Dark Runs, Bright Outlook

I wrapped up September with a 5.31-mile run at an 8:28 pace and an average heart rate of 138. That’s a huge contrast to the beginning of the year, when my HR would spike into the 150s and 160s no matter how easy I thought I was taking it.

For the month, I logged 130.57 miles—another step up from August. That makes three straight months of building consistent 100+ mile totals. Right now, I’m sitting at 743 miles for the year, which puts me in great position to finally crack the 1,000-mile mark. If I can hold around 85 miles per month through the rest of the year, I’ll get there. The key is avoiding the same pitfalls as last year, when October dipped and November and December completely fell apart.

One new weapon in my arsenal has been embracing the dark. I used to be against running before sunrise—too much traffic risk on country roads—but lately I’ve adjusted my routine. Instead, I run short loops up my street to the city park, where traffic is almost nonexistent. It’s only about a mile per loop and it can get repetitive, but after a couple of laps the sky starts to lighten and I can safely expand my route. With this setup, I should be able to stretch my outdoor season into late November, weather permitting. Even if it means lots of neighborhood and park loops, the treadmill is still the ultimate benchmark for monotony—and that’s a bar set very low.

Milestones on the Road and Scale

Saturday morning brought a big milestone: my first double-digit continuous run (10.01 miles) in almost three years, since the Indy Half Marathon back in November 2022. Even better — it felt fantastic.

I headed out planning to keep things steady and relaxed. The first mile clicked off at 8:24, then I settled into a rhythm: 8:11, 8:11, 8:11, 8:12. By the halfway point, I felt strong, so I began inching the pace down. Mile 6 came in at 8:01, then 7:56, 7:45, and 7:37. My effort barely changed even as the splits got faster — I caught a runner’s high and felt like I was just gliding.

In the final stretch, I finally pushed. My heart rate crept into the 160s, the burn kicked in, and I finished with a hard sprint, closing the last mile in 7:15.
Final stats: 10.01 miles in 1:19:51 (7:58 pace).

Afterward, I was surprised by how good I still felt. Not tired, not drained — in fact, the longer I went, the better I felt. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that sensation, and it’s exciting to see it coming back.

I took Sunday off, more for smart recovery than necessity. Still managed some pickleball and a walk, and my legs felt fresh — even peppy. Today, Garmin suggested more rest, but I kept things light with 5.31 easy miles at 8:44 pace (HR 137). Once again, my performance condition actually improved as the run went on.

Another milestone: the scale dipped under 180 for the first time since August 2022 (179.8). I don’t expect to average under 180 for a couple more weeks, but it’s a good sign. Since April, I’ve been losing about two pounds a month, almost entirely from exercise. My goal is to be around 175 by February and eventually into the 160s — the high 160s seem sustainable for me. Back in 2021 I dipped into the low 160s for a few months, set a 5K PR, then drifted back up despite marathon training. Diet probably played a role — proof of how tough weight maintenance can be. I’ve seen 17x; the next goal is seeing 16x, likely sometime next year.

Right now, though, I’m in a great groove: lose some weight → running feels easier → I run more → I lose more → I feel healthier → I eat healthier. The cycle keeps feeding itself. I just need to keep riding the wave.

Consistency Over Excitement

I squeezed in a recovery run this morning between sunrise and getting the twins to cheer practice at 7 a.m. I logged 3.43 miles in 32 minutes (9:22 pace). The first mile was a 9:47, and I gradually worked it down closer to 9:00. Running that slow comfortably is a skill of its own, and one I’ve only recently added to my arsenal.

Recovery runs aren’t exactly thrilling, but I’ll give myself credit for staying consistent without overdoing it. I don’t necessarily feel fitter than I have in recent weeks, but I do feel more durable. Aside from a stiff left Achilles (which doesn’t bother me much once I’m running), my legs feel solid—not even tired. It seems I’ve adapted to the 25–30 MPW range and may be ready to bump up the distance. In fact, I already have: in August I averaged 4.88 miles per run (24 runs total), and so far in September I’m averaging 5.24 miles (21 runs). A small but steady increase, which is exactly what I’m aiming for.

