It was warmer than the 75*F that the Garmin App gave me credit for this morning when I did my run. Now I still will not complain too much – just a little maybe but not too much, but at the same time doing my first speedwork session since June 4th, it made the workout just a little more difficult.

Yeah, I got out the Nike Zoom Fly v1s and ran in them. They didn’t disappoint and it was great reminder of all the reasons why I love these shoes. I just feel and know that I will run well in these shoes when I start my run.

The first mile was a warm-up at an easy pace. Just getting the kinks out, remembering how to run in the Zoom Flys and enjoying the sunshine.

I wasn’t sure about how many repeats I would get done and didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself to meet any particular time goals for each of the quarter-mile repeats.

#1 – 1:42 Which too my surprise according to Strava this was my second fastest quarter on this course – ever and while I haven’t done speedwork on it very often I have run it many times over the years. I felt as though I was running well, but a bit ungainly. I felt awkward running faster again.

#2 – 1:48 Not bad, but I could tell it was going to be a long workout. Plus I saw the people here to measure the countertops drive by, which distracted me enough to loose my focus. I did stop the workout and go inside for a few minutes to see what was going on. I wasn’t needed for anything so I headed back outside.

#3 – 1:45 After the short break to see what was going in the house, I headed back out to finish the workout. I really wasn’t all that enthusiastic about getting back out on the road. The sun was out and the shade was going away quickly. This is the repeat where the fun of running faster stopped and it became work to finish the quarters.

#4 – 1:51 Yeah, things were getting tougher

#5 – 1:52 Slower, but not too bad – okay, yeah right, it sucked donkey balls, but I finished it

#6 – 1:54 Okay last one and felt like I was running in molasses the legs didn’t cooperate all that much when I said to pick it up, they groaned and half-heartedly added about an inch on to my stride. Not a whole lot left after this one.

#7 – 1:54 After cooling down a little, when I got back to the quarter-mile starting point, I told myself, let’s do one more. You could hear the old coal gang in the engine room send up a message to bridge saying the coal bin is empty and we will be gliding on wind power without any sails soon. I finished and that all I have to say about that one.

Then I walked a bit to cool down.

Actually, I was extremely happy with how well the left leg did during the faster repeats. No pains or complaints, other than not being in running faster shape. The heat did get to me a little more than I expected and grabbed a few seconds from each of the repeats, but I have never been a great hot weather runner any way, so that is okay.

The paces were nothing to write home about, but will improve with more work, who knows maybe once this remodeling is done I will get to go play on the track a little bit.

I can start doing them again and have confidence that I won’t do damage to that fragile leg or my ego. 🙂

Yeah, the Zoom Fly did fine and made me think about going ahead doing more training in them. Hey, dumbshit you already been there done that and missed a month of good training with a stress fracture/reaction with those kind of thoughts.

The Zoom Fly are a great shoe for me, but the old body is not up to the running style or speeds that they encourage me to do, without trying too hard way too often. So I will limit them to my go faster day of the week and racing, otherwise they need to stay in the house, in the shoe rack, not on my feet telling me to do stoopid things.

Good return run to doing speedwork and the best part was that I didn’t break anything.

Also, got in my birthday present from Benne/Mary and I had to try them on to see how they fit. This is why Bennie orders my presents early, so that if they do not fit, I still have time to return them and get a replacement in time for someone’s birthday. They fit fine and have been squirreled away into the closet until the big day.

It is going to be tough waiting, especially now that I have tried them on, but someone put a big piece of tape on the box and it will be rather noticeable if I attempt to sneak in a run or two in them before I am supposed to – not that I would do something like that. He hehehehe

On another note, I got to see my Uncle Donnie and his wife Karen for the first time in 30 years, we looked at some old photos, talked about some old times and enjoyed getting to know each other a little more again. He is the big brother that I never had and well it reminded me of how much I missed having him in my life.

While his looks have changed just a bit in those 30 years (mine have too), just the sound of his voice brought back a flood of memories growing up. Days at Nana and Grampa’s, holidays, clearing brush for a house, being out in the garage working on vehicles, riding in his cars, me learning to drive standard in an old VW Bug and wacking the water fountain out at Sawyer’s Dairy Bar, going a little too fast in an old souped up burgundy Falcon and loving his 280Z.

Yeah, lots of memories.