good clean fun.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:53:50	9:01 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:53:35	8:58 pace
Distance (mi )	5.96
Moving Speed (mph)	6.7 avg.	13.3 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+644 / -611
Temperature (°F)	86°F avg.	89.6°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SW   6.1 avg.	SW   6.9 max.

Tonight I did the Trinity City Hall run.  Tonight was the first night of the year that I've carried water.  The distance is just barely at the threshold where it's worth the bother.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:56:21	8:13 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:55:11	8:03 pace
Distance (mi )	6.85
Moving Speed (mph)	7.4 avg.	10.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+638 / -635
Temperature (°F)	86°F avg.	86°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SSE   6.9 avg.	SSE   6.9 max.

This morning I got up and did a morning run from my house to the Trinity City Hall.  It rained last night and it was pretty humid, but the temperature was quite moderate.  The radar map looked like there were more storms on the way so I squeezed a run in before they got here.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:52:34	7:38 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:52:34	7:38 pace
Distance (mi )	6.88
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	10.3 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+623 / -622
Temperature (°F)	72.5°F avg.	73.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	N   0.0 avg.	N   0.0 max.

This morning I did a short run in Trinity.  My back is a bit hurt from barbell goodmornings last night and it slowed my running down today.  Today's run was in full sun and it reminded me of why I tend to run in the evening.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:27:50	8:02 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:27:51	8:02 pace
Distance (mi )	3.46
Moving Speed (mph)	7.5 avg.	10.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+364 / -364
Temperature (°F)	79.7°F avg.	82.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SSE   4.0 avg.	SSE   4.6 max.

Tonight I did the Trinity City Hall run again.  I listened to a Canadian science  podcast that was talking about selection pressures that drive gonadotroph, the male reproductive organ, size in mosquito fish.  Male mosquito fish have large gonadotrophs for the size of their bodies, with lengths ranging from 20% to 70% of their body length.  They are internal fertalizers, hence the need for a gonadotroph.  During courtship they "wave these around wildly" and females are very selective, favoring the males with the largest gonadotrophs.  The question was then, why the large variation in gonadotroph size?  Why don't they all just have large gonadotrophs?   It turns out that a large gonadotroph is a big disadvantage if there are prediators around because the hydrodynamic drag it presents slows the burst swimming speed of the fish too much.  Therefore, predators exert a selective pressure for smaller gonadotrophs, while females exert a selective pressure for large gonadotrophs.  They demonstrated that it was the gonadotroph size that females were selective for, and not other attributes, by doing studies where they showed female fish side by side identical movie displays of a male fish doing his courtship dance, except that on one of the displays the gonadotroph had been digitally enhanced by 15%, (I wouldn't make this up) and they demonstrated that it was gonadotroph size that was the selected for attribute.

Today I had a nice run with Eric Schotz and Jon Elmore.  We started at Eric's house and ran to the Point Mallard trail along the river.  We ran the length of the trail and then back to Eric's.

Tonight was a really nice run on the Point Mallard trail.  I rarely make it over there these days since it's so expensive to drive now, but it's a really nice run, especially just before dusk.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:51:55	8:35 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:47:18	7:49 pace
Distance (mi )	6.04
Moving Speed (mph)	7.7 avg.	11.2 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+100 / -99
Temperature (°F)	78.2°F avg.	82.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NE   3.1 avg.	NE   4.6 max.

A vendor visited our site today and took us out to dinner.  We got out at about 8:00 and I squeezed in a run at Point Mallard afterwards.  It was dark by the time I got to the halfway point so I returned on the blacktop that goes around the golf course.

Summary Data Total Time (h:m:s) 0:43:50 8:55 pace Moving Time (h:m:s) 0:37:22 7:36 pace Distance (mi ) 4.92 Moving Speed (mph) 7.9 avg. 11.1 max. Elevation Gain (ft) +95 / -95   Temperature (°F) 80°F avg. 82.4°F high Wind Speed ( mph) SSW   6.5 avg. SSW   8.1 max.

This morning I ran a race in the Point Mallard park that Eric Schotz and John Elmore were the race directors for.  They did a staggered start by age and gender and 68 year old Anne Park was the overall winner.  This was a very nicely organized race and the directors did a great job.

