Monday: 5 miles recovery from Sunday’s 1/2 marathon
Tuesday: REST (I deserved it) 
Wednesday: 7 miles (in the hot sun ~107 F)
Thursday: 5 miles (still hot!!!)
Friday: 3 miles (weather is still in the 90s!)
Saturday: 15 miles (should have ran earlier; it was HOT outside)
See a trend? Maybe I should run less in the heat. It just seems more convenient for me to run in the middle of the day or in early evening when the sun is still at it’s peak. At least I enjoy the heat, am staying hydrated, and drench myself in sunblock before I head out the door.
Best run of the week goes to Saturday’s long run. It was the toughest thing I did this week. As I headed out the door, I felt great. 2 miles into the run, I started dripping sweat. 4 miles in, I stopped at a water fountain for a drink. At 6 miles, stopped for another drink. Middle of the run… started feeling tired, hot, and uncomfortable; stopped to walk a little, down some Gu along with some gulps of water, and ran easy for the rest of the way. My pace dropped significantly, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get home.
So, I turned up the volume on my iPod, and headed off to finish the run. I was on a mission, it was a life or death situation (not really). Will I make it home before getting dehydrated and dying from heatstroke??! Or, will I faint from exhaustion, and be found lying in middle of the road 3 miles from my house??! What do I do?! I did what any rational minded runner would do. I decreased my pace, took walk breaks as necessary, and sipped on water along the way. When I made it back, I was drenched in sweat, salty to the touch, exhausted, and relieved. I did some quick stretching and proceeded inside to take a long cold shower. What a way to end a hard week of training!
Now I’m on my day off eating from a carton of green tea ice cream.
Next week’s long run will be 17 miles… Dunn dun dun…
