An open letter to Mother Nature.
Dear Mother Nature,
You suck.
Love always,
Barbara.
Because of Mother Nature's behavior as of late, this morning's 12-miler was UGLY. Absolutely, positively horrendous. Sauna-esque. Toasty. Blistering. Boiling. Scorcher of a doozy. Searing. Stifling 91-degrees. Schweddier than Pete's Schweddy balls. Humid. Sweltering sunshine. Sticky. Stale air. Dizzy-inducing. Steamy. Ice-melting. Hotter than hell. Miserable run.
I was done before I even started. See...I've learned that what you do on THURSDAY night will inevitably affect your run 2 days later. While it was brilliant at the time, drinking 3 bottles of pinot grigio with Mike and our friend Terri was a really stupid idea. Friday was "nurse your hangover" day...leaving me weak, head-achey and dehydrated all day long. You know...the previous pre-run 24 hours you're supposed to devote to consuming water and sodium and all of the fixins. Yah...I really boycotted all that. Whoops.
This morning's run started out okay but miles 2 and 3 went downhill very quickly. I started telling myself that I'd just do 6. When I met up with the coaches, Coach Joe had me pour water over my head. Oh man did it feel so good!!! The next six miles went fairly well...a lot less walking (less being the key word)...and every once in a while, when us runners got lucky, a nice little breeze would trickle on through. Then I thought, oh I'll round up and do 9. But I sucked it up, braved the blazing heat and continued on for the full distance. The final 3 miles were awful. The sun was beating down (and of course I didn't have my sunglasses)...my piriformis was bothering me and I was getting a tinge of pain in my right hip. I'll just leave it at the fact there was minimal running the last quarter of the distance. I just couldn't get my head into the game today. I couldn't hold a complete thought. And I couldn't push myself like I wanted to.
Ugh...it was just so hot, I easily consumed more than 60 ounces of water on the run...and didn't pee a lick of it out. Gross...but true (stop squeaming...you guys have told worse stories!!). So a bagel sandwich, an ice bath and a shower later...I'm just now starting to feel human again.
And if it's this flipping hot on August 13th...I'm going to seriously have to re-evaluate my goal with the Chicago Distance Classic. I'm hoping that today will be this training season's worst run weather-wise. I just can't deal with this awful, horrid weather.
As a result of the heat, the hangover, the hunger and the humidity, I was at a 14:40 pace (total time included water stops, conversations with coaches and a potty break). All together now...BOO!!!!!!!!
But in the meantime, I'd like to send a great big four-letter word to Mother Nature. I cannot wait for September to get here and things will start cooling off.
You suck.
Love always,
Barbara.
Because of Mother Nature's behavior as of late, this morning's 12-miler was UGLY. Absolutely, positively horrendous. Sauna-esque. Toasty. Blistering. Boiling. Scorcher of a doozy. Searing. Stifling 91-degrees. Schweddier than Pete's Schweddy balls. Humid. Sweltering sunshine. Sticky. Stale air. Dizzy-inducing. Steamy. Ice-melting. Hotter than hell. Miserable run.
I was done before I even started. See...I've learned that what you do on THURSDAY night will inevitably affect your run 2 days later. While it was brilliant at the time, drinking 3 bottles of pinot grigio with Mike and our friend Terri was a really stupid idea. Friday was "nurse your hangover" day...leaving me weak, head-achey and dehydrated all day long. You know...the previous pre-run 24 hours you're supposed to devote to consuming water and sodium and all of the fixins. Yah...I really boycotted all that. Whoops.
This morning's run started out okay but miles 2 and 3 went downhill very quickly. I started telling myself that I'd just do 6. When I met up with the coaches, Coach Joe had me pour water over my head. Oh man did it feel so good!!! The next six miles went fairly well...a lot less walking (less being the key word)...and every once in a while, when us runners got lucky, a nice little breeze would trickle on through. Then I thought, oh I'll round up and do 9. But I sucked it up, braved the blazing heat and continued on for the full distance. The final 3 miles were awful. The sun was beating down (and of course I didn't have my sunglasses)...my piriformis was bothering me and I was getting a tinge of pain in my right hip. I'll just leave it at the fact there was minimal running the last quarter of the distance. I just couldn't get my head into the game today. I couldn't hold a complete thought. And I couldn't push myself like I wanted to.
