August 2009

So August was a reasonable month all things considered — seven activities in total, which felt busier than it probably was, split between five runs covering just over 41 kilometres and a couple of rides that I've filed loosely under "getting outside before the summer completely disappears." The runs added up to just over four hours of moving, which at my average pace of around six minutes eleven per kilometre means I wasn't exactly troubling any land speed records. That said, sixteen achievements and six personal bests from those five runs suggests something went right, even if I couldn't always tell you exactly what in the moment. The rides — a Lunch Ride and a Morning Ride — came in at just under 24 kilometres between them, which I'm counting as cross-training and not as evidence that I couldn't face another run.

Comparing back to July, the numbers are actually fairly close, though I managed slightly fewer kilometres running this month despite an extra activity, which I'm choosing to interpret as quality over quantity rather than any kind of decline. July's runs averaged six fifteen per kilometre versus six eleven in August, so I am — marginally, almost imperceptibly — getting quicker, and the six PRs this month versus two in July does at least suggest some genuine forward momentum. So the addition of the bike rides is interesting, and whether that becomes a proper habit or just a brief flirtation with variety remains to be seen. Going into autumn I'd like to keep the run volume ticking over, because the dark mornings will arrive before I'm ready for them, and they always do.

Summary generated by Claude