As anyone who is a sentient being knows, we’ve had some heat this summer. I am not particularly heat tolerant. I seem to overheat quickly. I remember varsity soccer practice in August when I was in high school and the captains made me rest because my face was lobster red from being hot. For those who read my marathon report, my issue was more over-heating than tired legs. For all my husband swears that during winter I have 2 temperatures – cold and very, very cold – I actually struggle with this extremely warm weather more than with the cold. And yet, I’m proud to say, I haven’t missed a run since I started ecoaching.
I think this is a major benefit of ecoaching for me. It is forcing me to train when I used to have excuses. “How can I possibly email Mr. Galloway that I didn’t follow his plan? Especially when I paid him for his help?” This logic got me out the door last Thursday afternoon when the 6pm temperature at the start if my run was 91F. I took it slowly. I increased my walk interval. But I managed 2 miles in 90 degree heat without harming myself. Did I do the hill repeats on my training schedule. Um, NO! I didn’t want heat exhaustion. But I ran. I trained. I didn’t take a day off.
This weekend’s long run was 8 miles. The forecast for Saturday was a low of 75 and a high of 100. Sunday looked slightly better. I seemed to have picked correctly for 2 reasons. #1 My husband had to take a patient to the OR on Saturday morning so I was “babysitting.” #2 The weather was cooler on Sunday.
The key to warm weather running is to try to take advantage of early morning whenever possible. My Sunday run started at 6:15am when the temperature was 73F. It wasn’t really any warmer by the end of 8 miles. I enjoy the shaded trail along the Bronx River Parkway and dressed in light running clothes. I’ve also started running in a new mesh cap. Which says runDisney on it, of course. (Yes, my love of runDisney events is an expensive disease but one shared by many!)
Today was another day where ecoaching paid off. I email Mr. Galloway on Tuesdays with a training update. He emailed me back quickly and said I did a good job last week. That really boosted me up!!! I left for work at 6:30am and walked in the door at home at 7pm, having spent almost 12 hours on my feet in the OR. I really wanted to skip running. Instead I changed clothes and brought e kids to the basement with me where we watched Camp Rock 2 while I did half mile repeats on the treadmill. Not my fastest run ever but I want to do a good job this week, too!!!
I’m learning that running doesn’t have to stop when the temperatures pick up and that my running can happen if I decide it’s going to happen. Maybe life doesn’t have to get in the way of running. Maybe running is life?