Week 18: Day 2 - 30 April 2019

• morning run = 4.5 miles; time = 1:09:01; average pace @ 15:20
• walked dogs = 2.6 miles total

I had 7-1/2 hours of sleep last night and I still woke up tired this morning. I'm not sure if it's because I still need more time to catch up on sleep or because of the sleeping aid that I took to help me to sleep (zzz-quil and melatonin)...or both. However, I feel like I'll sleep better tonight?

Week 18: Day 1 - 29 April 2019

• morning run = 4.92 miles; time = 1:07:00; average pace @ 13:37
• walked dogs = 2.6 miles total

I'm back to wearing regular running shoes with the cushiony bottoms. Now I have one more thing to track miles on. I was wearing "barefoot" minimalist shoes - the shoes with the toes and no cushions on the bottoms - for eight months. I tried to look up information on how long barefoot minimalist shoes could last, but I never found anything. I know that regular running shoes can last between 300 to 500 miles, and my feet/legs will usually tell me when it's time to change shoes. I had two barefoot shoes - one had almost 700 miles and the other was a little over 600 miles (mostly from walking) - those are rough estimates according to my Garmin watch (my watch isn't very accurate and I never bothered to keep track). The 700-mile pair had a hole in one of the toes and I had to stop wearing them because it was very uncomfortable to run with sand/dirt and tiny rocks inside my shoes, so I started wearing the other pair for running. I already have a pair of regular running shoes that I had purchased last weekend (not this past weekend). I waited until today to wear them because this week had two months and if I wanted to keep track of the miles on the shoes, I didn't want the shoe mileage to be the same as the total monthly mileage because I'm weird and I like to start running in new shoes at the end of a month/beginning of a new month. Anyway, I never found out how long barefoot shoes could last, but I think my feet were telling me that it was time to get new shoes anyway. One pair already got a hole in one of the toes anyway. My feet were okay most of the time with rocks on trails unless I stepped on a big rock. Tiny rocks were okay. Lately, it seemed like more rocks appeared out of nowhere. I'm sure all the rocks were there this whole time and never moved much. My feet started getting sensitive and would hurt everytime I stepped on rocks. It's hard to enjoy my run when my feet hurt. I can't exactly avoid rocks unless I don't run on trails. The 600-mile pair, I'll still wear it for walking, but I'm not sure how much longer I'll be wearing them (there is a tiny hole in one of the toes on that pair too, but dirt and rocks haven't gotten inside yet).

Week 17: Day 7 - 28 April 2019

• morning group ride = 27.6 miles; time = 1:57:52; average speed @ 14 mph
• walked dogs = 2.6 miles total

Running:
Total Weekly Mileage: 21.26
Total Monthly Mileage: 81.39
Total Yearly Mileage: 236.37

Cycling:
Total Weekly Mileage: 55.3
Total Monthly Mileage: 157.16
Total Yearly Mileage: 474.65

Don't forget to make a donation on my charity page, please! Any amount, big or small, is greatly appreciated!

Week 17: Day 6 - 27 April 2019

• morning run = 3.06 miles; time = 42:50; average pace @ 13:59
• morning ride = 27.7 miles; time = 2:01:20; average speed @ 13.7 mph
• walked dogs = 2.6 miles total

I woke up feeling a lot better this morning and more alert/awake (less sleepy) for my run. Now I'm going to catch up on sleep this weekend and hope that it doesn't backfire on me where I end up with one hour of sleep tomorrow (Sunday) night.

Week 17: Day 5 - 26 April 2019

• morning run = 4.75 miles; time = 1:10:35; average pace @ 14:51
• walked dogs = 2.6 miles total

Last summer (June/July/August), I had a job where I worked two nights a week until midnight - sometimes later depending on how busy we got and I still went running at 5am. The other days of work, I did the day shift, so I went to bed at a normal hour five days a week. I didn't take any naps before work on nights that I had to work late because my body wouldn't let me. I don't know how I was never tired. I have a 9-5 day job now, so I get to go to bed at a normal hour every night. I keep telling myself to stop this whole going to bed late thing when I didn't have to up late and that is why I'm always tired. Last night, I went to bed earlier than normal. I was still tired this morning, but less grumpy. I'm afraid of catching up on sleep during the weekend because the last time (once...last month) that I did that, I had one hour of sleep on Sunday night.

Week 17: Day 4 - 25 April 2019

• morning run = 4.64 miles; time = 1:11:35; average pace @ 15:25
• walked dogs = 2.6 miles total

Last summer (June/July/August), I had a job where I was at work until midnight - sometimes later depending on how busy we were - twice a week. The other three days that I was there were during the daytime. On days that I had to work late, I still went running at 5am the next morning. I didn't take a nap before work for working a late shift because my mind wouldn't let me. I went to bed like a normal person for the rest of the week. I don't know how I was never tired all summer. Lately, I had been going for a run at 5:20 - 5:25 (this morning was at 5:17). I've been gradually waking up earlier so it didn't feel like a shock to me when I'll be running at 4:30 or 5am for this summer. 6am in the summer is too late and humid. Running makes me hot and I can easily tolerate cold (preferably 40 degrees) weather. I have a new job and it's during "normal" wake hours like 9-5, so I get to go to bed at a normal hour, but I feel like I'm always tired! I tried to catch up on sleep during the weekend once (last month) and I ended up with one hour of sleep on Sunday night. So I'm a little bit afraid that if I try to catch up on sleep during the weekend, I'll end up with one or three hours of sleep on Sunday night.

Week 17: Day 3 - 24 April 2019

• morning run = 4.31 miles; time = 1:01:37; average pace @ 14:17
• walked dogs = 2.6 miles total

I was going to do a bike ride after work today. I changed my mind when I got home because it was windy. It seems harder for me to go out to do my own ride (alone) because I'll make up excuses ("I'm tired." "It's too hot." "It's too cold." "It's too windy.") There is always something. It was a little bit windy when I got home and it probably wasn't that bad, but the last time that I thought it seemed a little windy, it was worse during my ride.

Don't forget...please find it in your heart and pay it forward with a donation on my charity page. Any donation, big or small, is greatly appreciated.