Running in Hot Weather

I'm packing for a trip to Colorado where I will leave the 3 digit temperatures of Texas and enter the lovely 2 digits (70s) of the Colorado mountains.  It'll be like going from this:

to this:

Ok, maybe not quite the same... but I plan to be doing quite a bit of running, assuming my body will adjust acceptably to the altitude.  So with the blazing heat going on right now, I thought I'd leave you with an excerpt from Runner's World Coach, Jenny Hadfield:

Run by your effort level rather than your pace. Because your body has to work twice as hard in the heat and humidity to keep itself cool, you'll get in a higher quality long run if you go by how you feel or heart rate than your pace. If you run by your normal pace, you're pushing a higher intensity and risk overheating. Plus, the harder the intensity and duration, the longer it will take to recover. Have patience and faith and slow it down. You'll get in the time on your feet at the right effort and assure an efficient recovery. Keep in mind that the heat requires a lot more from your body.


Keep it cool. Pre-cool your body by sitting in an air conditioned car, house or even taking a cold shower before your long run. It will take your body longer to heat up on the path. Use your gears and add a walking minute every mile or every 5-7 minutes. Ultra runners use walking minutes to maintain their effort on technical, hilly terrain and it is just as effective on the roads in keeping your body core temperature lower. The key for hot long runs is to keep your body core temperature at level orange (not red) and you can easily do so by slowing your pace, sprinkling in regular walking minutes and fueling on the move. When the weather breaks, you can resume continuous running without fault.

Run in circles. Plan your route so you tackle 4-6 miles in a loop (shaded is even better). That way you can set up your own personal aid station with a cooler full of ice water, wet iced towels, and cold fluids. Wear a tech visor or hat and wrist bands and dunk them in the ice water every loop. It is a nice retreat from the heat and will help cool you down along the way.


Protect yourself. Lube up with sunscreen's like SCAPE, which are made custom for endurance athletes, will last all day and won't run into your eyes. SCAPE is also breathable like GORE-TEX and aids in keeping your body core temperature lower.

Safe and happy running y'all!

Upcoming Giveaway and Today's Sweltering 5K

First, coming up in about a week, keep your eyes peeled for a CSNstores.com gift card giveaway.  CSN has just about everything you would want - including Le Creuset, Rachael Ray cookware, Samsonite luggage, and all sorts of other great things.  I really have my eye on this Wok and this Food Dehydrator.

As for today's run... I could've used the pavement, instead of a Wok, to cook me up a nice five-course meal.  I should've stuffed myself with some herbs and used twine to hold my limbs together before going outside.  Today was one of those where Negative Nelly is whispering in your ear the whole time, "You don't want to do this."  "Wait, isn't it taper time?  Do I really need this run?"  "If I collapsed right here, my family would never find me, maybe I should just go home."  So with all that uber-positive internal dialogue, I decided to make this a nice easy 3 mile run,  And, in my defense, running my neighborhood is always slightly more challenging than elsewhere because there actually are hills...  Don't get me wrong, I still live in Texas... so some of you would consider these ant mounds, but they take the breath out of me.  I'm a hill wimp. 

I got through it anyhow, and right towards the end, I saw something I'd never seen before running in my neighborhood or the two adjacent neighborhoods... was it a halucination?  a mirage?  It was ANOTHER RUNNER.  Shocking, I know.  But I have honestly never seen another runner in any of the 3 neighborhoods.  I see other runners when I go to trails or parks or whatever, but never ever here.  Maybe this is a trend and with all the new houses going in behind us, perhaps someday, somehow, the perfect running partner will just appear - slow but determined.  A girl can dream, right?

On a side note, I'm leaving in a couple days for Pagosa Springs, Colorado.  Does anyone have any advice about my running and adjusting to the altitude???

Another GU-od Giveaway from another Running Blogger

I know you love my cheesy joke!  But "Run, Courtney, Run" is having a great giveaway of GU products.  I think this is the perfect giveaway cause it's a wide sampling of GU products, so you can find what works best for you.  You can find the giveaway on Courtney's blog, HERE.  So go over there, show Courtney some love, and enter the giveaway!