Today I hiked with Lori and the dogs at the Twin Lakes park and we swam in the lake for a while afterwards.

Tonight I went running in Lori's neighborhood with Lori on her bike.  We went to Milburn park and ran on the trails there and around the streets in the neighborhood.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:24:33	8:26 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:22:46	7:49 pace
Distance (mi )	2.91
Moving Speed (mph)	7.7 avg.	10.6 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+96 / -96

Ran on the Brush Creek trail while Lori walked the dogs.  I covered 4 miles running and walked with Lori and the dogs the last mile.

Tonight Lori and I took the dogs on a bushwhacking adventure starting at the Twin Lakes park and going along the brushy creek stream course along the route that the brushy creek trail will cover once it's extended from the Parmer trailhead.  It was just hiking but it left us with scratched up legs, the dogs full of burrs in their fur, and everybody happy.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	2:02:32	27:22 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	1:33:16	20:52 pace
Distance (mi )	4.47
Moving Speed (mph)	2.9 avg.	9.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+306 / -298

This morning I got up early and did a run in Lori's neighborhood in Cedar Park, taking trails through wild preserve areas whenever I could, including a lot in the WestSide Preserve area.  About 50% of the run was on single track trail and about 50% on sidewalks.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	1:17:51	8:54 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	1:16:44	8:47 pace
Distance (mi )	8.73
Moving Speed (mph)	6.8 avg.	14.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+290 / -290

Today I got up and did a morning run before the heat developed.  I ran in the Deer Creek neighborhood in Cedar Park TX.  I tried to find some new trail but was largely unsuccessful.  Lori said they are going to be building a new park off of Anderson Mill Road here in the future.  I'll have to figure out where that is going to be and try running there.

Later we took the dogs to Twin Lakes where we got another 0.93 miles in, and in the evening Lori rode her bike and I ran for another 1.7 miles over to Mark and Mollie's house for wine and cheese and crackers out on the back patio and back home.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:47:53	8:23 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:47:54	8:23 pace
Distance (mi )	5.71
Moving Speed (mph)	7.1 avg.	10.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+272 / -273

This afternoon Lori and I took the dogs to the Brushy Creek Trail at Parmer in Austin.  I did a 5 mile run and Lori walked the dogs on the trail and let them swim in the lake and lay in the creek.  Then we picked up some Chinese take-out on the way home and had it at home while we watched cartoons. 

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:40:27	8:14 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:03	7:44 pace
Distance (mi )	4.91
Moving Speed (mph)	7.7 avg.	11.0 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+221 / -215

Today I did a run at Point Mallard.  It had just stopped raining a few minutes prior so the humidity was near 100% and I was feeling the effect of it, but it was a nice day to be on the trail otherwise.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:48:58	8:08 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:48:59	8:08 pace
Distance (mi )	6.02
Moving Speed (mph)	7.4 avg.	10.8 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+103 / -103
Temperature (°F)	82.8°F avg.	84.2°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SE   9.8 avg.	SE   11.5 max.

This was an evening run that began at my house and went up Trinity mountain, then down to the Trinity City Hall and back.  I had to start this run twice.  The first time I left my house and started down the lane my house is on.  The neighbors down the hill have recently taken in a stray young female dog who was very excited to see me running by and was having a great time running in circles around me as I ran.  She's so young and excitable that I was pretty sure she'd try to run the whole way with me if I kept going so I had to turn around and go back home until she wandered off and I could start again without her.  Tonight was my first run after 4 days off.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	1:03:08	8:38 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:58:23	7:59 pace
Distance (mi )	7.31
Moving Speed (mph)	7.5 avg.	12.0 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+687 / -689
Temperature (°F)	85.1°F avg.	87.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	ESE   4.0 avg.	ESE   4.6 max.

