I decided to run a different route today. I parked at the Carroll Elementary School near the corner of Davis and Continental and ran up the sidewalks along Continental and Caroll with a short jog along Southlake Boulevard.

The route along Continental has several advantages:

• The route is tree-lined and shaded in several places.
• Surrounding neighborhoods are beautiful.
• Sidewalks run alongside the street for at least 3 miles.
• Several side streets with good shading and sidewalks provide additional mileage.
• The part of the route along Continental has quite a few hills, providing a good workout. "Hills are speedwork in disguise."

I alternate between running on sidewalks and running on streets. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of running surface. In terms of which surface is better for running, the experts are divided. Asphalt (in many roadbases) is thought to be 40% to 60% softer than the concrete in many sidewalks/walking paths. However, cambered roads, slanted for drainage, are thought to lead to pelvic tilt injuries and IT Band issues due to one leg always landing higher than the other. Sidewalks are usually cambered as well, but each foot can have equal time on the upper part. Since most runners run against traffic on the roadways, the same leg is always landing at a higher position. I decided to split my time between sidewalks, roads, and trails to give my body a varied workout and minimize the chance for injury.

The heat started getting to me after about 3 miles. Miles 4 to 4.5 (at the turnaround point) were uphill into the sun. That hill and the heat had my heart rate up to 192 bpm. Every time I think I found my maximum heart rate, I end up getting a new value.

As usual, my first mile was a warmup. And the subsequent 8 miles were at long run pace. I didn't have an issue maintaining in the low 9 minute miles for the first half of the run. But after it heated up and the sun bore down on me, I had to slow down. I should have started my run around 6 AM instead of 6:45 AM and I would have been able to maintain a faster pace.

I brought the larger handheld sports bottle but the weather was so warm/humid that it did not last the entire 9 miles. Luckily, I was only without sports drink the last mile. And I found some sprinklers to run through that were spraying onto the sidewalk. That helped cool me off!

I bet Estes Park, Colorado has perfect weather right now. Every time I step outside and the heat and humidity seem so oppressive, I think of that. But then I remember how wonderful our falls and winters are. We are able to cycle and run outdoors just about all year because of such mild winters. Everything is a trade off. We have brutally hot summers (lows in the 80's and highs in the 100's), but a wonderful fall and winter. Still....I would love to go spend a month or more in Estes Park.

It would be fun to get a little tourist job and live in an apartment there for the summer and cycle/run with the Rocky Mountains in the background before/after work. Unfortunately, I never could get anyone to hire me for the low paying jobs. I was always "overqualified" or "too old". Apparently someone in their 40's with experience and a degree isn't a good candidate for an entry level job, even if they're willing to accept the pay. I don't think they ever stopped to consider that maybe the 20 years (between 20 and 40 years old) that I spent in the corporate world where your work takes over your life made me appreciate the lower paying, less stressful jobs.