Pushing Through a Looooooong Treadmill Run

For the last two days, I've had some muscle tightness and soreness.  It's kept me from really pushing my runs.  But I absolutely wanted to get in another long run before I leave town for a week since I have a half marathon less than a week after I get back.  Today, I hit the gym with a little more than my usual water and towel.  I brought along these long run favorites:

I had a nice protein granola bar for breakfast, had a little bit of water, and headed on my way.  My good friend, Sarah, agreed to meet me there at 9:30am... which means I got there at 8:45am.  I knew I wanted to get in a long run, and I figured I'd need the inspiration more towards the end than at the beginning.  I started with the vanilla GU and then got going.  It was actually a very calm, relaxed, uneventful run.  It has been awhile since I felt that good on a run (just disappointing I was inside a gym going nowhere instead of on the road watching nature).  Sarah got there right on time, about 4 miles into my run.  It was a great time to have a little company.  I had the chocolate GU and kept trucking.  Sarah kept me company until about mile 8.  Not long after she left, the treadmill timed out (one of the issues with being a slower runner... the treadmill only goes for 99 minutes).  I quickly turned it off and reset it and completed the last little bit.  I was even able to push out a nice sprint for the last quarter mile.  Total mileage was 10.5.  Quarter mile warm-up, 10 miles at 11 min/mile, and a quarter mile cool down.  I felt great!  I haven't had a long run where I truly felt good in quite awhile.  Of course, I rarely do long runs indoors on a treadmill.

I'm feeling a little sore now, but I'm going to get in another warm-up and stretch, and then I plan to get nice and comfy with... The Stick!

On a side note, a big shout-out to my sister-in-law, Angelia, who is on week 4 of Couch-to-5k, who conquered a full 2 miles the other day.  That is no small feat, as all of us know.  The first time I went further than a mile without walking, I thought I was going to hyperventilate!

Splitting Long Runs

The title of my blog, "Racing It Off", doesn't only refer to a pound here and there, or that giant slice of cake I ate, but it also refers to stress.  When I am running and pushing my limits physically, the rest of the day seems to go more smoothly.  I naturally become less stressed about things, and feeling optimistic.  Today, I didn't work out, and I felt the stress, and now I wish I had pushed through at least a few miles.  But I do already have a gym date set for tomorrow, so the treadmill and I will be seeing each other very soon.

And, yes, for the record... this is exactly what I look like on the treadmill.  Happy, carefree, no sweat, and perfect abs.  Right?

But today, I have an article I'd like to share from Active.com.  It's all about whether or not slower runners, like Mrs. Tortoise over here, should split long runs.  This article really focuses on full marathons, which I am 19 weeks away from.  For the half marathons I've done, I felt the long runs were crucial.  The one race that I skipped some of my long runs for, I struggled the whole way.  Anyhow, this is an interesting article, and I'm wondering how others feel about it.  Frankly, I doubt I'll split my runs unless I just can't get it done, timewise.  (It's a rather long article, so here are some excerpts, but you can click the link to get to the whole article.)

Should You Split Your Long Run?

By Patrick McCrann


The long run is a critical component of any marathon training plan, as it's where you build the endurance and experience that will help you on race day. Distances vary, but most marathon plans will have long runs that peak out somewhere between 18 and 22 miles.


Athletes who run 10 minute miles or slower will be running anywhere from three to five hours! It's no coincidence that so many middle of the pack runners suffer overuse injuries. After all, they consistently run one-and-a-half to two times longer than their faster counterparts.


In other words, no one single run is what prepares you for your race. It is the effect of training your body over weeks and months — and the ability to focus that fitness on the big day with your race execution — that will give you the results you seek. Your can reap the benefits of a 45 mile run week by splitting that long 20 miler into two efforts without suffering the consequences of putting 50 percent of your weekly mileage into one session and overwhelming your body.
...
The longer you run over the 2.5 hour mark, the risk of getting injured and/or over-trained is significantly increased. Yet you aren't gaining any additional fitness that couldn't be achieved in shorter runs with better technique. In other words that costs of running longer significantly outweigh any potential benefits.