Part of me is itching to test myself with a harder effort just to see where I stand. But I’m also wary of falling into old traps—pushing too much, too soon, and winding up injured or burned out. The only real frustration right now is Garmin has me stuck in the “Maintaining” zone after nine months of building fitness. Nothing wrong with maintaining, but I’d like to think I still have plenty of gains ahead. Hopefully once my HRV bounces back from recent international travel, “Maintaining” will flip back to “Productive.” With some proper rest this weekend, maybe that will finally happen.

Quick Steps, Stronger Runs

Over the last few months, I’ve been paying much closer attention to my cadence. I’ve made a conscious effort to take quicker, shorter steps—and so far, the biggest payoff has been a noticeable reduction in hip flexor soreness. That ache has been a nagging issue for as long as I can remember, so even if cadence work doesn’t make me more efficient, it’s already worth it for that reason alone.

Today my legs felt especially peppy. I focused on keeping my turnover high and ended up averaging 180 steps per minute for the run. That’s a cadence I normally hit during races or tempo efforts, not on an easy base run. By the time I finished, I had covered 5.59 miles in 45 minutes, averaging an 8:03 pace. I started with a comfortable 8:37 mile, then steadily worked the pace down until the last few miles dipped under 8:00. I felt strong throughout, though I was definitely pressing toward the end.

Maybe I pushed a little harder than I should have, but I was running by feel—and today, I felt good. Tomorrow’s scheduled recovery day will take care of the rest. After all, it’s nice to actually have something to recover from.

Ooblady-Ooblada, The Runs Go On

My body is still shaking off the effects of international travel. My sleep cycle is all over the place, and Garmin insists my HRV status is “unbalanced” — whatever that really means. Still, I’m finally starting to feel somewhat normal again, and I’m hoping to be fully back in sync by the weekend.

In the meantime, that HRV reading has Garmin piling on more rest days. Maybe that’s the smart call, but I already lost quite a few workouts while on the road, so instead I’ve been pushing through. Yesterday, for example, I ignored the prescribed rest day and ran 5 miles at an easy 9:05 pace. I started sluggish and definitely felt some fatigue, but as the run went on, I found my rhythm. My plan was to stop at 3 miles, but I ended up “Energizer Bunny-ing” my way to 5. Reviewing the run afterward, I noticed my “Performance Condition” score actually improved as the miles went on — something I’ve never seen before. It felt like I was actively recovering in real time.

This morning, I woke up feeling a bit more rested. Despite my HRV still being flagged, Garmin recommended a 45-minute run at 9:05 pace. I ended up covering 5.4 miles at 8:20 pace and felt mostly okay. My legs are carrying a touch of fatigue now, and the travel exhaustion still lingers, but ooblady-ooblada, life goes on. I’ll keep pushing through and grab rest when I can.

It’s not all bad news, though. Today I crossed 100+ miles for the third month in a row, bringing my yearly total into the 700s and keeping me right on pace for my 1,000-mile goal. My weight is slowly trending down, my fitness is slowly trending up, and the big picture is on track. My focus is long-term: keep steadily building through the winter, then start layering in consistent, harder efforts next spring. With a little patience, my body should be strong and ready by 2026.

Back on Track After Travel

Last week was an international work trip—overnight flights, early mornings, time shifts, and the inevitable jet lag. All of it is a hindrance to training. When I first started traveling for work years ago, trips like this would completely derail me. Consistency relies on routine, and it’s hard to maintain routine when your body is out of sync and you’re thousands of miles from home.

At some point, though, I made a commitment: no matter what, I’d get some kind of workout in while traveling. Even if it was just a short jog outside or a few slow miles on the hotel treadmill, I’d find a way to make it happen. That mindset shift has allowed me to keep momentum, even on the road.

