Run #126

I've been missing my Saturday Starbucks runs. I figured out that if I did a half-mile warm-up walk, then my 1.75 mile run today could end at Starbucks--yeah! Had a really nice hour and a half there to relax, read, etc. before the family picked me up.

I had to stop and walk over some places where there was no sidewalk (and lots of rocks in the grass.) But I feel like I'm getting a lot more relaxed. I'm getting more accustomed to the new form so that it feels easier. In terms of my energy, I could have definitely gone further today. But for the sake of my feet/legs/ankles, which are still building up the strength they need to run barefoot, it's wise to stick with my plan and increase distance gradually. My ankles and arches (two areas I've had some soreness) are doing GREAT! One Achilles is still getting tight, but not bad, and when I relax during the run, it feels better. I really feel like my lower legs/ankles/feet are getting stronger.

I recaptured some of what I have loved about my Saturday runs today by making today a "destination run." Sure, I miss the challenge of a long run, but I'll get there soon enough. It just feels good to make my Saturday run and post-run relaxation a special time, just for me...even though it was a short run.

1.75 miles, 22:45 (13:02/mile)

Run #125

125 runs...yeah!!

Good run! I had to really focus on my feet; I had a couple spots that were hurting yesterday, and I guess I managed to adjust my stride, because they felt okay today! Ankles & calves are really doing well. I feel like I'm figuring this out, slowly but surely! Whew, it's humid.... I'm glad I don't have shoes on, making me even warmer.

Yesterday I realized just how much I'm missing my long runs. Those runs were so amazing for my whole mood. I think they affected me not just on Saturday, but somewhat throughout the week. Honestly it's frustrating to me that it's going to be two more months until I'm up to 5 miles on a Saturday run. After that, though, the distances will build pretty quickly. Before I know it, it'll be December 5, and my first half marathon. This whole "gradual" thing with barefoot running is probably the hardest part about it. But being frustrated with short runs is better than being frustrated with no runs because I've been injured. So I'll keep trying to enjoy my measly mileage, and I'll really enjoy it as I go a bit further each week!

1.58 miles, 19:15 (12:12/mile) I got mixed up on what my planned route was, so this was a smidge shorter than I'd planned. Not enough to make a real difference though.

Run #124

Fun run, with a decent hill thrown in there! So far barefoot hill running isn't hard for me.... I think taking it so slowly helps. Muscles felt good today, any little twinges I got quickly worked themselves out.

1.66 miles, 21:17 (12:49/mile)

Run #123

This was a great run! I listened to the NPR comedy news quiz show "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" thinking maybe that would help me relax. I definitely felt better today in both my ankles and my calves. I went a smidge slower, which helped too.This new barefoot running form is feeling more and more natural.

I'm glad I have a plan for how far I'll go each day. Today I could have gone further, but by sticking to the plan hopefully I'll keep myself from pushing harder than I should. Looking forward to tomorrow!

Happy moments--Really it was just a pretty happy run overall. My feet felt good without too much friction. I am starting to incorporate some hills (not steep), and the second downhill today was fast and fun!

1.67 miles, 21:52 (12:31/mile)

Run #122

Decent run, but boy was it humid and sunny! I didn't get started until a little before 8.

Running form feels pretty good. Ankles sore afterward again. I'm starting to wonder if that's just due to the muscles getting stronger, as opposed to being an indication of anything I'm doing wrong. Calves still sore too.... They'll loosen and strengthen in time. Glad I was able to run 5 days this week, and I hope that schedule keeps going well for the next few weeks.

1.52 miles, 18:35 (12:12/mile)

Run #121

This was a good run! I'm feeling lighter on my feet. My calves/Achilles are feeling a lot better. Today they were less achy; it felt more like the run was serving to stretch them out rather than tightening them. The bent knees are feeling more and more natural. I got a mild twinge on the arch of my left foot; still getting the hang of being totally relaxed.

Happy moments: Feeling the cool breeze outside. Passing friendly cyclists. I really do like seeing other friendly athletes--it's like we're all part of this club that thinks the best way to spend our mornings is outside, enjoying using our bodies!

