Start time: 7/21/09, 7:10am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:30min/mile
Total Miles For July: 49 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 428 miles

In my continuing quest to find the perfect 4-mile loop, I changed mine up again this morning; I took out most of 10th Street and all of Wilson Boulevard, cutting over early on to Pershing. It’s less active so there’s less to look at, but it’s also more shaded and quiet and has less cars. Plus, this way I can keep in the 2nd Street South portion, so it’s mostly a win. (Well, aside from some more “issues” on the run. Getting old, getting old.)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3024271

Start time: 7/16/09, 7:30am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:44min/mile
Total Miles For July: 31 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 410 miles

The humidity is back, bleah. With today, unfortunately, was also some stomach distress during the last mile. At first it required a walk break, then it required hurrying up a bit. Oh well. Also, I altered the route a tiny bit and that was a mistake; I now remember why I don’t run along Route 50 in-between Glebe and Washington Boulevard. Lots of tiny little hills and sucking down car exhaust. No thanks.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3009671

Start time: 6/26/09, 7:15am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 9:03min/mile
Total Miles For June: 55 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 367 miles

Originally I was going to run on Thursday morning, but I was not feeling at all well. With book club in the evening, after work wasn’t an option, so I regretfully postponed until Friday. But on the bright side, Charlie offered to run with me, so we did the 4-mile loop at an easy pace. Not bad, and nice company.

Start time: 6/23/09, 7:15am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:32min/mile
Total Miles For June: 51 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 363 miles

Less humidity! Hurrah! Wow, what a difference that makes. I won’t go so far as to say that I was zipping, but I dropped about 15-20 seconds per mile on this route versus when I hit it last week, so I’m really quite pleased. I did bomb out a bit on the last mile but even then, a good overall average.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2921894

Start time: 6/18/09, 6:20pm
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:48min/mile
Total Miles For June: 37 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 349 miles

I forgot to write down what my actual pace was for this run, and the information’s at home; I’ll edit it in later. It was a humid, humid, humid run; it’s been raining almost every day for about two weeks now, and the air just gets thicker by the day. It was a tough run but I’m glad I pushed through it. I had tickets for King Lear at 8pm, so I had to really hustle to get this run in. (It was raining in the morning, and my community center’s gym was closed yesterday and today because of an antique show there this weekend.) I actually saw an old doctor of mine towards the end, but he didn’t recognize me. I think that’s a good thing because I looked rather putrid.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2921894

Start time: 6/16/09, 7:30am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:50min/mile
Total Miles For June: 33 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 345 miles

Ok, I saw not one but two different people reading off of a Kindle while in my first mile this morning. At least one person was sitting at a bus stop; the other was walking while reading. I sense disaster. (Not to be confused with having a slightly queasy feeling in my stomach for a while. What is up with this anyway? I don’t remember being this sensitive to humidity in the past.)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2921894

Start time: 6/11/09, 7:30am
Location: Arlington Boulevard Trail
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:42min/mile
Total Miles For June: 24 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 336 miles

I didn’t think I’d get an outdoor run for Thursday; it’s been a storm-filled week and originally there were supposed to be big raging thunderstorms all morning. When I woke up and it wasn’t raining, though… well, it sure beats running around and around in a circle on the indoor track. Although I am fairly convinced that the Gmap Pedometer is wrong on this route because the second half was… awfully fast. Then again, it’s dead-on accurate for the first half. (This was two out-and-back routes of a mile each.) Oh well, close enough.

Start time: 6/8/09, 8:30pm
Location: Clarendon & Ballston
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 9:10min/mile
Total Miles For June: 20 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 332 miles

I wasn’t planning on running today—I was going to hit it in the morning—but Charlie wanted to go this evening and suggested coming over and we could run together. Sounded good to me! (Plus tomorrow morning is the Virginia primaries for both Governor and my local rep in the VA legislature.) Charlie was a little stiff from playing in a tennis doubles tournament all weekend (he came in third!) but you’d never know it. Nice run through the neighborhood.

Start time: 6/3/09, 7:00am
Location: Clarendon/Courthouse
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 9:07min/mile
Total Miles For June: 8 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 320 miles

I reversed yesterday’s route, but otherwise exactly the same. Still felt a little bleah in parts but not quite as bad as Tuesday. Am starting to wonder if my new eating less is backfiring on me and I’m not having enough fuel in me? Or maybe I’m just a big wimp?

(9:00, 9:45, 8:52, 8:51)