July 20-26 Going to the Hill Country

July 20th Rest
July 21st 13.3 miles around Gaston MS
July 22nd 14 miles around Gaston MS
July 23rd 13 miles Ranch Road 341 to 340 in Marble Falls TX
July 24th 13 miles Ranch Road 341 to 340 in Marble Falls TX
July 25th 13 miles Ranch Road 341 to 340 in Marble Falls TX
July 26th 20 miles Around WRL and Santa FE trail
Mileage 86 MPW (Garmin app got hacked and not working so just rounded the miles)

So this week overall was good!  I've increased my allergy medication again and my fatigue has gotten better.  More energy in general and was able to hand the heat better.  During the week we took a trip to Marble Falls TX, where we stayed in a tiny house and was able to run in country Ranch Roads 341, & 340.  As it was the hill country the course was up and down and at first seemed intimidating, but now looking back at it I am very glad that I was able to run on the course.  The course had a great deal of wildlife saw bobcat, snake, deer, wild hog, cows, skunks among other animals.  The course also had some great elevation changes.  The first two miles were uphill with some of them being very steep.  The next two miles it was going downhill from the same long hill that was up.  The next two miles it was  uphill again.  These were looong hills and at times seemed never ending.  On the course many times I thought about just turning around and cutting the course short.  At miles 6.5 like luck would have it I saw a water fountain and thankfully it was working.  This made my run as I had to run to the water fountain to get a drink and that would be perfect for the 13 miles I was originally shooting for.  In central Texas the humidity wasn't as bad as Dallas, at least it didn't feel as bad to me, but the sunshine definitely hit on the run.  After running the hills, and coming back to Dallas I certainly felt the difference and the 20 miler today seemed about as difficult as the 13 on the hilly course.

The Hills
So Dallas is relatively flat and I can say most of my runs have minimal elevation.  Sometimes I go to Norbuck park to get the elevation change.  But in the hill country the hills were not an option!  These were long hills of more than one mile long and some of them had some sharp incline sections.  But like with any out and back course you also get the same downhill parts.  At first I would just focus on the hills and try and get up the hills as soon as I could.  Then on the downhill I would rest and go down while observing the views.  After I while I started to dread the long and winded uphill, which seemed like it took forever to get up them.
Then I realized that I had to change my mindset and make the best of the run.  I decided to use the uphills as my slower sections and my downhills as the sections that I would concentrate on.  I took my time going up as I was 'resting' and then on the downhill I would go faster and make up the time.  After implementing this approach the uphill that were 2 miles long seemed more manageable and I actually looked forward to getting to the uphill parts.  The runs in the hills of central Texas made me realize the importance of the changing terrain and how elevation change can certainly affect a run.
Overall I liked the change in scenery and after running today in Dallas, I certainly felt the difference in how it affects your running. It was also a reminder that if I focus on the difficulties of something it takes joy out of doing it.




The Bats
One of the reasons for going down to the hill country was to go check out of the bats.  If you haven't been to Old Tunnel State Park, highly recommend it.  Close to a million Mexican Free Tail Bats, exited the tunnel and although they all stayed together once they flew they were on a mission individually to go and eat.  The bats reminded me of the importance of these animals for the habitat, as they eat pest that in turn help the agriculture of the area.  The whole system works in unison and when one system disappears it affects the whole.  This is similar to running, you need the different ingredients in order to enjoy it and by focusing too much on one thing it takes the joy from the essence of the activity. Being in the area was a good reminder of the importance of enjoying things and being in the moment instead of focusing on distractions.

Final Thoughts
Overall the week was fine, was able to go past the 80 miles this week and had more energy.  The change in scenery was very welcomed and it was a good reminder about the importance of enjoying things and being present in the moment. The hills were a good reminder of the how enjoyable running is and can be enjoyed in different places.

July 13-July 19 Mileage Cramming

July 13 rest
July 14 rest
July 15 16 miles around Gaston MS and neighborhood
July 16 16 miles around Gaston MS and neighborhood
July 17 rest
July 18 24 White Rock Lake and Santa Fe Trail
July 19 24 White Rock Lake and Santa Fe Trail
80 mpw
I'll start by saying that this week my allergies were getting me.  I was feeling fatigued and sleepy with a lack of energy can't really explain it very well.  At the beginning of the week I took an extra day off thinking that would help, then I realized I had to do a bit more on my run Wed. & Thurs.  Friday again the fatigue came back and I just didn't feel right.  I can't really point it out other than it being symptoms of allergies.  I started to realize that this fatigue wasn't going away so I just had to do my best considering the circumstances.  The weather app kept saying pollen very high and I doubt that will change any time soon, the heat mixed with the humidity also probably didn't help. But everyone has there own challenges and I think I made the best of the situation.
The Weekend Awakening
So the weekend came and I figured this week I will probably not get to the mileage goal, just hadn't run enough.  I had only run twice during the week and I figured I would just do a longer run and hope for the best.  Started the weekend run nice and early at 5:30 am and had plenty of time before the heat came.  The further I went the better I felt.  Once I had reached the 18-19th mile I figured hey if I can get to 24 miles today I'll have a shot of maybe making it to 80 for the week.  The least I could do was try right?  Pace didn't matter I just wanted to get the miles.  I made it to 24 miles on Saturday and then on Sunday I was like well if I can at least do 19 I can get to 75 miles which would be okay since last week I went over the 80.  So again I started early at 5 in the morning and just set out to do the best I could.  Did the route down Santa Fe trail then looped the lake and I realized I could get another 24 miles back to back.  It was tough, the heat was high, but it got me to realize that even with some set backs I could still get the work done.
The Importance of Surrounding Yourself with People with the Same Mission
I recently came across some of the content of Jim Rohn and one of the things that stood out was the saying that: "You are the average of the 5 people you spend time the most with." Our lives are heavily influenced by relationships as we are social creatures and this is the reason why isolation is associated with negative emotions. Relationships weather one realizes it consciously or not impacts thinking, decision making, and self perception of one self as well as others.
I realized the power of surrounding yourself with people when I made up all those miles over the weekend.  Other runners that have the same mission and motivation can be a great influence in getting the work done.  I want to emphasize that running is tough.  I've been running competitively since middle school, over 20 years now and I have seen runners come and go.  Highly talented runners who would run great times that are not longer running is a pretty common thing.  What is less common is a runner that can consistently compete for decades. So for me to be at it for this long I can definitely attribute to some great influences that have kept me going at a competitive level.

According to research by social psychologist Dr. David McClelland of Harvard, [the people you habitually associate with] determine as much as 95 percent of your success or failure in life

I want to say thank you to those great influences that continue to help me achieve the goals even with all the obstacles that present themselves. Things that are worth it don't come easy. I also want to be  intentional especial now in the age of pandemic to realize that with relationship building of people who I admire and will continue to keep me in the running game. Although one may think that running is a individual thing, I want to emphasize the importance of having a support network that keeps you motivated especially during the down times. It's easy when things are going your way, but what do you do when things don't?
Final Thoughts
As I write this on Sunday night I realize how nice it is to meet the mileage goal and I cannot thank others enough that were part of the journey.  On Friday I didn't think this week I would get to 80 miles but now writing about the week I'm pleasantly pleased.  Thank you for reading and all the best!