Run time.

I'm still planning to run the Boulder Backroads at the end of September. An unusually humid start to August has made my training more interesting, as running in Longmont is starting to resemble running in the humid Nebraska summers of my childhood. That is to say: hot, sticky, and somewhat more challenging than usual August running conditions around here.

The training plan I'm following is from Runner's World, and incorporates three runs a week: a run with speedwork, a "tempo run" which is just a little faster than my target pace, and a "long run" at a relaxed pace. I'm finding that the runs that are killing me are the "tempo runs" where I'm supposed to sustain a pace just a bit quicker than my usual speed for several miles. Speedwork is fun and I enjoy the challenges. The long runs feel good because I have time to really settle into a rhythm. But those "tempo runs" feel like I'm just pushing myself a little for a long time, perpetually annoying myself for the length of the run. I keep taking off faster than the "tempo" and then slowing down a few miles in and falling behind...this is week three of the plan, so maybe I'll get the hang of it a few more weeks in.

Another way I figured out it was unusually humid this week: I work in an historic building on campus, with wooden floors and wooden doors. On Monday, my office door swelled shut. I had to call someone to push against it from outside to get the door open. The weekend is supposed to dry out a bit, but I'm keeping my office open just in case.