100% humidity

This is really a post for yesterday but I didn't have time to write.

I wanted to wake up and make the Stanhope run. I set the alarm for 3AM hoping I would be back by 7 and my kids wouldn't miss me too much. I woke up, looked at the weather on the computer and it said 100% humidity. ugh. I knew I'd never make it to Stanhope. I went back to bed. I woke up again around 4:30. I went out hoping for a few miles at least. I felt great at 3 miles so I kept going. The miles were flying by like blocks. The minutes were flying by like seconds. I was alone. It was a great feeling! I thought maybe I could do at least 15 miles. I was discouraged that I had only gone 13 miles since the marathon so I really wanted to go a littel farther at least.

A few weeks ago, before Claire got sick I found a training program that had 3-20 mile runs in it. I really wanted to do this to train for Des Moines. With vacation coming up, I wanted to do at least one of the runs before we left. This was my last week and I was having some really yucky runs. I really didn't think it was possible. The humidity was really geting to me!

As I was running, I felt so good. Things were moving along quite well. I kept adding more and more miles. The more I ran the more I realized I could do 20 miles today! I was going to meet Vardotrichic for lunch. It would be awesome to tell her I did 20 today! I was starting to get tired about mile 15. Hmmmm, this was the point I was starting to get tired in the marathon, too. I only needed 5 more miles today. I could do it! I was going to get back into town at 16 miles. I will go home, tell Rachael to get her running clothes on and meet me in the driveway 10 min later. I ran another mile and back to the house as I called another friend to ask if she wanted to go running, too. She did!

OK, I'm at 17 miles, only 3 to go. That's a 5K for Rachael. We ran 1/2 mile to the friend's house and went another 2 miles. The last 1/2 mile was the trip back home. I did it! I ran 20 miles today! I really think I could have done a marathon today! I felt GREAT! It is amazing to have such a great run. It was extremely humid, too.

20 mile run; .2 mile walk; RPE - 4

Tomorrow we start vacation so I may not be running for a couple weeks. yikes!

New discovery

Ok, I don't know if this is really a new discovery or not, but I realized that the humidity affects me more than I thought. I had another bad run this morning so I started reflecting on why I am having these bad runs and looked back to my bad runs this past spring. The one common denominator is humidity! I think it is just worse during the summer because it is paired with heat.

I was going to get up at like 5ish this morning and go out and do a long run, but didn't wake up until 6:30. I should have known I was off to a bad start. Again, like last week, I wasn't physically tired; my legs really felt good. I was just totally exhausted. I think I was a little dehydrated as well, but totally dripping with sweat and couldn't go anymore. I made it like 6 miles, but walked. This is the defeating part of it. I just hope when it starts to cool down again that the runs get better.

6 miles; RPE - 5

BAM!

4:15 the alarm goes off. I think about the new energy I got with an offer to run this morning with someone new. They aren't exactly early risers so I told them I would call them on my way back into town and we'd meet up and run together. We ran about a mile and stopped to walk. That was fine. I kept going and caught up to them later in town.

It was a GREAT run! I felt so good; I wanted to keep going. Boy did I need that! That last run was so devastating! So much so that I wanted to hang up my shoes and quit all together. I have been so down. It was great to have a good run. My legs were strong, I was well-hydrated, I was carb-loaded, I wasn't terribly winded. I was mentally strong. It was just a great run all around. Miles were flying by. I am also getting better about not heel striking. This has been the longest run since the marathon last month.

I have really been wanting someone to consistently run with me. J has been so busy lately that we haven't been able to run. I don't know if she is coincidentally busy or consciously busy. Either way, it's nice to have someone to run with and I haven't had that in about a month so I need to find someone.

12.6 mile run; .1 mile walk; RPE - 3

Defeat

One word for this run: DEFEAT!

Tomorrow we have a big day planned and I knew I would be tired so I thought I would go out running tonight. The winds didn't seem too high so I thought it would be a good run. It's like 84 degrees. I really don't take the heat like I used to, but I think this was more of a mental defeat than a physical defeat.

My goal was 16 miles tonight, but I got a good 4 miles in and had already downed 10 oz of fluids. I decided this week that I was not going to do Des Moines so I think the combination of stress, heat, and no goal, I stopped. :( I am so disappointed. I run to relieve stress and when I couldn't finish the run I was so mentally defeated that stopped at the cemetery and just cried.

4 mile run; 1 mile walk; RPE - 5

fog fog fog

I was going to wake up at 5 and go out and run, but I was just too tired after this long week. I kept telling myself to get up, but my body wouldn't do it. About 6:20 I finally rolled out of bed. Rachael wanted to run with me so I woke her up when I left and told her to meet me at the cemetery. I left and did the south dog loop and then back into town and picked up Rachael.

Overall it was a good run, but I felt really tired through most of it. By the time I got back into town I started to perk up and got a second wind. I was even singing along with the ipod to Rachael; I think she likes that. I thought I was going really slow, but finished in about a 9.30 pace. I think it was a good thing I was slow getting out of bed this morning. It was really foggy out there. Running along the highway would not have been a good thing in all this fog. People are stupid out on the road! It lifted a little in the extra hour and a half I stayed in bed, but it was horrifically humid and wet out there. I was literally dripping when I was done.

I think stress and fatigue of this week are taking a toll on my body. I am eating when I should be sleeping, not running efficiently like I normally do, sleeping more than usual, etc. I am getting the flab back. The scale isn't killing me, but I feel like I'm physically falling apart. This is what got me out of bed this morning. Running is a great stress reliever and I always feel better after a run.

6.5 mile run; .2 mile walk; RPE - 4

This one's for Claire

Claire has been quite sick this week so we took her to the dr and happened to find a cyst on her femur. A typical fall could break her leg. That was all I could think about tonight on my run. I ran because she can't. :( When I got tired, I thought about what she can't do now. We'll take her to Iowa City on Tues. I prayed during the run. I wanted to do a rosary, but lost count so just said a bunch of Our Fathers and Hail Marys.

The first 3 miles I ran with Rachael. She was hurting real bad tonight, but didn't want to give up. She is very determined!! We were coming up on a turn around point so I made her walk a bit and then picked her up on the way back. I think she felt so devastated that she walked so we talked about how that was fine and the important thing is that she finish the race. I felt like I was reliving my early days of running. It's kinda fun to mentor her. After I got home, she really thanked me for encouraging her. Glad to know it helped. I don't want her to get frustrated.

I finished another 7 miles. It was hard, but it's done. I felt like my breathing a heart are strong, but my muscles are still recouping and retraining. I realized it was almost 11:00 at night so I thought I better quit.
The toe/midfoot strike is getting better. I felt like I was regressing a bit tonight, but overall it was good. I got really tired, but I think I am just overall fatigued and not functioning at top level. I am stressed and concerned for Claire. :( I've only been getting like 4-5 hrs sleep/night at best this week.

I'll wait for the outcome of Claire's next appt to decide if I do the Des Moines Marathon or not. Even if I don't do it, I'll still train and run, just for the exercise. I lost what I gained from my rest and am starting to feel better again. It's great to be back running.

10-mile run; .3 mile walk; RPE - 4