On the coolest morning in a month 😤, I kept my pledge to run indoors this week. I'm nearly done with the #Zwift Watopia route challenges. No rolling hills today, just smooth sailing. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

A blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment of Uatu the Watcher observing Apocalypse's next WTF move in the latest #Xmen97 episode.

You’ve been murdered. Who do you want on the case?

The bed felt SOOO good at 4:15am, almost pushed this to tomorrow. Goal today was to run the repeats hard, then relax and hold steady pace for the full hour. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

First good-ish weekend morning to get outside. Better than last weekend and I'm meeting my training goals. But after adding that trail run on Tuesday, I'm going to deload next week; stay inside and run turtle-slow, build up my base. Also, it's time for new EVOs. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

The smoke squashed running outside, so #Zwift took over. The Epic Run takes you to the highest point in Watopia. I'ma say it was Mount Crumpit, minus the Grinch & Max. My negative splits were just a few seconds short of each other, so my pace was steady for once. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

Maybe doing strength work before stride repeats is a good thing: 3 of my 5 miles were under 9:00 /mi. Haven't run like that since my Army days 40+ years ago. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

This is the first in three summers that I haven't been too injured to run/train effectively. So I had higher hopes for more mileage. But my July outdoor runs have been ass. Today, my bpm redlined right off. Frustrating, while trying new shoes (HOKA Challenger 8s). #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

Grumpy AF about the weather forecasting -- not the weather itself -- and how crappy #NOAA is now. So I ran #Zwift and really attacked the elevation (503 ft). Felt good right then. Did not keep my mood elevated, until an unexpected gift arrived. Now all smiles. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

#Zwift gave runners the gift of two new event routes for the Tour de France. I was all into it, then my avatar ran through a barrier and a TRUCK before resuming the route, lol. And I realized that, even virtually, I don't like running on cobblestones. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

Looook 🤷🏿 you don't have to tell me this is PETTY AF. I know it, okay? But I "earned" the Garmin Frosty badge (by accident) last November. You think I'm not gonna complete the matched set by grabbing the Toasty badge, with the Sun melting Maryland today? Psssht, please! #Garmin #BlackSkyFitness

The humidity hit me inna face as soon as I stepped outside. So at least I wanted to finish the 50-min "easy run" training workout. It was 77°F/25°C, but I could feel the moisture declaring independence from my body. Took me an hour afterward to stop sweating! #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

Back to the training grind! I love the indoor track at the Y for strides because it's sure-footed, 98% obstacle-free speed work. (And I don't suck in any bugs, lol.) The key here is that recovery after the strides was better than last cycle. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

#Garmin Coach Greg Half-Marathon training started again for Fall races. Glad I don't have to stack 3 activities like this again for a long time. And Coach has me doing stride repeats in 2 days,WTF?? We gonna have words! (...We will not.) #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

Soooo. WHAT, pray tell, has the #Zwift World Schedule locked on France for the entire month of July? Hmmm? What could possibly have a bunch of cyclists. So. Damn. EXCITED. About FRANCE? (Wrong answers only)

See this progression after mile 10? I need to reproduce this in the wild someday. #running #runsky

Instead of running hills outside in the rain, ran long inside. And I mean LONG: 14.14 miles, my record distance. The lesson today? How to fight cramps for the final 2.5 miles while on the run. Now to decompress. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

I'm stalking the weather report for Saturday a.m., which is my only opportunity this Pride Weekend to get in a long run. I might be forced indoors, so this #Zwift Loch Loop course in Scotland might be this week's elevation run (437 ft). My bpm was also Base level! #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

I stacked three activities this morning. One was a benchmark run for the next training block, annnnnd. It was the wrong training plan! 🤦🏿 Gotta do it again in a week. Still, strength training + a follow-up run was nice. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

"Hills, Hills, Hills!" (Isn't that a song...?) Learning how to attack the ridge is one thing, but you know what's even better? Learning how to BRAKE on steep downhills. Got it right this morning; saved the knees for the killer push to get back home. #BlackSkyFitness #running #runsky

I maintain that my human wife sent my cat wife up to say "Your work day is over! Let's go!" Lorna always argues with me. ALWAYS.

Admittedly I didn't pay much attention to #Zwift scenery because I ran Rolling Hills on the treadmill for the first time. I've speedwalked 5k hills many times, but running's a different beast. I managed 401 ft of elevation over 65 mins, with 4 peaks of 3% incline. #BlackSkyFitness #Running #runsky

Wore my outdoor shoes on the indoor track to balance out mileage. I'm getting near 300 miles on both pairs of EVO SLs, and they still have nice pop to them. I should scruff up the soles of the indoor shoes outside. (Maybe.) #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

UGH these old bones needed another day of rest. And, first outside run since an update, my Garmin didn't record any elevation! Although when I checked Strava, it's there. Just. UGHHHH. And apparently, it's Global Wellness Day. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

#Zwift Chili Pepper route. Look, I know it's a virtual volcano. YOU know it's a virtual volcano. But running through it still made me feel hot and claustrophobic. (But it was stunning and cool, okay? Okay.) That plus leg day made it feel tougher than it was. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky

Back to the lab again. Goal was 8 miles or 90 minutes. Felt good to just zone out and let my engine purr. Pure running enjoyment. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

Virtual Baltimore 10-Miler in FL!Goodbye, parking lot! Goodbye, Beehive Service Road (and I'm the new Local Legend)! Hello, completed second leg of the Black-Eyed Susan Challenge! Got it done nice and early so I can enjoy my last full day in DisneyWorld. Cheers! #BlackSkyFitness #runsky

Muuuuch better! Cloudy with lower humidity. Ran just about every free space available around here. Completed one circuit but didn't push it. Felt more like myself. Plus it's Global Running Day! Coffee time! #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #globalrunningday

Listen, this isn't the hottest I've ever run in. That was 1982, Tank Hill, Ft. Jackson, SC; sweltering hi-90s. But since then? YEAH. This Florida humidity sucked the dear life out of me (and not in that good way 😏). But a run is a run, even on my birthday vacation! #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running

#Zwift made me work hard for Level 10. Also, was going to stop at 90 mins, but then 2 of my songs hit back-to-back and I HAD to dig in until they were done, lol. Next run (maybe?) will be on my vacay! Also, lesson learned: Run. Recover. Repeat. #BlackSkyFitness #runsky #running