Tagged: water stop

The Most Walk Breaks Ever

8/20/11 – 14 MILES

Today’s 14 miler has the honor of being the known as The Most I’ve Ever Walked in a Long Run.

When I left the house at 5:45AM, the thermometer in the car said it was 91 degrees.  I had already resolved the afternoon before that I wasn’t going to think about the run beforehand, I was going to set the alarm, get up and get ready, and just get out there and do it.  That’s all fine and good until you actually get out there and . . . can’t do it.

My heart and mind just weren’t into the run.  I posted, quite seriously, last week about the possibility of going insane from the heat.  It isn’t even the heat, per se, it’s more the knowing that there’s no end in sight, that the mornings really don’t cool down at all, and that we could possibly still have weeks and weeks of these extreme temperatures.  Obviously, this summer’s lesson for me is to accept what I can’t change.

It doesn’t mean I have to like it.

We ran the entire length of the Santa Fe Trail.  It was shadier than I thought it would be, and it seemed to be all uphill (I think it wasn’t).  We arrived at the water stop that Bill had set up with cold water and Gatorade only to discover that someone had stolen the large water jug.  Major bummer, but I guess that’s part of living in the big city.  It made the next water stop’s cold water that much better.

Even though I’ve been trying to follow the 10% rule and not ramp up too quickly, I’ve been plagued with shin splints and some minor tendonitis in one ankle these past few weeks.  It made the first 4 miles of today’s run uncomfortable and my legs never seemed to warm up.  As if the heat wasn’t enough . . .

I’ve been trying to see the glass half full, but I’m struggling.

We walked.  A lot.  We walked the most I’ve ever walked in a long run.  All of the walking only prolonged our run, of course, and it wasn’t long before the blazing sun made its appearance over the horizon and made the run that much more difficult.  One thing I have learned to accept this summer is walk breaks when it’s this hot, but today was extreme.  Just like the temperature.

Thank goodness for good friends to help you make it to the end of a run like today.  I know it will get better, but gosh, I hope it gets better soon.

Stats:  14 miles @ 9:42 pace – 90 degrees at 6AM

 

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Another Long, Hot Run

8/6/11 – 12 MILES

What can I say that I haven’t already said all summer long?  It’s hot.  Really hot.

It was very humid when we met at 6am at Fuzzy’s.  Bill had stomach issues and decided not to run, but Heather V. was there for her longest run since February and her first run with the group since her marriage.  I heard Jose also had stomach issues and Genevieve turned around somewhere after 3 miles and went home.  I had to use my inhaler before the run, as did Teel.  The point here is that the extreme heat, coupled with no wind, is creating a lot of pollution and pollen, and it’s making us all sick.

We mostly stuck to running at the lake, which was great because of the water fountains.  There was one small section when the sun came up and it was less humid, and there was a nice, cool breeze blowing off the lake.

I used the new small Nathan water bottle with a hand strap that I bought yesterday.  I debated long and hard if I wanted to run 12 miles holding water in my hand, especially when we were running at the lake where the water is plentiful, but it wasn’t too bad.  I kept the bottle mostly empty at the lake and filled it up before we ran back into the hills.  I think I’ll use if for shorter runs in the future and strap on the hated fuel belt for the longer runs.

We ran 7 mi around the lake, and the sun started to get very hot and intense.  The last 3 miles were the toughest for everyone in my group.  It was all uphill back to Fuzzy’s, and we had the pleasure of running up three of our old friends, Tokalon, Sperry, and Anita.

For some reason my heat addled brain didn’t realize when we turned onto Hillside we were only about a quarter of a mile from Fuzzy’s.  Turning the corner and seeing the finish right there, when I was expecting to have to run another three quarters of a mile, was the sweetest finish in a long time.

All in all a good run, but it was hot.  Again.

Today’s Favorite Quote:  “It’s only 12 miles.  I can do anything for 12 miles.”  – Teel, when I asked her how she could hold her huge bottle of water for 12 miles

Stats:  Run – 12 miles @ 9:39 pace – 89 degrees

Humid Long Run

7/23/11 – 10 MILES

We started our second long run of the marathon training season at 6AM.  It was 84 degrees with 61% humidity.  Even though it was the same distance as last week, Chris changed up the route and ran us more in the neighborhood around the lake and off Greenville Ave.  To say it was another tough Texas summer run is an understatement.

I felt horrible at mile 4.  We started out at a 9:30 pace, which was 15 sec faster than the pace I wanted to keep, and I was still feeling a little under the weather.  I wondered if I would be able to go the entire 10 miles and struggled through the Lakewood hills.  However, at mile 6, I felt great–all the way up to the end of the run.  I have no idea why I suddenly felt better, but wish this would happen to me sometime in a race, especially around mile 23.

The original route took us a block from our house, so we incorporated a water stop in our driveway.  Knowing there would be cold water and Powerade at mile 7 made a HUGE difference for most of us.  Michael set up the video equipment and asked the group to describe today’s run.