1.52 miles, 18:43 (12:20/mile)

Also...I am hoping to do a half marathon on December 5! Two blogging friends of mine, Sasha and Elaine, are going to do it, and I'd love to join them. I think a couple of the folks from Barefoot Runners Society may be doing the full marathon too; it would be great to meet up with them. Just sounds like one where I could have a blast getting to know some people that I've only known online. And maybe my parents can even plan a trip down so my dad and I can do the race together! I'll have to travel a bit, but it's not too far--it'll be a fun weekend adventure!

Here is my planned training schedule. (Don't pay attention to the Day 1, Day 2, etc.; the order of the runs will vary within each week.)

Run #120

Because I ran last night, I figured I should really take it easy this morning. Thankfully my 4-year-old Chickie was up for a run, so she did her job slowing me down! It was a fun run, great for practicing good form and for loosening up my calves, which were sore from yesterday's run.

This run was a little far for her though. I think next time I'll just take her about a mile and complete the rest of the course by myself. At the end she kept stopping to walk, and then I had to stop to let her catch up. She wore water shoes (a popular shoe among minimalist runners) but told me she wished she was barefoot. When she's barefoot she stops a lot, afraid of stepping on things, but maybe the best way to get her past that fear is to keep letting her go barefoot. She'll acclimate to it!

Happy moments--beautiful clouds when we started running (remnants of the sunrise.) Chickie falling for the second time. Her: "Ow!" Me: "Well, at least that time you fell in the grass!" Her, suddenly happy: "Yeah, that feeled better!"

1.52 miles, 27:55 (18:24/mile)

Run #119

This was a good run! I had been wondering why no one had been making comments about me being barefoot, as my online barefoot friends seem to get comments all the time. Well I guess it was just because I usually run so early and don't see many people. Today one neighbor commented on it as I walked by on my warm-up, and we had a good conversation about it. Then on the run, two people asked me, "Where are your shoes?" (My answer--"At home!")

Definitely getting more of the hang of lifting my feet! The bent-knee run is not easy yet; my Achilles tendons really feel it. But they'll stretch out the more I do it.

Happy moments--Running by the neighborhood pool, with the scent of chlorine. (It reminds me of childhood!) Running into the sunset near the end of my run. Getting to chat with my neighbor about this barefoot stuff. It was a good run. :) I hope my body continues to do well with the more frequent running; I like it!

1.52 miles, 17:09, 11:18/mile. This was faster than my other barefoot runs have been, and I think I pushed just a little harder than I should have. My form suffered at the end. Overall though it was good, and I know I got a great workout in that short time.
Because it was evening, the weather was different than usual. It was hotter (86 degrees) but less humid (56%). Overall it felt the same to me as when I usually run (in weather that's about 10 degrees cooler but with 20-30% higher humidity.)

Run #118

I've been having trouble LIFTING my bare feet instead of pushing off. One of the barefoot gurus, Ken Bob, tells people to run with very bent knees; this helps to lift the feet. And while I'm not used to that position, I think it works for me. It's going to take my muscles some time to adjust; it became harder to keep good form at the end of the run. But it'll happen.

My left Achilles was tight today; I think it all comes down to continuing to learn to really RELAX. This is a challenging journey but a fun one too! I just think it's going to be AMAZING when barefoot running feels totally natural and effortless.

1.52 miles, 18:25 (12:08/mile)
I'm going to stop my daily weather reports. It's always warm and humid this time of year!

Run #117

Wow, my pace sure does improve when I don't have a 4-year-old with me!

My barefoot form is improving. Still need to work more on LIFTING my feet instead of pushing off, and running lightly...all to reduce friction on my soles. But overall my soles are handling it well!

This distance has worked well for me the last 2 days. For awhile I'd like to run 5 days a week instead of 3 if my body handles it well. My runs are very short as I learn to run barefoot, and that will help me get more mileage.

I'm hoping my runs this coming week will be 1.5 miles each. We'll see!

1.14 miles, 13:16 (11:39/mile)
Weather--pretty darn humid and warm. Not sure what temp was, but I know it got up to 100 during the afternoon, so it may have been warmer than usual this morning. Didn't get started until a little before 8.

Today my blogger friend Liz had an "Online Community Walk" through her Facebook page. We were all encouraged to get out and walk, run, bike, or do something physical, cameras in tow. Here are the photos I shared on her Facebook page:

Ready to start my warm-up walk & run, in "the shoes my mama made me."


The pretty neighborhood park I get to run through.


"Dessert" for my feet--our soft, cool lawn that I ran through at the end of my run, on my way to the door.