The Week in Training

• Monday: Squeezed in just over 4 miles before my flight.

• Tuesday: Landed in Brussels after an overnight flight with only a couple hours of sleep. Garmin, ever helpful, informed me that I should “try to get more sleep.” Thanks. I took the day off from running but still logged plenty of steps exploring the city after work.

• Wednesday: Found a beautiful park near my hotel and ran an easy hour at 8:46 pace.

• Thursday: Discovered some forest trails and ran 3.46 miles at 9:26 pace. Nothing fast, but a great way to see new surroundings.

• Friday: Travel day—no running.

• Saturday: Up early for a cross-country meet. No official run, but plenty of running around the course cheering for the runners.

By Sunday, I was finally back on something resembling a normal schedule. I got in a strong 7.01-mile run at 7:34 pace—my fastest average for this distance in years. I opened conservatively with two miles at 7:51 pace, then held steady in the mid-7:30s before closing with 7:23 and a 6:59 mile. It felt good to dip under 7 minutes at the end and even better to see the overall pace edging closer to that sub-7:30 milestone.

Today, Garmin naturally told me to rest. After three days off last week, rest wasn’t on my agenda. Instead, I ran 5 miles at 8:37 pace. Sleep still isn’t great as I recover from the trip, but it feels good to be back home, back in my routine, and moving forward again.

Rebelling Against the Algorithm

Today I staged a small rebellion against the A.I. overlords.

I’m not sure if Garmin was punishing me for walking on my rest day yesterday, or if I unknowingly hiccupped in my sleep, but this morning it served up a baffling recommendation: a 42-minute base run at 9:36 pace.

For context, Garmin Coach has been fairly consistent up to now. When I first started using it back in July, my base pace was set around 9:20 ± 30 seconds. That held steady all the way through the Old Settlers Day race. After the race, I reset the plan and my base pace dropped to 8:55—totally logical, since my race outperformed expectations and my VO₂ max was climbing.

It stayed at 8:55 for a while, then one day nudged to 9:05. Again, fine. But 9:36? That’s not even in the same zip code as my actual easy pace. For me, 8:50 is still a comfortable base run, while 9:36 is firmly in recovery territory.

So instead of skipping the workout (or hopping or galloping it), I decided to run the workout by feel. To mix things up, I ran my usual 5-mile loop in reverse for the first time—meaning the hills would hit at mile 4 instead of mile 2.

The first few minutes were in the low 9s, but as soon as I got an alert telling me 8:50 was “too fast,” all bets were off. Mile splits:

• Mile 1: 8:50

• Miles 2 & 3: 8:28 each

• Mile 4: 8:02 (despite a brief knee ache that vanished after a 10-second stretch)

• Mile 5: 7:34

I finished 5.09 miles in 42 minutes at an 8:15 average pace. Easy effort overall, with a little push at the end. Running zeitgeist may preach the 80/20 rule, but this Garmin plan feels closer to 90/10—or maybe even 95/5— very little intensity baked in.

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Takeaways

• If something hurts, stop. A quick pause and stretch often solves it. Old me would have stubbornly pushed through, thinking even a brief stop made the run “not count.” Turns out, listening to my body works better.

• Running without headphones is underrated. I still use them occasionally for long runs, but lately I’ve been enjoying the quiet—just me, my breathing, and a wandering mind.

• Cadence matters. Since July 12, I’ve been focusing on upping my steps per minute. My average cadence jumped from 171 SPM (January–July) to 174 in August, and now 175 for September. A small increase, but enough to make my hip pain vanish. Whether it’s better form or simply more efficient mechanics, I’ll take it.

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We’ll see what my defiance earns me in Garmin’s weekend recommendations. If I had to guess, some sort of passive-aggressive recovery run is on the horizon.