Aside from the increased risks, it's important to note that once you have hit the two hour mark on a long run, your body is pretty much functioning a total marathon capacity. You are fueling up as your glycogen stores are dwindling and you are hydrating to offset water loss. Nothing else magical happens to you after your body has reached this point other than needing the mental strength to continue on to the finish line.
...
You can't overestimate the importance of showing up to the marathon starting line 100 percent physically and mentally ready to race. Middle of the pack runners are plagued with over-use injuries because they spend significantly more time running than their swifter counterparts (since they follow the same training plans!). Running 2 hours longer than a 3.5 hour marathon finisher is already hard enough; doing it with cortisone shots in your hip, knee, calf, and/or foot doesn't make it any more bearable. A healthy runner is a happy runner.
...
I really hope this advice helps you make running a fun and reasonable part of your fit lifestyle. Training for a marathon is a massive undertaking, and it's important to remember that while we all seek the same finish line, nothing says we all have to train the same way to reach it.

So?  What do you think?

Walkin' It Out

I really wanted to do a 10 mile long run yesterday, but my muscles are tight and sore.  I probably could've slugged through 10 miles and been miserable, but I did something new... I just walked a brisk 3 miles.  Got my muscles nice and warmed up, and then took a long stretch.  My muscles still feel tight and sore, and I'm not certain why, but I am certain that now is not the time for overuse injuries, so I'm going to treat every twitch and pain with care.  I plan to take today off except for a warm-up and another stretch (and maybe an ab session in my living room).  Wednesday WILL be the 10 mile day.  Whether I run it, walk it, or crawl it.

Last night, I actually got out of the house with a friend who is getting ready to head out of town and start a new adventure in life.  Eve and I met in metalsmithing class a few years ago, only to find out we lived just a couple miles from one another.  (If you want to see my jewels, you can go here.) 

Our first stop last night was Asian Mint. 

Where we had some of this:

Followed by this:

Which may just look so-so, but it was positively divine.  It might have been one of my favorite desserts of all time.  It was dense, moist spice cake layered with green tea ice cream, and a topped layer of whipped cream.   Not too sweet, not too rich, no bold flavors, just simple and pleasant and completely yummylicious.  Totally worth running for!!!

After a full dinner, we caught a movie... something I haven't done without children in a very very long time.

I wish I could unload stress like this everyday.  It was a calm, relaxing, entertaining evening with good company.  I didn't have to "race off" the stress yesterday... but I'll be back to running that stress (and dinner) off here really soon!!!

Run to Eat or Eat to Run

Do you run to eat or eat to run?  I admit to doing a lot of the first and not enough of the second.  I mean who doesn't like to reward a good half marathon with a giant bacon cheeseburger or a huge platter of Mexican food?

You just burned 1500+ calories, so why not?  And I agree... why not?  At least after a race... but if I reward myself like that on every run, then eventually I'm going to regret it!  I run to get healthy and stay healthy, so I really should be thinking more carefully about my food choices.  I don't care how far you run, if you're shovin' yourself full of fast food and processed junk, you're not going to be healthy.  I also want to set a good and healthy example for my kids.

I'm an average gal, and as much as I'd love to cut out all processed foods, until I have my own farm and a personal chef, I just don't see that in the time clock or the budget.  I would, however, like to minimize processed foods, and I'd like to get pretty close to eliminating restaurant food as well (besides, it should be nice on the budget).  For the record, though, I really don't eat out that much... maybe once or twice a week at most.

The main bonus of being a runner is that carbs are fuel.  All those pastas and breads that your diet books told you not to eat... well, you need them to have good performance running.  (Now, I don't claim to be a nutritionist, although I wish I were... so get out your salt shakers when I start talking about this stuff...)  Especially in distance running, carbs are your friend.  Really, can the news get much better than that?

Other than the carbs, nothing about a runner's diet should be striking. 

I like this article from the October 2009 issue of Runner's World, by Mark Bittman:

THE RUNNER'S PANTRY LIST

Grains

You can't have too many varieties. I think quinoa (keen-wa) is the grain of the future--great-tasting and easy to cook. Bulgur cooks in a flash and is delicious for breakfast; oats are a staple; a few kinds of rice add flexibility. Pasta is a grain, but it's highly processed, so reserve it for treats.