Run #116

Because I pushed it too much this week with the barefoot running, I wanted to do a very slow, short run this morning. Well, I've discovered one way to make SURE my pace is ULTRA-slow...take my 4-year-old along! How d'ya like that 17:34 pace?

It actually really helped to go that slowly. I could focus on relaxing. I thought about form some, but RELAXING proved to be key. My ankle started giving slight twinges...and was fine as soon as I RELAXED it.

Happy moments of this short run--getting smiles from people who probably think it's cute to see a mom and daughter running together. Heck, I think it's cute too!

1.14 miles, 20:00, 17:34/mile
Not sure on actual temp, but it was definitely warm, humid, and sunny. We didn't get started until after 8, so after our warm-up and run we weren't home until about 8:30. But it was such a short, slow run that it was okay.

Run #115

Barefoot all the way! I do have a sore muscle at my ankle from Tuesday, and it's still sore today. Not terrible, but I'm just working these muscles in a way they aren't used to! I can tell my calves are going to be feeling it today too; that's one area that you use a lot more when running barefoot. I ended up walking on and off for the last 10 minutes or so; I was getting some tight spots on the pad & arch of my right foot. Thankfully walking worked them out every time and I was able to finish running.

My pace was way better today! But I think my form is better when I take it a little slower, which I'll probably do on Saturday. This whole barefoot thing has quite a learning curve! I want to focus on form, not speed, for now.

Happy moments--running through cool grass occasionally. That felt great! Also, I don't get nearly as hot and sweaty when I'm barefoot. That's nice!

2.81 miles, 28:31 (12:20/mile)
77 degrees, 89% humidity. Barefoot, that's nice weather!

Run #114

Woo hoo!! This was 100% barefoot today! I was just feeling so great that I never went home to get my shoes on. The first .68 miles of the run were with my 4-year-old, so the pace was VERY slow. Then it was still pretty darn slow after that; as I get used to running barefoot, speed is definitely not the goal. But it just feels like things are coming together. I'm relaxing more. Still thinking about form, but less obsessively, and trusting my instincts a little more.

Honestly, I'm nervous having gone that far; I keep hearing to take this transition gradually. But I also keep hearing to listen to my body, and my body tells me I wasn't pushing hard.

Happy moments of the run: Running barefoot through puddles & cool grass. Chatting with Chickie as we ran.

2.02 miles, 28:11 (13:57/mile)
77 degrees, 83% humidity, cloudy. Left at 6:30 a.m. Felt great with no shoes on!

Huarache sandals with no knot under the sole

Many runners who are into the barefoot/minimalist footwear movement like huarache sandals. They can be used for running or just for everyday wear. I'm still a beginning barefoot runner and am not using minimalist shoes for running (preferring to really feel everything under my feet), but I did decide it would be fun to make a pair of huaraches.

I may later buy a kit with Vibram soles from Barefoot Ted or Invisible Shoe, but for now I wanted to take a very cheap route to see how I like this footwear style. I went to a craft store (Hobby Lobby) and bought a three-pound bag of leather scraps for the soles. (These scraps worked for me because my feet are size 7; they might have been too short for anyone whose feet were a couple of inches longer than mine.) I also got some craft cord and a leather punch. Total cost before tax: about $17. Note: I did NOT end up liking the particular craft cord I got. It was scratchy and too thick. I ended up with Deertan Lace from LeatherCord USA (3/16"/5.0mm size) and LOVE it! I needed one package of 2-yard lace for each shoe and think that would be enough for most sizes.)

With those supplies I made sandals for myself and each of my two kids. I have some leather left over and lots of extra cord.

My daughter and me:


My son and me:


The sandals are great, and I think they'd work well on asphalt (though not on surfaces that need a shoe with more grip.) But after I'd worn them around the house awhile (and taken the photos above), I began to be annoyed by something I've heard other huarache-wearers complain about--the knot under the shoe. It only bothered one of my feet--the one with less space between the first and second toes. (My sandals' soles are very thin, perhaps 2 mm--if you have huaraches with 6 mm soles, the knots are probably much less of an issue.)

So here's my solution--a way to make huaraches without a knot underneath!

First, you'll need two holes between your toes. I used the Invisible Shoe instructions to make my huaraches. Make one between-the-toe hole at the normal place, and one about 1/2" (1.5 cm) higher. Make the ankle holes at the normal spots.

