Diaspora

 Another week closer to Dublin another longer run logged.....another week of shaking my head at the Weather Gods.....welcome to the arse end of July folks!

I had hoped to maybe resume evening runs this week as the need to increase my weekly mileage volume is pressing ....however the dreaded heat & humidity continue to be a thorn in my side where that is concerned, hopefully w/ August a few days away that will happen sooner rather than later, it's not a pressing need right now but time is slowly ticking down towards Dublin, the need for more volume per week and longer weekend long runs is great.....but I'm somewhat hamstrung by the daily heat and humidity being what they are, mid to late August looks like it will cool down enough to be out there  a few evenings per week hopefully logging 10-12 mile runs b4 continuing to increase my weekend long runs

Monday July 22nd It is often said "Fortune Favours The Brave".....it is also said Icarus flew too close to the Sun although these days it wouldn't be the sun melting  his feathers and wax it'd be the feckin' humidity.....

At 82 degrees w/ 68 % humidity I felt it was " worth a punt" to see if I could run and how well I could handle the conditions 82 degrees at 6pm is mild compared to what we've been dealing w/ of later as I headed out for my first evening run in several weeks revisting  the tried and tested route up Powelton Avenue towards Spring Garden St bridge

8.34 for the opening mile followed by 8.47....I already knew any aspirations I had of this being a double digit run were folly the sweat was rollin' and bouncin' off of me and my breathing was laboured, at the corner of Powelton Ave and 31st St at 2.5 miles I knew better to turn around and head home rather than head towards Spring Garden St and eventually Kelly Dr

I forget at which point the heavens opened but frankly the rain felt some what cathartic as I saw out another 2 miles in 8.43 and 8.45  for a time of 34.49.2 off 8.42 mile pace, far from earthshattering but another 4 miles in the legs, at this point I'd be surprised if I log 60 miles for July but it's usually August when I begin to hit triple digit miles for the month

If getting out this evening was  glass half full the fact that 82/68 heat & humidity still causes me issues was very much a case of  glass half empty.......

Saturday July 27th Fuckin' Ada it must be getting serious when I head out for a long run on Saturday! last time that happened was  Feb 24th, twenty two weeks ago.....

Out the door just gone 7am while my 8 and 10 milers had been over the South St bridge and up the Schuylkill River Trail I opted for Powelton Ave and Kelly Dr for the 12 miles, w/ hindsight maybe I should have stuck w/ the former....'if it aint broke don't fix it....."

Cool enough conditions at 7am 70 degrees, 63% humidity, perhaps the cooler temps lulled me into a false sense of security, opening mile was 8.20, last Friday on the 10 miler it was 8.39....however  that was at 5.30am, hindsight is 20/20 but maybe I should have eased off the gas.......

8.37-8.39-8.34-8.35-8.32 reached the turnaround between St John's boathouse and Strawberry Mansion bridge in 50.37, off 9 min mile pace that would have been 54.00, again  w/ the benefit of hindsight I should have eased off the pace but having made the turn I was now thinking about the inbound 6 miles

The proverbial writing was on the wall when my next two splits were 8.57-9.19, I've been doing this dance long enough to know when the wheels are coming off, when I walked up the ramp to the back of the Art Museum to access Spring Garden St bridge I knew I was toast, and while I got going again on 31st St and clocked 9.32 for mile 9  I knew any notions of seeing out the final 3 miles were as the auld fella used to say"high notions like the mountain Goats in Kerry"......

A laboured 9.59 10th mile was " all she wrote folks"  1.28.56 off 8.54 mile pace, scant consolation for being 32 seconds quicker than last Fridays 1.29.32 off 8.57 mile pace

The bigger pisser is chances are conditions during the week probably won't lend themselves to a redo so I'll have to wait till next weekend to  attempt my 12 miler, which costs me one of the seven 20 mile runs I had penciled in from  August 31st thro October 19th, I will be monitoring the weather all week to see if there's a brake in the heat and humidity to give me a crack at this again b4 Saturday or Sunday

One final thought, the past two weekends have seen the culmination of the GAA Provincial championships, fair play to the Clare hurlers and Armagh footballers for lifting the coveted Liam MacCarthy and Sam Maguire trophies in Croke Park...... none of them rocked up to Croke Park on the day and thought " we have this in the bag'' to a man the hard work and sacrifice to walk those steps and hold those trophies aloft began back in November and December on cold nights in Clare and Armagh so that in the sunshine of July their hard work and dedication would be rewarded, back on January 6th I ran my first 14 miler in the cold to begin laying the ground work for an Autumn day in Dublin when I hope to have my moment in the sun also