Start time: 10/25/11, 5:50am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 5.32 miles
Average pace: 9:57min/mile
Total Miles For October: 55 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 566 miles
Current Shoes: 107 miles

There’s something particularly lovely about early autumn running weather. At first you’re thinking, it’s a bit crisp/cold, maybe you needed a second layer… and then about a mile or so in, you warm up just the right amount and it’s perfect. Cool temperatures keep you from getting too sweaty/overheaded, but internal body temperature keeps you from getting too cold. And then afterwards, you get in that hot shower and your hands burst to life all over again as they warm up and you realize that they were colder than the rest of your body.

Time to enjoy it while I can, before it gets really cold!

Start time: 10/22/11, 7:10am
Location: SW Waterfront, Hains Point, Nationals Stadium
Distance: 8.42 miles
Average pace: 9:59min/mile
Total Miles For October: 50 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 561 miles
Current Shoes: 102 miles

Our plan was to meet on the National Mall and run a quick 8-miler, but as it turned out it was closed due to a race. Oops! (No, not Marine Corps Marathon. We’d know about that.) We regrouped down in Southwest and made up a route on the sly, which worked out well. Ran most of it with Rich and John, while Ben and Stephanie did a little less and made up stories about us.

(10:01, 9:49, 10:10, 9:51, 9:58, 10:34, 9:59, 9:52, 3:43)

Start time: 10/20/11, 5:45am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 5.21 miles
Average pace: 10:19min/mile
Total Miles For October: 42 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 553 miles
Current Shoes: 94 miles

Met Ben and John today (after a first solo mile) for the rest of the run. I got tricked by the weather app on my phone, which noted it was 62 degrees, but didn’t note that it was crazy breezy. (The one downside to not actually getting outside until I arrive, thanks to an underground garage.) Wish I’d worn a long-sleeve shirt! Still, not bad, and John and Ben were up for four miles together instead of just three, so that was nice.

Start time: 10/18/11, 5:46am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 5.32 miles
Average pace: 10:09min/mile
Total Miles For October: 37 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 548 miles
Current Shoes: 89 miles

Another uneventful run; did the first mile by myself, then the next three with the guys, but they didn’t feel like any more so I picked up another one (and some spare change) before heading off to the gym for some rowing. Great weather, although I am a little eager for the Daylight Saving switch so it won’t still be dark out when we finish the run, let alone start.

Start time: 10/15/11, 6:48am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 7.27 miles
Average pace: 10:26min/mile
Total Miles For October: 32 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 543 miles
Current Shoes: 84 miles

The plan for Saturday was to get to the Mall 20 minutes early, enough time to pick up some extra stretching, two extra miles, and be back in time for the run. Didn’t quite happen, so that got truncated into just one extra mile beforehand. Better than nothing, of course. Other than that, a fairly uneventful run w/ Ben, Bill, John, and Steve.

Start time: 10/13/11, 5:45am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 5.1 miles
Average pace: 10:30min/mile
Total Miles For October: 25 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 536 miles
Current Shoes: 77 miles

Just me and Ben this morning; Ben was coming off of the Chicago Marathon (plus a nasty chest cough) so we took it easy, doubly so with the fog that changed to a drizzle and then into actual rain while we were out there. Bleah. Gross morning, but at least it wasn’t frigid, right? First and last mile was by myself, so I picked it up a tiny bit so I could just get out of the rain and dry off. 🙂

(9:24, 10:43, 11:25, 11:21, 9:46, 0:56)

Start time: 10/10/11, 9:45am
Location: Takoma, Rock Creek Park, Brightwood
Distance: 5 miles
Average pace: 10:28min/mile
Total Miles For October: 20 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 531 miles
Current Shoes: 72 miles

Well, didn’t run Saturday as planned; there was a misunderstanding on my running partner’s part and she never showed up. I ended up swimming with Ryan, so I got my exercise in at least. Instead I ran with Charlie on one of his loops in the neighborhood. Oh dear god it’s nothing but hills; some steep (like going in and out of Rock Creek Park), others gradual (running down Aspen), but it’s all hill. Wow. Been a while since I’ve done something like that; it reminded me in part of my old Custis Trail workouts. Really glad I did.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5132617

(11:06, 10:28, 10:24, 10:39, 9:38)

Start time: 10/4/11, 5:45am
Location: National Mall
Distance: 5.24 miles
Average pace: 9:53min/mile
Total Miles For October: 15 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 526 miles
Current Shoes: 67 miles

Ran with Steve and Ben on Tuesday; last weekday run with them before their marathon. (We had theatre tickets Wednesday night and I knew Thursday wouldn’t be happening.) Brisk, nice-paced run in the first mile with no problems, too.

(8:31, 9:58, 10:32, 10:22, 10:06, 2:15)

Start time: 10/1/11, 7:00am
Location: National Mall, Mt. Vernon Trail
Distance: 10.69 miles
Average pace: 10:16min/mile
Total Miles For October: 10 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 521 miles
Current Shoes: 62 miles

Ben, Jim, Michael, and Steve had their final weekend run before the Chicago Marathon on Saturday, so I joined them for it. It was, in part, a test run to see how the knee would do at the slightly longer distance. Thankfully, all was good. Yay for extra stretching!

The run ended up being a big loop; around the Capitol and down to the Waterfront, then over 14th St Bridge and up the Mt. Vernon Trail along the Potomac, then back over Roosevelt Bridge by the Kennedy Center and past the White House before concluding. We lost Jim and Michael around the Kennedy Center (they were a little ahead and went a different way back) but it was a good run despite the cold and gray sky and the occasional spitting of rain.

(10:23, 10:41, 10:41, 10:02, 10:37, 10:03, 9:51, 10:20, 11:09(?), 9:57, 6:06)