Beans

Buy an assortment of dried and canned. If you can find frozen beans, grab 'em. Use beans for snacks, sides, as a base for meals. High in carbs and protein, low in fat, cheap, and versatile, beans are a cornerstone of the modern kitchen.

Olive Oil

Extra-virgin is preferable, easy to find, and much less expensive than it used to be. Use it for everything. Don't worry about country of origin; producers ship bulk oil everywhere, so labeling isn't worth much. If it tastes good, and costs around $10 a liter, use it. You may also want peanut, grapeseed, canola, or corn; look for cold-pressed--not chemically extracted. And it doesn't hurt to have some butter once in a while, either.

Long-Keeping Vegetables and Fruits

Carrots, celery, lemons, and limes keep at least a week. Potatoes (white and sweet), onions, garlic, and dried chiles keep even longer. Frozen vegetables like spinach, peas, and corn keep more or less forever.

Fresh Herbs

You can't have them all, but buy one every week or so to add spirit to your cooking. Cilantro and mint are easy to find; in the summer basil, dill, and rosemary are abundant. Even parsley--so often taken for granted--can make a huge difference when chopped and added in real quantity to salads, grains dishes, and sauces.

Spices

Buy the ones you like; they keep at least a year. Fanatics buy whole spices, and toast and grind them as they need them, and this really is ideal, but in general preground spices are fine.

Vinegar

Sherry vinegar is the most versatile and best for the money; balsamic is popular and sweeter. Good cider, rice, and wine vinegars, are also fine standbys.

Soy Sauce

Look for brands (such as Kikkoman) that contain only soy, wheat, salt, water, and bacteria; that's how real soy sauce is made, and it's great stuff.

Parmesan

From Italy, please. It's the easiest way to add complex flavor to pasta and rice dishes, and much more.

Dried Fruit and Nuts

There's nothing better for snacking, and they're useful for cooking. Store nuts in the freezer (they keep longer). Don't forget about nut butters.

Eggs

Fast, inexpensive, and protein-packed.

Bacon

Store it in the freezer and use it for beans, grains, and vegetable dishes. An ounce or two goes a long way.

Canned Tomatoes

Indispensable. Wonderful for sauce, but you can add them to any soup or stew you like. Prechopped tomatoes make life a little easier.

Sweeteners

Sugar is fine in moderation, but maple syrup and honey are far more flavorful.

Dried Mushrooms

Especially porcini and shiitakes. Soak them in hot water until soft, then add them to anything.

Mmmmmmm.... Carbs, carbs, protein, and carbs.  I have to admit I will definitely be skipping the last item on this list... I cannot stand mushrooms (or olives or raisons).  I've gotten over a lot of the things I didn't like as a kid, but I just can't seem to get over those.  I need to get better about the beans and herbs.  I love rice, and usually have plenty of fruits and veggies on hand (since I'm in a veggie co-op), and I think soy sauce is a great thing for seasoning... The thing I wish I could give up is the extreme amount of processed sugars I eat.  OK, I just love anything with sugar.  I am a sweet tooth.  Remember this:

Yeah, well, that scene actually looks good to me.  See, I have a serious sugar problem.  The other thing I cannot get enough of is steak.  Yes, I know it's high fat, but I'll gladly use my iron-deficiency as the reason I crave it.  Yum.  I probably eat too much protein altogether...

Some other food items that many runners agree are staples:  bananas, peanut butter (or almond butter), smoothies (with lots of antioxident-rich berries), Greek yogurt, and yes, dark chocolate (in moderation, of course - or at least that's what they say).

With so many yummy choices out there for runner's, it seems that if I'd just keep my pantry stocked with the right stuff, I'd have plenty of choices for snacks that don't involve twizzlers and Swedish fish.  If only...  baby steps...

I'm still looking for a good Runner-oriented, healthy cookbook... I'll let you know when I find one that's worthy or actually purchasing!

5.5 miles with the Rockwall Running Center

First, Happy 8th Birthday to my oldest child, Patrick!!!  It was a good day for him.  A couple gifts in the morning (including this uber-cool space shuttle lego set), a visit from Grandmommy and Deece for lunch, a shopping trip to the Super Target to spend some birthday money (where he picked up a new Nikon Coolpix camera, that I will definitely be borrowing), and then getting to stay up a little later than his sisters so he could finish his Space Shuttle!

