The weather is heating up, and as the B.A.A. 10k inches closer and closer, the pressure is on. The second leg of the B.A.A. Distance Medley is in just 2 weeks, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.
Last week was rough with training. Every run I went on was shorter and slower than I had set out to do. Starting with the Sunday before last, I did 4.5 instead of 5.5; Tuesday I did 2 instead of 3; I skipped my run on Thursday completely; Saturday spit out a pitiful 3.5 instead of 6. Needless to say, I was grumpy and nervous, and pretty convinced I’m just not meant to run when its above 60 degrees.
Unfortunately, stopping running is not really an option at this point in the game, so I needed to find a solution. Running in the sun is hard, and its different, and will power will only get you so far. Every run I took in the sun I found myself incredibly thirsty, with headaches from the sun in my eyes, and it seemed impossible to keep going. Looking at the main problems I was facing, I made a little trip to the sporting goods store and bought:
A visor. The visor I bought is super light weight, was on sale for $20, and will definitely keep the sun and sweat out of my eyes.
Under Armour Visor
A water bottle. Who says you can’t bring water with you on your run? Yes, it’s slightly annoying to carry with you, but when you hit mile one and your throat is already yearning for hydration, its much better to be able to take a sip of water, than to struggle on. The bottle I got has a strap that just slips on to my hand so I don’t have to maintain a grip on it. The pocket in the front is also large enough for my iPhone, so I don’t have to strap that on to my other arm. When its humid and hot, you need to replace the fluids in your body.
Nathan 16 oz. Water Bottle
Running in the summer is different than running in winter, fall, and early spring. Heat and sun are complete game changers. I have never really run in the summer, as I just started last October, so I didn’t really understand that doing the same thing in March won’t yield the same results in June or July. Sometimes you just need to make adjustments and find what works for you.
With my new purchases, I headed out for a run last night. (Actually, I didn’t bring the visor because it was cloudy.) I set out to avenge all of my terrible runs from the previous week and to prove to myself that I can do this, I am making progress, and I’m not done yet. I ran 6 miles, on a route that was hillier than my average, and I felt great the whole time. I didn’t even have my typical first-mile blues. I just did it, maybe slowly, but I did it. And now I know I can.
Huge congrats to your longest run. I’m glad the water bottle helped.
I think this just proves that there are peaks and valleys to any training cycle. It is important to remember that not every run, or even a week of running will go well. Just keep at it and it will all work out
Sweet visor and water bottle man! 😉
Visor and or sun glasses a must. I have water bottle like that- good purchase. Now you have to put gaterade or hydration powder in there with the water and take sips along the way. I cannot run in the heat without taking that with me. it does make a difference.
Keep up the good work.