Thread your cord through both toe holes, from the bottom. Leave a good amount of cord (8 inches or more) coming out of the top hole, but most of the cord should come out of the bottom hole.



To lace the shoe, I used the fantastic slip-on tying instructions from Barefoot Ted. They can be found on YouTube.

Follow his instructions (using the long end of the cord) until the point where you have two straps behind your ankle, and the long end has been threaded through the loop on your left ankle (4:13 on the video.) Or, if you want to leave some extra cord in case the part threaded through the sole breaks, go ahead and follow his instructions until you have three straps behind the heel (5:21 on the video.) I did it with just two straps behind the heel:



Continue to follow Barefoot Ted's instructions for one more step, threading the long end of the cord through the strap that goes across your foot.



Then take the top part of the cord, the part you threaded through the top hole, and thread it down through that same loop.



Pull both ends snug.



Now do a half knot (or whatever the correct technical term is!) with both ends, like you'd do if you were starting to tie a shoe.





At this point you can either finish with a square knot, or complete the tie as if you were tying a shoe. I like the bow; it looks more feminine to me.



Take off the shoe and cut off extra cord. Finish the ends if necessary. (I used a candle to fuse mine. Be careful!)



Voila! It's a super-comfy minimalist sandal without the annoying knot underneath. This cord may wear out faster without the knot, but cord can always be replaced.

I've used these to jog around the house, and I think they'll be fantastic as a minimalist running shoe if and when I feel the need for one. They'll also fit nicely in my Camlbak hydration backpack's front pocket. That way when I'm ready to do long barefoot runs, I can do my Saturday runs to Starbucks (where my family picks me up) and put these on when I get there, so that I can go inside and get my smoothie or Frappuccino!

I've worn these out and about a bit. They are very casual, but I think they're just fine for wearing in public. If someone is paying attention they may notice that the soles look hand-cut, but overall they're pretty cute.

Enjoy your huaraches! I'm enjoying mine!

Run #113

Before my "official" run started, my 4-year-old Chickie and I did a warm-up walk and jog together (walked about the first 1/3 of it, then jogged most of the rest). It was a great way to start the day! Then I dropped her off at home so I could do my normal Saturday run. I was proud of her; not only did she have fun with her jog, but when I woke her at 5:40 a.m. she immediately and happily got up! Mileage was .69 miles, and it took us 15:12. (That's not included in the stats at the bottom of this post.)

Then it was time to drop her off at home and head off on my long Saturday run, with a new meandering route to Starbucks!

What a great run! I am reading the amazing book Born to Run and one sentence really stuck out to me. It's talking about the Tarahumara, a tribe of ridiculously skilled runners who live in the mountains of Mexico. "The real secret of the Tarahumara: They'd never forgotten what it felt like to love running." So today I focused on ENJOYING myself, even more than usual. I gave big smiles to drivers and fellow runners/walkers. Wow, it was fun!

There were some challenging parts, as there usually are on my long runs! My left IT band was bothering me. I was frustrated; I'm focusing on improving my form (even in shoes-on runs like this one) and still, this pain. Then I realized my ankles were VERY tense. When I relaxed my ankles, it was a world of difference! I still had some aches to stretch out (to be expected when I'd been running at least a couple of miles with that tension) but it was so much better. Amazing how all that is connected; tight ankles were contributing to upper-leg aches.

Happy moments of this run: Some wonderful, freeing downhill running after a tough mile of mostly uphill. "Runner's high" after about 52 minutes of running. Again, the scent of rosemary bushes. And smiles from friendly drivers and pedestrians. The smiles--from them to me and from me to them--are all like little gifts of extra energy!

No barefoot at all today. It was dark when Chickie and I set out, and even with streetlights, I'm not confident enough in the toughness of my feet to walk or run barefoot when I can't see the street totally clearly! I think that was a good thing anyway. My foot has had one sore spot ever since my ill-advised barefoot stroller run on Wednesday. It feels a lot better after today's run, so hopefully that muscle or whatever it is has loosened up. I look forward to doing another very short barefoot run Tuesday (and maybe a short one tomorrow.)

