- June was relatively cool, never really got into the 80's.
- July was pretty much just a wash out, it rained, then rained again, then rained some more.
- Early- to Mid-August was when it finally started to get hot and humid, hitting the 90's a couple times
- Late August, the temps are either in the 90s or the 70s, but at least there hasn't been much rain.
Yesterday and today it has been in the low 60s when I left the house and it isn't supposed to get above 74F all day. I blame the weather for my poor summer of training. I never realy felt good at any point. My breathing has been labored for the most part which has led to me always feeling fatigued. I hope now that the cooler weather is here (at least for the short term), my training will improve a bit. Now for a weekend recap:
Saturday
It was my darling wife's turn to do a morning work out, so I got to stay home and play with my girls while she was out pounding the pavement. For about an hour we played a version of "Hide and Seek" in which I would hide, they would try and find me, then I would jump out and scare the bejesus out of them. Oh, and then I would have to chase them and tickle them until they said "Uncle". We had a blast and I was pretty beat afterwards. It was nice to play like a little kid.
After playtime, all the ladies of the house went out to do some shopping while I did some painting (just put trim up around all of our upstairs windows and they needed their first coat of paint). The whole time I was hoping to get out and go for a decent run. Finally I finished and the family came home, and gracefully allowed me to go out for my run. In short, it SUCKED!!! I didn't leave the house until around 2:00pm and the temp and humidity were around the same number "90". I started out pretty well, with an 8:07 first mile and then things gradually fell apart. 8:24, 9:31 (steep hilll that I walked a bit on), 8:07 (down the big hill), 9:07 (walked again), 8:26, 2:16 (.27 miles last little bit). All in all it was a 6.27 mile run in 53:58 (8:37/pace). My average heartrate was through the roof, 162 BPM. I initially felt really good, but the heat and humidity just got to me.
Sunday
I awoke around 7:00am, thanks to my dear daughters realizing that "Tom & Jerry" was on and they came barrelling into our bedroom. I did my best to get an extra 30 minutes of shut eye (I think I actually did) before getting up to let the dog out and get him some breakfast. I then went back and forth with the Misses about whether or not I should go for my bike ride right then or after we got back from her 'rents (we were going to their pool for the day). It was decided that it was best to get it done and out of the way. So I geared up and off I went.
I decided that I was going to try and climb a pretty good sized hill once in NJ so that I could descend Federal Twist (a road I had climbed a month ago that is upwards of 9% incline). It was just a gorgeous morning and I wish that I had my camera with me. About two miles from my house I saw 5 turkey vultures just hanging out on the side of the road (ugly birds, but so cool), the trees were all glistening thanks to the rain the night before and the sun slowly rising higher into the sky, and there were just a bunch of people out enjoying the nice weather.
I made my way down to the river, then found the road up away from the river and started pounding away. All in all it wasn't that tough of a climb, unless I really am in decent biking shape. I climbed up and an for about three miles and then I started the descent. It was pretty gradual for the first three and a half miles, then came the steep part. I was a little apprehensive at first, but then decided to just go with it. I ended up hitting 47 MPH on the way down, my fasted top speed ever. I was really hoping to hit 50+ MPH, but a little too much braking minimized my chances of that happening. After that it was time to make my way back in to Pennsylvania and back up the gradual incline to my home. Total stats: 21.6 miles, 1:14:42, 17.3 MPH, average HR 135 BPM. Here is a link to the route I rode...a very solid ride...short, but solid!
The rest of the day was spent at my in-laws pool where I managed to get in a 500M swim (9:51) and take a 45 minute nap. It was a good day.
Monday
A rest day for me. I was just exhausted and thought any attempt to swim, bike or run would have been a waste. I probably should have headed over to the pool to swim a bit, but it was a bit cool out and I decided to cut the lawn and head out for a family bike ride instead (a good choice I think).
That is about it for now. FYI, both girls started school this week so things are going to get interesting.
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