Week 2 Summary

I have a confession. I skipped my mid-week runs last week. I feel so guilty about it and I hope I never have to do it again. I had several obligations for work, which made early morning runs nearly impossible and I certainly wasn't up for running at 9 p.m.

On to the main event: the Saturday long run...7 miles. Running early in the morning has several benefits. During the summer, the benefit is to get the run in before the heat really sets in. Unfortunately, I did not start my long run until 9 a.m. By this point, the temperature was already nearing 80 degrees and the humidity was quite high. I usually stop at every water station because I know my body and I know that I need constant hydration. However, my drinks at the water stations lasted a little longer last week and I splashed my face/neck/shoulders with water every single time. I couldn't seem to cool down.

The heat was ferocious and I seriously doubted that I was going to finish the run. Around mile 5, I listened to my body and I stopped running/jogging. I slowed down to what I call a "speedy walk". I only allowed myself one-quarter mile to walk and then I picked up the pace again to finish strong. I really learned the importance of listening to my body and taking breaks when necessary. I try my best to not walk because I don't want to get in the habit of it. However, I didn't want the heat to get the best of me, so I took a little breather.

It wasn't pretty, but I finished 7 miles and was still smiling!