My morning started out a little earlier though.  I got an invite from the owner of the Rockwall Running Center for a Saturday morning Social Run.  Nevermind that at 6am on a weekend, I'm not feeling very social.  I went for it anyhow.  Which means I was up at 5:15am and in the car by 5:30am.  The total group was about 10 people.  After a short greeting and stretch, we took off. 

The run was from the Running Center to the Rockwall bridge on 66, across the 2 mile bridge to Rowlett, then turn around and come back.  Total distance was 5.5 miles (and you all KNOW how badly that decimal point is bothering me right now... which means on Monday, I will be logging something + 0.5 miles).  The group started off pretty fast.  I quickly fell to the rear (which I really don't mind), but I still noticed on my Garmin that I was pushing 9:30 miles... which is about my 5K PR pace.  I knew I couldn't keep that up for 5+ miles.  I have talked about the Rockwall bridge before... it is NOT my favorite place to run... in fact, I'm fairly certain I don't like it at all... staring at that straight 2 mile bridge where it seems the shoreline never gets closer is intensely demotivating.  I pulled it back a little, but I was still pushing it, especially considering it was ridiculously humid and the temp was in the high 70s or low 80s.  Still pretty hot to be chugging along.  I still pushed hard anyhow, and managed to keep the pace for about 3.5 miles, but I really slugged through the last 2, especially that one hill that happens to be at the very end of the run to get back to the store.  I know I have nothing to complain about with regards to hills in Texas, but I was tired and sluggish, and for that hill to be there was just not nice!  But I finished, which is my small victory for the day, and I'll take it!

I celebrated with a big juicy hamburger, some sweet potato fries, and fresh corn on the cob followed by homemade birthday cake (from my mother-in-law).  Yum!!! 

Now I have to figure out which day to get my long run in early next week since I skipped my 10 mile planned run so that I could attend this event.

Another Giveaway on a Fellow Run-BLOG

We all like giveaways, right???  Well, fellow runner and blogger of "I Run, You Run" is giving away a $50 gift card to CSN (giveaway is Monday, so hurry, hurry!!!).  Want to go directly to the giveaway, CLICK HERE.  Good luck!

Running Tuneless

I have never run with music.  That's right... I bask in silence while I run.  I enjoy the fact that my 3 children are not pulling at my legs, housework isn't beckoning, and it's not time to fix a meal for someone.  It is MY time.  I enjoy the silence and even the crazy randomness that runs through my head while I run.  Yes, I am a chatty-type while I run if someone is willing to talk, and I will trade silence for adult conversation, but typically it's just me and the road or the treadmill.

Today was the treadmill again.  I had really wanted to get in a long run today, but I remembered that the childcare at the gym closes at noon, and it was already almost 11am.  My last 2 runs were 4 miles long, so at the very least I wanted to up that to 6 miles... but I was down to an hour, and at most on the treadmill, I run 11 min/mile (~5.5mph).  So I made a decision... I didn't care how groggy I was feeling today, I was going to ramp it up to 6.0mph and see if I could stick it out.  Just me and the treadmill... all that effort to stay in the same place.  I psyched myself up and hopped on.

So here I am in silence, and the random thoughts begin...

0.25 miles in...
I'm feeling warmed up.  It was definitely a good idea to grab a quick snack before this run.  I had a sample Clif Mojo bar (these things are salty, but seriously good... run out and TRY ONE).

I had the peanut butter pretzel version, and though I normally don't like peanut butter in anything (although I do like peanut butter), I absolutely loved this.  I do wish Clif would sell the sample size ones, though, they make for a perfect quick snack before a workout.

1.0 miles in...

(yes, the first mile went by pretty fast)

Elaine is behind me on the elliptical.  Elaine rocks, you should check out her BLOG.  She has also started a group called Team Fit Plus (check them out on facebook).  It's a support group for plus-size folks who are on a path to fitness.  Elaine can outrun 99% of the people I know, so she knows what she's talking about.

2.0 miles in...