8.86 mi, 1:49:45, 12:23/mile
Weather: At just after 5:30 a.m., Google told me the it was 77 degrees/89% humidity out there. Two hours later, I texted Google again* and found that the temp was 75, but humidity was up to 94%. Whew, it was icky--but still it was such an enjoyable privilege to be outside running. Chickie and I started our warm-up a little before 6, and I headed out on my own for my run at about 6:20. I finished by 8:10. The sun was annoying for part of it, but more for its brightness than its heat. (I hadn't brought sunglasses.)

*Tip for those of us who don't have Internet on our phones, but can text: Text "weather" to "GOOGL" (46645) and it'll text you back with current weather conditions, for free. If it gets your location a bit wrong, you can text your ZIP code or city/state too (e.g., "weather 01234" or "weather los angeles, ca") and it'll give you more accurate info. Do that a couple of times, and it even remembers your default location, and you can omit the ZIP from then on.

Run #112

Barefoot walk/run:
Since I pushed a little too far on the barefoot stuff yesterday, I limited it today. I did a short barefoot warm-up walk (.235 miles) and ran the same distance back home. Then I put my shoes on and did a run. On the way home I did the last .28 miles barefoot. My feet felt pretty good today, and I definitely am getting more of the hang of this, but it is a slow learning process, and honestly that's frustrating. I want to just be able to go out and run 9 miles this Saturday barefoot, and of course I'm not even CLOSE to being ready to do that! I think this barefoot thing is going to be awesome in the long run, but in the short run I need to find a way to be patient with the process.

Total barefoot walk/run: .75 miles, 11:40 (15:33/mile)

Shoes-on run:
This wasn't an easy run, and I didn't enjoy it much. It was really humid. I was trying to adjust my form to a more barefoot-style (shorter stride, no heel strike, hips forward, keeping foot strike under my body instead of in front of it), but that's hard with shoes! So I felt like I was fighting the whole time. I'm not sure if I should just use my old form with shoes on, and work on my new form when I'm barefoot, or keep trying to apply the new form to shod running (which is the advice I've read.) Or maybe I just need to not think so hard about it all! I mean, I will be able to keep increasing my barefoot time, so eventually this won't even be an issue. And my body's been doing pretty well running with shoes so maybe I just need to do what's comfortable and not think so much about form. I don't know...figuring it out as I go!

Happy moment of the run--seeing another runner and smiling as we passed each other. I really enjoy those brief encounters with other members of the "club"!

Total shoes-on run: 2.81 miles, 33:17 (11:50/mile)

Total RUNNING distance/time (barefoot and shod): 3.33 miles, 39:27 (11:50/mile)
75 degrees, 95% humidity--ick! Thankfully it was completely cloudy, no sun issues at all. The streets were still somewhat wet from overnight rains. Not the prettiest day, but I'm glad I could be out there running in it!

Run #111

The kids and I decided to go to the park. I brought flip flops with me but went barefoot on the way there. I was pushing Zoodle in the stroller, with Chickie on her bike. We went a little ways, and Chickie's bike wasn't working well, so we turned around and exchanged it for the tricycle. That wasn't working well either, so we turned around at about the same point, took the trike home, and she decided to take her shoes and socks off and run with me to the park! I was proud of her; it was .44 miles to the park and she jogged the whole way! I'd like to start taking her with me for parts of some of my runs.

But it was harder for me to have good form, pushing a stroller, and the ground was hot, and the concrete was rough.... Honestly, I pushed it too much barefoot today. I definitely shouldn't have tried to go barefoot while pushing a stroller; the stroller messes up form. It wasn't even my jogging stroller.

I may still go barefoot a bit for tomorrow's run, but not very far. I see why this is supposed to be so gradual; my soles hurt, and my muscles of my right foot/ankle are sore! Oh well, live and learn. I did wear shoes for the walk home!

1.49 miles, estimated 39 minutes. (This run/walk was NOT about having a good pace!)
It was mid- to late-morning, and while the temp wasn't too high (high 80s probably), the sun was hot. Thankfully there were some clouds so it wasn't sunny the whole time. But I sure am glad I usually run in the early morning.

Run #110

Today's run was in two sections: Barefoot and Shoes On.

Barefoot:
1.12 mi 14:16 (12:45/mile)

This was my second barefoot run, and it felt GREAT! Wow. The asphalt of course still hurts some on my feet, but it's really not bad. Concrete sidewalks feel pretty good. I love that I can feel myself improving my form. I feel LIGHT without shoes! The weather feels so much cooler without shoes! I felt like I could just go and go and go.... Even though I was thinking more about what I was doing (since this is still so new to me), the running just felt so much easier. I kept it short (trying to ease into it so that I don't injure myself), then stopped at home and put my shoes on for the rest of my run.