Today was a hot day for a run but I had a nice easy Point Mallard run.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:52:37	8:42 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:48:58	8:06 pace
Distance (mi )	6.04
Moving Speed (mph)	7.4 avg.	11.3 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+102 / -102

Tonight I ran at Point Mallard and then celebrated my achievement by making chocolate chip cookies.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:47:47	7:54 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:47:48	7:54 pace
Distance (mi )	6.05
Moving Speed (mph)	7.6 avg.	14.3 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+102 / -103
Temperature (°F)	81.8°F avg.	82.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SE   6.9 avg.	SE   6.9 max.

Got up at 5:00 this morning and ran on the roads near my house before work.

Ran a loop in Trinity just before dusk after the rain stopped.

Summary Data

Total Time (h:m:s) 0:33:11 7:44 pace

Moving Time (h:m:s) 0:33:11 7:44 pace

Distance (mi ) 4.29

Moving Speed (mph) 7.8 avg. 9.8 max.

Elevation Gain (ft) +451 / -450

Temperature (°F) 72°F avg. 73.4°F high

Wind Speed ( mph) E 2.8 avg. E 5.8 max.

Tonight I extended the Greenway loop to include North and South Mountain Road and Ghost Hill Road.  This makes the course a large loop.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:39:51	7:53 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:39:51	7:53 pace
Distance (mi )	5.05
Moving Speed (mph)	7.6 avg.	11.3 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+521 / -515
Temperature (°F)	86°F avg.	89.6°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NE   1.2 avg.	NE   3.5 max.

This evening I ran the Ridgetop Road Greenway loop in Trinity.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:39:03	7:43 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:39:04	7:43 pace
Distance (mi )	5.06
Moving Speed (mph)	7.8 avg.	11.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+525 / -520
Temperature (°F)	78.8°F avg.	78.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	ESE   2.6 avg.	ESE   5.8 max.

This evening I ran the Ridgetop Road Greenway loop in Trinity again.  The northbound section is on Greenway in the valley and the Southbound section is on Ridgetop road, which runs along the top of Trinity Mountain.  In between is scenic switchback climb.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:15	7:35 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:15	7:35 pace
Distance (mi )	5.04
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	10.6 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+518 / -520
Temperature (°F)	80.6°F avg.	84.2°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NNE   4.6 avg.	NNE   4.6 max.

Tonight I ran the Greenway-Ridgetop Road-Ghost Hill Road loop in Trinity just before dusk once the rain ended.  It was humid, but not too hot.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:50	7:37 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:50	7:37 pace
Distance (mi )	5.09
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	11.8 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+555 / -552
Temperature (°F)	77°F avg.	77°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NNW   5.8 avg.	NNW   5.8 max.

Tonight I ran at the Point Mallard Trail in Decatur.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:49:14	8:10 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:47:51	7:56 pace
Distance (mi )	6.03
Moving Speed (mph)	7.6 avg.	10.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+109 / -111

Trinity Greenway/Ridgetop Road/Ghost Hill Road loop

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:56	7:43 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:56	7:43 pace
Distance (mi )	5.04
Moving Speed (mph)	7.8 avg.	10.0 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+525 / -525
Temperature (°F)	78.8°F avg.	84.2°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NE   5.0 avg.	NE   6.9 max.

Trinity Greenway/Ridgetop Road/Ghost Hill Road loop

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:09	7:32 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:09	7:32 pace
Distance (mi )	5.06
Moving Speed (mph)	8.0 avg.	12.3 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+547 / -550
Temperature (°F)	84.2°F avg.	86°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	N   0.0 avg.	N   0.0 max.

Today I ran the Brook Hill 5k, which Jon Elmore and Eric Schotz were working and officiating.  I got first place in the 30-39 age group, but I was pretty lucky that none of the 9 people who finished before me were in my age group.  It rained a few hours before the race and after the race, but it held off during the race.  It was humid but the temperature wasn't too bad.  I left my Garmin at home by accident so the only distance and time info I have is from the race.

This evening I ran the Greenway/RidgeTop Road/Ghost Hill Road loop in Trinity.  I'm going to be spending the next 4 days in St. Paul MN on a business trip and I'm hoping to squeeze some running in while I'm there.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:16	7:34 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:17	7:34 pace
Distance (mi )	5.06
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	10.8 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+556 / -558
Temperature (°F)	80.6°F avg.	80.6°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	ENE   8.1 avg.	ENE   8.1 max.