(another quick mile without too much of a wandering mind)

I see this guy downstairs that resembles Ryan Reynolds.  Well, if he had a haircut and different shorts.  Of course, if it had really been Ryan Reynolds, I almost certainly would've fallen off the back of the treadmill like a high school groupie.

Yes, I put his picture in here larger than I place most pictures, because... well... um... because I wanted to... so there.

Back to the shorts... the guy was wearing these shorts that he definitely purchased in 1982.  Really... remember these prints:

Which then led me to think about the new Nike Tempo Shorts that I saw online this morning.  I love Nike Tempo shorts.  Best running shorts ever... well, if you buy them a size up, because I prefer to keep my hiney cheeks private.  Anyhow, while looking at the Nike site this morning, I noticed their new Old Skool line.

3.0 miles in...
By this point, I am chanting to myself... "You're halfway there, Lesley.  You're still feeling good."

3.02 miles in...
I'm into the second half, how far have I gone?  Seriously???  Only 0.02.  Sheesh.

3.25 miles in...
Hmmmm, there are actually people at the "snack" counter down there.  I wonder how expensive it is.  I've never seen anyone actually purchase a smoothie or anything from there.  I'd like to try one, but I never even bring my purse into the gym.

Check the watch... yep, 30 minutes until the childcare area closes.

3.5 miles in...
At this point it's all downhill... counting every 0.1 mile off, focusing on keeping my breathing in check, making sure I'm not feeling pain anywhere that I shouldn't, etc.

3.75 miles in...
I am hungry.  McAlister's is right across the street... Yes, I think I need McAlister's.  Besides, they have nice 500 calorie meal options.  Surely I earned a 500 calorie meal.  Oh wait, I want some sweet tea.  (If you haven't had it, McAlister's Deli makes the best sweet tea EVER.)  There's another 200 calories.  I better finish out this burn.

It is worth every delicious calorie.  I do not usually give up calories for drinks, but I will for this tea.

4.75 miles in...

The announcement comes over the loud speaker - "Attention Parents - 15 minutes until Kid's Club closes."  Fifteen minutes... I've got this... I just need to make it to 5.0 (mentally), and I know I can squeeze out that last mile.  Counting, counting, counting... 4.80, 4.85, 4.90, 4.95, 5.00.  Shew, I'm there.

5.0 miles in...

Last mile.  I can somehow always squeak through one more mile.  Mentally, it's the end game.  This is easy.  I have never gone more than 3 miles at this pace, and I'm already way past that... OK, I need a little time to walk to cool down.  I want to keep my pace though... sooo... if I run the next half mile at 6.0, then sprint a quarter of a mile at 8.0, then I can briskly walk the last quarter mile at 4.0 and still come in right at 60 minutes, but be slightly cooled down since I'll have to get the children right away.  And that's exactly what I did... the last mile flew by... and I completed it.

6.0 miles and 6.0 mph.  Proud of myself!

And now you know how the mind wanders during a tuneless run!!!

Run a 5K

Do you want to run your first 5K?  Have you already run one or two, but want to do another?  I don't run many 5Ks, but I do have one on the schedule this year... Mellew's Vineyard Run 5K in Grapevine, TX.  It's an out and back course on the streets near Delaney Vineyards on October 2nd.  The event is only $20 through Sept. 4th and includes a T-shirt, Wine Tasting, and Music.  Really, what could be better?  Please consider joining me. 

Haven't started running yet, but want to?  No worries... you can go from couch to 5k in the 9 weeks between now and the race (and the program is free).  You can even download a C25K app for your iPhone or Android. 

Just Checking the Box

Some runs are eventful.  Some are new distances.  Some are better times.  And some runs are simply done to check the box that yes, I ran today, and yes, I trained as I should.  With 19 1/2 weeks and counting until my first full marathon, even the shorter, uneventful runs count in keeping you in shape and moving.  And I have to remind myself that it is ok to have those days.

So there were my trusty Asic Gel Nimbus 12s with 238 miles on them, and they were aching to go up to 244.

So, I line up a couple of awesome buddies to keep me company, Amie and Sarah, and head out to the gym.  Heading to the gym doesn't require a lot for me, just two items...  a full bottle of water and a towel.  I wasn't planning any monumental moments today, so that's all I needed.