Ugh...it was just so hot, I easily consumed more than 60 ounces of water on the run...and didn't pee a lick of it out. Gross...but true (stop squeaming...you guys have told worse stories!!). So a bagel sandwich, an ice bath and a shower later...I'm just now starting to feel human again.
And if it's this flipping hot on August 13th...I'm going to seriously have to re-evaluate my goal with the Chicago Distance Classic. I'm hoping that today will be this training season's worst run weather-wise. I just can't deal with this awful, horrid weather.
As a result of the heat, the hangover, the hunger and the humidity, I was at a 14:40 pace (total time included water stops, conversations with coaches and a potty break). All together now...BOO!!!!!!!!
But in the meantime, I'd like to send a great big four-letter word to Mother Nature. I cannot wait for September to get here and things will start cooling off.
posted by Iron Jayhawk at 11:52 AM
19 Camper Comments:
I agree!! I'm starting to think the Dec-Jan-Feb marathons are the way to go!!
Great job on sticking with it!
Barb, Why did we did not have to deal with the heat crap when we trained for P.F. Chang's? UGH! I hate the heat...BIG time!
So, you are saying it was a tad warm? Send my best to mother nature too...way to go finishing the run -- it's not easy in this heat.
Yah...yesterday was ugly. Hang in there. Although it doesn't seem like a positive, a run like that under your belt will help you down the stretch. You're body will feel even stronger at the CDC even if it's 10ยบ cooler.
Oh, and still waiting for FlatTop pics :)
I was on the same 12-mile course at the same time and can attest that it was a total mf-er. Horrible, almost unbearable humidity and heat. My fingers were like sausages and my feet swelled like never before. I came home and collapsed. And you know what? I had been GOOD on Thursday and Friday. Water, no alcohol, whatever. DIdn't matter.
Brava to you, Barb, and to all of us, for finishing that biz-natch of a run. And I strongly suggest that you not even consider what the time was. You FINISHED. That's all that counts.
BTW, the Leslie group is running 10 next Saturday starting at 6 am (at Wilson), so if you want a nice easy pace and a potentially slightly cooler experience, join us!
wow, sounds like weather was a carbon-copy in both chi and nyc. congrats for sticking it out! one word -- Trooper!
It does seem like it has been extremely hot and humid this summer. Hope your next training run is better!
At least you got the run in.
Mother Nature seems to be hearing your prayers after Tuesday - I checked weather.com.
Good to see you today at the race - we'll have to celebrate together after the CDC because it will be good - I put in my request to mother nature early!
nice job finishing the distance!!! forget the time and revel in the fact that you made it all the way through. It's been so f**king miserable here these past few weeks that the running has been so less than fun. I cannot wait for it to cool down, maybe next weekend.
oh man you crack me up.
but i hope you make friends with mother nature soon. you don't want her putting a hex on you! :)
i'm running my long run with the group next week outside after 2 weeks of blissful treadmill running. hopefully you and mother nature will have patched things up by then ;)
You can add a p.s. "ditto" from me. I went out at 5:30 a.m. to do my 6 miles and was soaking wet within 15 minutes and no, it wasn't raining (I wish!). I cannot even imagine doing this when the sun was fully up - good for you!
Loved your letter. Wish I could have written it myself. It's pretty much everything I was/am thinking these days, yet put so simply.
Double ditto! Jeez, glad I had you two there to get me through the run. I think we should start earlier next week.
Barbara- I cannot believe you Chicago folks ran this in the heat! The thought to run outdoors didn't even cross my mind as I plogged my way along on the treadmill - you are much more of a woman than I am!! xo-T
Congratulations on the distance. 12 miles in this humidity is impressive at any speed!
(Believe me, you covered more ground than I did this past weekend. I think the heat kicked a lot of peoples' asses.)
You finished and that is the best part. Next Saturday Lesley's group is going to start at 6am at the lakefront -- care to join us?
The running gods knew about the wine........ They were just testing you and you passed. Great job!
Excellent...we had the same weather in Minnie! Great letter. My sentiments exactly! Way to rally and put in the distance!!
Wow! I'm a South Louisiana girl and I didn't realize you Chicagoans suffered so much with it too. Good luck. August is awful but it just means that there's only 4 more weeks until September.
Congrats on the finish.
V
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