After looking at the 7 day forecast for Des Moines, it appears that we won't get relief from the excessive heat and humidity anytime soon. Unfortunately, I used the heat as an excuse to avoid my training runs. If you're like me, you've had in your mind that it's going to cool down soon, and it's too dangerous to run outside right now, so it's better to just wait it out. And it's hard to go back to the treadmill once you're used to running outside. It's just not the same.
I ran outside on Tuesday, and felt fine after one lap around the Aviva lot, so decided to go for a second and make it a longer run. Bad decision. Half-way through the second lap, I was soaked in sweat and I could feel the heat radiating out every inch of my body. It was like running in porridge. This is a guess, as I've never actually had porridge. Does it actually exist outside of storybooks? Anyways, I'm pretty sure I could have walked faster than I was running at that point, but continued running because I just wanted to get back to the air-conditioned building ASAP and lay my head in the drinking fountain. To make a long story short. I should have been smart and not pushed it, because by the end, I had the urge to throw up and the chills, and I didn't feel better until later that night.
Back to my original point that the heat and humidity aren't going anywhere. It's time to stop excusing ourselves from training, whether it be for a 5K, half marathon, or a mile, and time to reacquaint ourselves with the trusty old treadmill. Yes, it's boring and you don't get the same feeling when you finish, but you're still excercising. And it's air conditioned and safer, and in the end, our ultimate goal is our health, right? My recommendation is to try and mix it up a little bit with intervals and try out a new playlist on your iPod. It should make the time go by quicker. And don't forget to increase your incline to at least 1%. Doing so will prevent shin splints, give you more of a workout with little noticeable strain, and it boosts your booty :o)
::Looking back::
ReplyDeleteI think my booty looks just fine. To combat the heat I'm going to jump on the bike a little more often to avoid the heat and humidity that our wonderful Iowa summer has to offer. That and actually swimming some laps instead of lounging in the pool will be my cardio alternatives to running for the short term. That 1/2 is less than 3 months away.