This evening I ran in the Battle Creek Park in St. Paul MN.  This park has lots of trails through the woods that are cross country skiing trails in the winter.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:44:06	9:00 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:42:19	8:38 pace
Distance (mi )	4.90
Moving Speed (mph)	6.9 avg.	12.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+536 / -534
Temperature (°F)	74.3°F avg.	77°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SE   7.5 avg.	SE   8.1 max.

Tonight I ran on a really nice paved bike/running trail in St. Paul MN.  It's in the Battle Creek Park area, just south of the 3M center.  I think the trails on the east side of McKnight are well known since they are visible from the street, but the best running, imo, is this secluded paved trail that runs west from McKnight.  It runs in a wooded valley along a creek bed with lots of little bridges and is very scenic and pretty.  A trail map of the area is here.

http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/NR/rdonlyres/2A6C7DEB-7C73-4878-A632-18FEA355C095/2945/BattleCreekRegionalPark.pdf

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:41:36	8:20 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:41:06	8:14 pace
Distance (mi )	4.99
Moving Speed (mph)	7.3 avg.	11.9 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+569 / -569
Temperature (°F)	73.4°F avg.	73.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SE   9.2 avg.	SE   10.4 max.

Tonight I ran on that great trail west of Battle Creek Park.  In the photo below, the start in the upper right is the Holiday in at McKnight and 94.  It's an out and back run and it decends the whole way out, so the elevation profile for the run looks like this.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:39:32	7:55 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:39:33	7:55 pace
Distance (mi )	4.99
Moving Speed (mph)	7.6 avg.	12.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+547 / -550
Temperature (°F)	75.8°F avg.	78.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	W   11.5 avg.	W   14.9 max.

Had a nice run in Austin TX on the portion of the Brushy Creek trail that is still under construction.  We ran early in the morning with Lori walking the dogs and me running.

Summary Data Total Time (h:m:s) 0:51:09 8:59 pace Moving Time (h:m:s) 0:47:50 8:24 pace Distance (mi ) 5.69 Moving Speed (mph) 7.1 avg. 11.4 max. Elevation Gain (ft) +325 / -323   Temperature (°F) 78.8°F avg. 82.4°F high Wind Speed ( mph) ESE   1.2 avg. ESE   3.5 max.

Today was a crazy day in terms of schedule.  Worked all day yesterday, came home and got a couple of hours of sleep before going back to start an experiment at midnight that lasted for the next 10 hours.  When I finally got home I tried to sleep, but can only sleep for a couple of hours since it's the wrong time of day.

Ran the Greenway/Ridgetop Road/Ghost Hill Road loop in Trinity.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:39:47	7:53 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:53	7:42 pace
Distance (mi )	5.04
Moving Speed (mph)	7.8 avg.	10.5 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+537 / -538

Early run this morning.  Greenway/Ridgetop Road/Ghost Hill Road loop in Trinity

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:37:33	7:25 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:37:33	7:25 pace
Distance (mi )	5.05
Moving Speed (mph)	8.1 avg.	11.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+539 / -541
Temperature (°F)	77.4°F avg.	78.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	S   18.4 avg.	S   19.5 max.

This morning I got up early, watched CNBC for a few minutes, and went for a run.  I ran the Greenway/Ridgetop Road/Ghost Hill Road loop in Trinity.  It was much cooler this morning.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:01	7:30 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:37:49	7:28 pace
Distance (mi )	5.06
Moving Speed (mph)	8.0 avg.	10.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+536 / -536
Temperature (°F)	64.4°F avg.	64.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	N   6.9 avg.	N   6.9 max.

I got up early this morning and ran 5 miles in Trinity. 

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:37:33	7:25 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:37:33	7:25 pace
Distance (mi )	5.06
Moving Speed (mph)	8.1 avg.	10.9 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+518 / -516
Temperature (°F)	57.2°F avg.	57.2°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NNW   5.8 avg.	NNW   5.8 max.

Greenway/Ridgetop Road/ Ghost Hill Road Loop.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:28	7:36 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:37:24	7:23 pace
Distance (mi )	5.06
Moving Speed (mph)	8.1 avg.	10.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+532 / -531
Temperature (°F)	80°F avg.	84.2°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NNE   3.4 avg.	NNE   5.8 max.

