The theme for this week when I ran was high temperatures and high humidity. This kind of sapped my pace for the 2 runs I did in the last few days. Usually the temperatures don't hit 90 degrees F / 34 deg C until June where I live and the temperatures get hotter than this but the humidity just leaves a hot layer of sweat on you and the body quickly overheats.
I should have scaled back my pace today and I found that out the hard way about halfway through mile 4 when I started up a hill. Up until that point my post first mile times were in the low 7's per mile as they have been recently but it hasn't been nearly this hot. This was my run today...
I remember this feeling very well from when I ran my 3rd marathon ever (Rock n Roll marathon in Nashville TN--finishing time 3:52, first time under 4 hours).
There were only 2 water stops over the last 6 miles and the temps had climbed well into the 70's and the humidity was pretty high, just like today. As I climbed the final small hill I felt the dehydration and severely overheated and started seeing spots and my vision rapidly starting going black.
My 2011 Nashville Marathon Blackout
Knowing this was probably a coming blackout due to heat stroke and dehydration, I collapsed to the ground and layed there for a minute hoping I could get back up and finish this race in under 4 hours. I was glued to the ground and disoriented, but I'll be damned if I wasn't gonna finish that last 0.2 miles before the clock struck 4 hrs. I was at 3:48 at the time I fell and luckily I was able to regain my composure and make one last push for the finish line, which I sprinted across and nearly blacked out again and had to go to the medical tent for hydration and to cool off.
Back to today
I was coming up that hill near mile 5 and realized I had run too fast for how hot it was the first few miles and told myself "slow down, you know what can happen." So I stopped for about half a minute under a shady tree and then resumed climbing the hill. I finished the last mile and some change at a bit slower pace than the 7:07, 7:15, and 7:13 miles I'd just run. I finished my last 2 and ran an extra 0.22 to make it an even 10k, which is the race distance I'm running next week. By the end of it, I was exhausted and felt like my body just came out of an oven. I felt dangerousy overheated even from the slightly slower pace. I was so sweaty I looked and felt like I'd just gotten out of a pool but was way way too hot. So I found a small tree to lay under for a good 5-10 minutes then walked home.
Even after cooling down a bit inside my house, I was still sweating profusely after 5 minutes inside and wiping my face and arms with paper towels. It just wouldn't stop. I've done 20 milers before during marathon training in the cool weather and it's taken less out of me than this particular run. Thankfully next week's race starts early in the morning when it might be a bit cooler, but just as humid. That humidity is what really kills you. The sweat doesn't evaporate and it overheats you even faster.
Yeah look at that poor chump who just decided to run in these conditions at a fast pace. At least I had the sense to stay conscious though.
So on to a happier time in running this week--Thursday
Thursday I just did a short tempo run...Ran the first and last miles at 7:50ish (with a slow half mile warmup) and 7:20 per mile the last mile. The 2nd and third were 7 minutes flat and 6:45, respectively. Those two fast ones in a row really took it out of me, again mostly due to the heat and humidity. In the shade I could run faster but with that sun beating down and the steam room like conditions forced me to slow it down the last mile. I never felt like I did today but good God I miss the treadmill sometimes.
So this is my last week before the race. I still need to check the elevation profile of the course because it's traditionally very hilly so I can set a reasonable time goal and a challenge goal. I think 42:30 will be my challenge goal and 44 minutes my modest goal. I like to set 2, one of which I think I have about a 30-50% change of achieving and the latter is closer to 75-80% chance of success. That way I'm not too hard on myself (usually). I rarely don't hit the modest goal.
Well here in a week I'll have some results from my 10k to report, hopefully under that 42:30 mark.
I'm going to do a couple of slower runs this week to keep my legs in the groove of things but enough with the high speed miles in the heat. Dangerous stuff. I had a friend die of a heart attack at 42 years old in 2012 bc he was doing pushups in the sauna. Great guy but good lord that's a terrible idea.
All you folks running in the heat and running races soon remember--it's better to fight for that time goal another day than it is to end up in the hospital or worse. There's no shame in finishing a race slower due to heat. It's smart.
Every year runners in summer races collapse and occasionally they do not get back up. EVER. Because they hyrdated wrong before the race (only water and not enough electrolytes = hyponatremia which has the same symptoms and negative effects of dehydration), pushed too hard, or didn't train properly. You all take care of yourselves as summer encroaches and I'll do the same.
Run Smart! And on that note, I'm going to lay in bed and not get up until I absolutely have to tomorrow.