Happy moment--the feel of cool grass on my warm feet as I was running. Awesome.

Shoes On:
1.95 miles, 21:40 (11:10/mile)

Oh man, I was bummed putting those shoes back on! My feet felt SO HEAVY. I was so much warmer than I had been barefoot. I know I need to ease into the barefoot running for the sake of my soles and my muscles, but I am really anxious to be running barefoot for the whole run. Overall my shod run was decent; it was just more difficult and less enjoyable than the barefoot portion!

Total: 3.07 miles, 35:55 (11:41/mile)
77 degrees, 84% humidity. Started warm-up walk around 6:30; finished everything around 7:15. Sun was up & not covered by clouds. The weather felt good without shoes on, and runnable but icky with shoes on.

Run #109: First barefoot run

I am very unsure of time & distance on this, but I did a very short barefoot run this morning! After repeatedly hearing about how great barefoot running is (supposed to help you have proper running form), and doing a bunch of reading, I have decided I really want to go for it. But I'll need to ease into it. I did a short warm-up walk today, then the short run. Most of it was on asphalt. It wasn't really comfortable on my sensitive soles, but that's kind of the idea. Form naturally improves as we figure out how to strike our feet in ways that are less forceful. And of course the soles of my feet will thicken too, which will help a lot. It was a good first barefoot run, and I look forward to doing another short one soon!

0.82 mi 00:08:30 (10:21/mile)

Run #108

I've decided to start out my run journals with some of the little things that I enjoyed experiencing in my outside runs. Today, I ran by rosemary bushes twice. We had a lot of rain yesterday, and that rosemary scent was such a wonderful little mood-lifter during a run. I also passed an adorable little wild bunny when I was running next to a wooded area. The aroma of fresh herbs, and the cuteness of bunnies--I do love running outside!

I even love running outside on days like today, when the weather was far from ideal. When I started before 6 a.m., it was 77 degrees and 87% humidity. It sprinkled (very lightly) on me for maybe the first quarter of the run. After that, the rain held off. Thankfully it was cloudy, so I didn't have any sun issues at all. I accidentally ran through a deep puddle about 1/4 mile into my run (when it was still dark) and so the remaining 8 1/2 miles were done with wet feet and socks!

Today, for whatever reason, this distance was difficult. The last 1.5 miles or so were really tough. But there's a difference between where I am now and where I was six months ago. Now...I just know I can do it.

I think I'm going to be a little more cautious about increasing my mileage next week. I'd like to really get a handle on this "over 8 mile" distance. I want it to be a little easier before I move on to 9 miles. Next week I think I'll map out a route that's about 8.75 miles. That's pretty much equal to this week in terms of the endurance it requires, but by making it a smidge longer I'll still feel like I've progressed!

I ended at Starbucks again. I just love, love, love starting off my Saturday morning with a long run and some time alone at Starbucks. Today I even made a new friend there, a girl sitting at a neighboring table. We had a great talk.

The life of a runner is a good life!

8.63 miles, 1:48:24 (12:33/mile)
77 degrees, 87% humidity. I started my warm-up walk at about 5:50 and finished my run before 8.

Run #107

Pleasantly surprised that my pace was under 12 minutes a mile--the weather was ICKY! Google told me 75 degrees/84% humidity, but it started drizzling at the end of my run, so even if that was the real humidity, it FELT wetter than that! (Did you know the humidity isn't necessarily 100% when it rains? It's 100% at the cloud, but not necessarily at the ground. See this article. I am assuming it was 100% humidity INSIDE THE RAINDROPS that were hitting me!)

Anyway, it did feel particularly gross out there, but it was still a good run, and a good way to start my day. Hoping I feel ready for 8.5 miles Saturday. That's over twice what I did today--yikes! But only half a mile more than I did last Saturday....not THAT big of a deal, right?

I must say, I'm looking forward to November. I hope my body automatically just speeds up again when I don't feel like I'm running through lukewarm soup!

4.18 mi 00:48:39 (11:39/mile)
75 degrees, 84% humidity. Totally cloudy with drizzle at the end. Started warm-up a little after 6:20.