My uncle is visiting this weekend and he walked 1/2 of the loop while I ran it.  It was cooler this morning and I'd had a cup of coffee which livened me up enough to run a bit faster than I'd done this Greenway/Ridgetop Road/Ghost Hill Road loop before.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:36:13	7:10 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:36:13	7:10 pace
Distance (mi )	5.05
Moving Speed (mph)	8.4 avg.	11.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+543 / -539
Temperature (°F)	65°F avg.	66.2°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NE   1.9 avg.	NE   5.8 max.

Today I went on a hike with my uncle Jim at Hurricane Creek Park.  It was a great day to get out and do some bushwhacking.  We covered about 5.5 miles, including a rarely used 2 mile out and back called the creekside trail that was pretty overgrown and hard to follow. That side spur aside though, the trail was really nicely maintained and it's a great place to take a day hike. 

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	2:36:26	28:29 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	2:04:02	22:35 pace
Distance (mi )	5.49
Moving Speed (mph)	2.7 avg.	8.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+1,632 / -1,618
Temperature (°F)	81.5°F avg.	82.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	E   6.3 avg.	E   6.9 max.

Tonight I ran the Greenway/Ridgetop Road/Ghost Hill Road loop in Trinity.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:37:21	7:22 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:37:17	7:21 pace
Distance (mi )	5.07
Moving Speed (mph)	8.2 avg.	11.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+538 / -535
Temperature (°F)	71.6°F avg.	73.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	N   0.0 avg.	N   0.0 max.

Tonight I ran the Greenway/Ridgetop Road/Ghost Hill Road loop in Trinity.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:39:14	7:44 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:28	7:34 pace
Distance (mi )	5.07
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	12.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+551 / -542
Temperature (°F)	77.9°F avg.	82.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NE   2.9 avg.	NE   5.8 max.

Greenway-Ridgetop Road-Ghost Hill Road loop

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:26	7:35 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:26	7:35 pace
Distance (mi )	5.07
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	11.6 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+535 / -532
Temperature (°F)	51.8°F avg.	57.2°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	N   1.2 avg.	N   3.5 max.

I had a terrible night's sleep last night.  Woke up at 1:00 and just couldn't fall asleep again.  It makes the entire next day a miserable slog.   Did the Greenway/Ridgetop Road/Ghost Hill Road loop after work

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:37:46	7:45 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:36:29	7:29 pace
Distance (mi )	4.87
Moving Speed (mph)	8.0 avg.	10.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+534 / -474

I flew back home this afternoon from a trip to Austin.  I worked the latter part of the afternoon and squeezed in a run from home just before dark.  I haven't run in 4 or 5 days, so this run was to get me back on the wagon.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:39:34	7:49 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:39:07	7:44 pace
Distance (mi )	5.06
Moving Speed (mph)	7.8 avg.	11.0 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+534 / -525
Temperature (°F)	59.9°F avg.	62.6°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	NNE   1.7 avg.	NNE   3.5 max.

I got up early this morning and ran the loop near my house that I have been using for the past few weeks.  I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon painting overhead to put waterproofing stain on the upper portion of my back deck before I went into work for a few hours.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:37:41	7:27 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:37:41	7:27 pace
Distance (mi )	5.05
Moving Speed (mph)	8.0 avg.	11.5 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+523 / -523
Temperature (°F)	53°F avg.	60.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	N   0.0 avg.	N   0.0 max.

Tonight after work I ran a loop on roads in Trinity after taking several days off running.  I've been spending too much time watching Tivoed CNBC in the evening and it's been cutting into my running.  It's a historic time and I think it's really interesting to watch it unfold.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:27	7:35 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:27	7:35 pace
Distance (mi )	5.07
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	10.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+530 / -524
Temperature (°F)	69.8°F avg.	69.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	E   3.5 avg.	E   3.5 max.