My kids were happily playing here:

While I managed to wimp through only 4 miles.  I wanted to hit 5 or 6 today, but my legs were aching a little and feeling slightly wobbly so I decided to do another easy day, and get in the middle length run on Thursday or maybe Friday.  Injury is absolutely not an option for the next 19 1/2 weeks.

And to top off the workout, I went home and couldn't resist some leftover cupcakes from my son's 8th birthday party.  Really, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have to run so much if I didn't always succumb to the temptation of yummylicious food.  Yes, I had 2 of them... probably every single calorie I burned in just one of those!!!

Another Day, Another Dreadmill...

Yes, I call it a dreadmill, because I always dread it... but my treadmill has served it's purpose for a lot of miles.  I'm fairly certain it needs to be calibrated, unless something about running at home creates natural lead in my feet and bricks in my pants.  Pretty sure that's not the case, and I'll just live with the fact that it tells me I'm running really slowly... and hope that it means I'm putting in even more miles than I think, mentally.  Bad that I'm not getting to log them, but good that somehow I convince myself that it's only 4 miles, so it shouldn't be a problem.

So today I got up on the treadmill and switched on my treadmill entertainment...

I love House.  It's a fascinating show to me, despite the fact that miraculously every cure happens to work within just an hour or two.  Major diseases can be cured overnight.  It's still entertaining, and makes for a perfect 4 mile per episode length. 

So today I set my sights on 4 miles.  A nice easy recovery run after Sunday's 15K.  Wait, I think you need to take a look at the excitement on my face:

Yeah, I know, I look thrilled to be starting this workout.  Did I mention that I'm no longer turning on my power fan when I work out?  I want my body to get at least a little used to the heat since my next event is a half marathon in mid-August in Texas heat.  Yes, I plan to have my sanity checked... anyhow, back to the workout.

My motivation was low, and I had just read an article about how high intensity is a better calorie burn, and I could hear all that yada yada yada yada in my head from all the really cool runners who tell you about doing sprints, so I decided to go for it.  I took on a slow warm-up jog and then alternated sprint-walk-jog-sprint-walk-jog.  For a grand total of 4.5 miles.

I know what you're thinking... why 4.5 miles?  Why not 4, like you intended?  Or just go for 5?  Well, this is where my mathematical mind with ridiculous obsessions come into play.  Remember I ran that 15k Sunday... well, my Garmin measured 9.5 miles (vs the 9.3), so I had a wacky 9.5 on my training log.  I cannot stand having decimal points in my training log, so I had to even the total mileage back out to an integer, thus the 4.5 mile run.  Are you still with me?  Are you snoring?  Do you realize how utterly ridiculous that is?  Regardless, that's what I did.

All in all, a very hot, sweaty workout that left me feeling like I did my part for the day.

Amazing Giveaway...

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Too Hot to Handle 15K

The Too Hot to Handle 15K lived up to it's name this year. Temps started around 85 degrees, and I'm guessing it was over 90 degrees by time I crossed the finish line in a very slow 1:53. But hey, who's counting? My goal is always to finish. If I happen to PR, then that just makes for a brighter day. Fortunately, this is my only 15K run, so you guessed it, I will be claiming that I PR'd at this race. I take my small victories where I can get them!

My good friend, Elaine, picked me up just before 6:30. I was already feeling "off". I couldn't even finish my normal pre-race meal of a chocolate chip and oat Clif Bar. But I hopped in the car and we were off. We arrived with plenty of time, so we checked out the tents. There were lots of goodies and samples - bananas from Jason's Deli, watermelon, tons of Clif bar samples, Muscle Milk, and some other things. I particularly enjoyed sampling Clif Bar's MOJO bar. It's more like a trail mix. It's very salty, but was quite tasty. I'll be getting a few of these for my running box.

Then to one of only 2 real downfalls to the race... potentially the worst bathroom line I have ever waited in ever... it took us 25 minutes to get through it. If the race had started on time, we would've missed the start (which really doesn't matter since they are doing chip timing, it's not like I race at the front of the pack anyhow).

