A Mutt Run

That's my new name for this type of run that mixes up a few different things and really has no plan at all. As I headed out the door to make the 10 minutes drive to the trailheads, I had no idea what I was going to do. I did, though, bring a gallon of fluids with me so I wouldn't be limited. I really can't say I was feeling all that well this morning, not bad, but nothing special. So I started nice and easy with a 2 mile warm up then decided to do an 8 mile hill fartlek. I felt really good on the first few climbs and could tell I was going to have a good day. There's a 1-2 punch in the middle of this hill fartlek, there's a 3:30 climb, a 1:30 rest, then a 6:00 climb that really tested my toughness. The last mile is a 150' climb that I finished off in 7:20. I was pretty happy with how I finished, so after a few minutes at the car gulping down some fluids I went balls out up a .65/500' hill in 7:35. I was hoping to go under 8, so I was really happy with how that turned out. Jogged back down the hill and back to the dirt road where I did the fartlek and decided I would do a 2 mile cool down on that final mile. Jogged down nice and easy for a mile, then turned around went hard back up the 1 mile/150' climb hoping to go under 7:20. I did, but I had to work alot harder than when I had done it 30 minutes earlier! Jogged around a little to make it an even 2 hours. What a fun day, put in 2 hours and just over 14 miles. The humidity is sick here right now and I was soaked through for just about the whole run. Saying "right now" is a little mis-leading, it's been this way for 2 months now. I'm sick of it. Bring on Fall.