Tonight after work I got a 5 mile run in around Trinity.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:08	7:30 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:09	7:30 pace
Distance (mi )	5.08
Moving Speed (mph)	8.0 avg.	12.3 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+529 / -529
Temperature (°F)	69.8°F avg.	69.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	SE   3.5 avg.	SE   3.5 max.

Trinity Greenway/Ridgetop Road/Ghost Hill Road loop

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:48	7:38 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:49	7:38 pace
Distance (mi )	5.08
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	12.6 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+554 / -545

This was my first run in almost 2 weeks.  I put my house on the market last week and have had a ton of stuff to do to get it ready, cleaning windows, yard work, cleaning floors and removing cobwebs.

This was my standard loop in Trinity, north on Greenway, then climbing the switchbacks to get up on top of Trinity mountain and taking Ridgetop road back south, then descending again on Ghost Hill Road.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:38:22	7:34 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:22	7:34 pace
Distance (mi )	5.07
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	11.5 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+546 / -544
Temperature (°F)	55.4°F avg.	55.4°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	WNW   5.8 avg.	WNW   5.8 max.

Tonight I did the loop in Trinity that I have been running for the past few months. I had to squeeze this run in because a guy was coming by later to buy a bike that I had listed on Craigslist.  As I type this I'm watching a fascinating NOVA episode about fractal mathematics and how those forms show up in nature.   For example, they can detect tumors in tissue with more sensitivity by measuring the degree of randomness vs fractal behavior that is observed in bloodflow in the tissue.  Healthy tissue exhibits fractal behavior whereas tumor tissue exhibits random behavior.  Did anyone else see this?

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:39:14	7:43 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:38:29	7:34 pace
Distance (mi )	5.08
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	10.2 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+548 / -546
Temperature (°F)	66.2°F avg.	66.2°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	N   0.0 avg.	N   0.0 max.

This was my first run in weeks.  I have been busy full time after work and on weekends getting ready for a move to Austin TX by selling things on Craigslist, going through possessions and deciding what gets packed, what goes to Goodwill, and what needs to be thrown out or put in the metal recycling bin.  Then there were the home repairs that came from the inspections, the packing, and preparations.  We loaded everything into a Uhaul Saturday morning and I drove it from Decatur AL to Austin TX that same day.  I'm moving in with Lori, and on Sunday we unloaded everything and returned the truck to Uhaul in Austin.  Tomorrow I'll be flying back to Decatur AL to work the rest of the week there, close on the house I'm selling on Thursday, and drive my Explorer back to Austin at the end of the week.

I did get this 3 mile trail run squeezed in on Sunday afternoon after the truck was turned in.  Lori walked the dogs and I ran on the trail that is being built as an extension of the Brushy Creek trail all the way to Twin Lakes.  It was going to be a 4 mile run but I met Lori and the girls (dogs) halfway back and walked the rest of the way with them.  It is a really nice place to run and I think it will be popular once they finish construction.  I could certainly feel that I haven't been running much in the past month.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:26:12	8:23 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:23:53	7:38 pace
Distance (mi )	3.12
Moving Speed (mph)	7.8 avg.	9.8 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+209 / -265

Today Lori and I squeezed this run in before it got dark.  Lori walked the dogs while I ran and we walked together for the last 1/2 mile.  I closed on selling my house in Decatur on Thursday, drove my vehicle to Austin on Friday, and we unpacked things on Saturday.  We are combining two households into one but it has gone really smoothly and we are both quite pleased with how it has turned out.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:26:07	7:34 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:26:08	7:34 pace
Distance (mi )	3.45
Moving Speed (mph)	7.9 avg.	11.0 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+236 / -254

Today Lori and I explored some new trail very close to our house that just opened up.  It's in the Discovery Wells Preserve and access is available through a new gate that has been installed in the back corner of Rachel Ridge park at the corner of Rachel Ridge and Del Roy in Cedar Park.  I was running and Lori was on the mountain bike.  Some of the trail was old jeep trail and some of it was rocky single track, which Lori got tired of after a while.  This new section of trail ties into the trails in the Westside Preserve and it's great to have this trail close to the house.

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:44:17	10:26 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:33:04	7:47 pace
Distance (mi )	4.24
Moving Speed (mph)	7.7 avg.	11.7 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+151 / -151