Almost as soon as we left the line of folks needing to empty their gut, pre-race (niiiiiice, I know), they announced the race was delayed 15 minutes. Now, I know you're probably thinking, hey, what's 15 minutes... well in mid-July in Texas... 15 minutes can mean 2-5 degrees more of heat during the race. But we edged our way to the middle of the crowd and waited for the start (which was a tad narrow).

Then I was off... watching my pace, because I already know that I am sluggish in the heat, and my goal for this race was just to not let my body give out in this heat. The 5K runners broke off to another course pretty early in the race, and that thinned the field really quickly. I never really felt crowded on the course once we passed that point. It was lovely to have occassional overhead sprinklers. It was slightly annoying to have bikers whizzing by at 20mph (some who were quite rude and yelling at runners to get over NOW - yes, I get that they are still allowed to ride around the lake, but clearly we're in a race, and the other 2/3 of the lake isn't touched by the race course, so a little patience goes a long way especially with people who might be new to racing).

About 3 miles into the run, I was actually feeling quite good, and was happy to see a familiar face, Libby, on the sidelines cheering people on. Libby grabbed this photo as I passed her...

The race was pretty typical at this point... feeling fine, but general thoughts of "ok, this hurts", or "gee, I'm thirsty", or "hmmm, I hope I can make it to the finish line before I have to pee." (One of the downfalls of hot runs where you overhydrate to make sure you don't have other issues.) This was an out and back course, so I hit the turn around feeling good and started heading back (and immediately ate a chocolate GU since I was feeling hungry). There weren't a lot of people heading the other direction after I turned around, but I'm ok with being in the back-of-the-pack. I'm just here trying to stay fit and happy. I continued to feel good until about mile 6, when I was starting to feel slightly sluggish, but knew I could push through another 5K.
I continued on and got to see Libby again who was still hanging out and cheering her friends on. Thanks again Libby for being an amazing support to runners! As you can see in this photo, the lady next to

me is walking... she was next to me almost the entire run. She was a run-walker and she'd pass me when she ran, and I'd pass her when she took her walk breaks. It went back and forth like that the entire race.
At mile 7, the heat was getting to be unbearable, I needed to "release" some fluids (to put it nicely), and the water stations couldn't come fast enough. When I hit the water stop at mile 7.5, my legs didn't want to start again, but I managed to push through it. The next stop was at 8.1 miles. I slowed down to sip the water and the revved the engine again, but it just wouldn't start. I slugged through until about 8.7 and literally tuckered out the last half mile or so. My body just ached to walk. Knowing what the heat can do, I listened... and I let myself walk the next half mile... until at the very last tenth of a mile, an older gentleman came up beside me and said "I'll run in with you, let's go." ... and I found that last bit of energy and ran it in. I honestly don't know if that guy was finishing too, or if he had already finished and had come back to cheer others on and decided to run in with me... whichever... THANK YOU, whoever you are!

I finished at 1:53. My garmin claimed 9.5 miles. I was just happy I finished and wasn't in pain. I headed straight for the restroom. ;-) And then the only other thing I didn't like about this race, was having to walk into the vendor area and wait in line for a cup of water. It was so stinkin' hot, that I was hoping they could at least have 1 bottle of water per runner out at the finish.

Afterwards, we went back through the vendors... watermelon, more Clif bar samples, pizza, Elaine and I both skipped the beer. My eyes were stinging from sweat rolling into them. We walked up near the stage area for the ultra cool prize drawings, and I managed to scoop up some awesome vitamins and a free personal boxing session at the Cooper Fitness Center. I hope I can find the time to use it up!

All in all, a hot and exhausting, but well-done race... and yes, I will be back next year.

When I got back home, I headed for the shower and felt ridiculous stinging on my back. I hopped out and grabbed a mirror and notice 4 abrasions where the tag that was in my Nike Tempo shorts had chaffed me. Now, in defense of Nike Tempo shorts, which I could live in daily if I could afford more pairs, they are, generally, tagless. These were a special "team" version (University of Virginia) and they did have a traditional tag. But they won't have the traditional tag next time I wear them!!!
After a nice shower and some relaxation time, I went to log my run in on my spreadsheet and realized that it was exactly 20 weeks to countdown to my first marathon. The real training starts NOW... and this was just the beginning!

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Nada... rest day... I earned it.