Saturday night I was already dreading the 9 mile run planned for Sunday morning. I knew a 4am wake-up was inevitable – it was simply going to be a miserably hot 9 miles, as Saturday boasted 118 degrees and a record for July 2nd in Phoenix.
The alarm went off on Sunday morning at 4am and I reluctantly got myself out of bed. The coffee was ready – so I poured a cup over ice and read the news before sticking my head outside to feel what was to be my fate. I had already read that it was 92 degrees in Phoenix, so I knew what was in front of me. So, the day before I had planned two routes – one took me down 48th Street and into Chandler over the I10 and back through a smidge of Tempe to my house; the other, took me 2.5 miles to my gym, with 5 miles on the treadmill and another 1.6 miles home. I am trying hard to acclimate to the heat, but I needed to make sure I was going to be safe in the heat, too. Only my body would tell me.
I filled my small, running Camelbak with 1.5 liters of water, my cell phone and gym membership card (just in case). As I stepped foot outside, the heat hit me like an open oven after baking for 5 hours. It was just gross. I had resolved that I needed to be slower in these temps.
I started out at a 10:15 pace hoping I would hang in strong. And, I did. I passed the 2.5 mile turn to the gym and continued through Ahwatukee to Chandler Blvd where I headed over the I10. I was feeling just fine. The heat was evident, but at a 10 minute pace, I felt just fine. I continued to mile 5.5 and decided to take a one minute water-walk break. The water was refreshing (although it was body temperature at this point). I figured I would finish the remaining 3.5 miles with 10 minutes of running, one minute of water-walk breaks. But, I felt good through mile 7.3 before I took more water. This time I found myself very thirsty so I took several more ounces and needed to make sure to walk another minute so that I wouldn’t get a side cramp. Ordinarily I can take 2-3 ounces and be fine after a few seconds, but I needed 6 or more and therefore allowed myself a slightly longer. I was off again and feeling good for another ten minutes and was less than a mile from the house when I began to really feel crappy. I took a smidge of water as I approached the I10 overpass and pushed myself over the hill and down to my street. 9.25 miles in 1 hour 39 minutes – 6 minutes slower than I intend to be during the marathon.
Training is going to be hard, but I realized I can push through the long runs outside with enough water and mental conviction. Next week I drop back to an 8 mile run, and I intend to pull through the entire thing without a trip to the gym mid-way through.
I admit, I am proud of yesterday’s effort. The heat continues to worry me, but I realized there are a number of athletes on the road with me at 4 and 5am, so I am in good company. Bikers and runners alike – we nod, smile and occasionally cackle at our passions. Many would call us crazy, but I was up again this morning at 5am for a run with my friend, Kris. We both admitted that after a good dose of sweat-build-up, we felt cooler than when we’d started. Tomorrow, I rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment