Training Update: Week 7 (The IT'S HOT Edition)

If you aren't from around here, you may not have known that SUMMER IS COMING to South Florida. You see, in South Florida, we anticipate summers like the Starks of Winterfell fear winter. 

source

Only instead of an army of whitewalkers, it's dreadful heat and humidity. The kind that fogs up your spectacles as you leave your air conditioned apartment into the smoggy haze.

Right now, it's not that bad. It's actually great weather for lounging by the pool. I spent about two hours by the pool with Will on Saturday and had the grizzliest sunburn to show for it. The breezes were so refreshing I didn't feel my very own skin cooking! Oops. 

A clever visual demonstration of some ridiculous sunburn.

Mine was worse than his.

While the weather is fabulous for bronzing by the pool and relaxing on the beach, it doesn't make for the best conditions for endurance runs. 

So here you have it:

• 4M - 37:57/9:12
• 6M - 52:16/8:43
• 4M - 39:04/9:28
• 12M - 2:15:00/11:15

Let's talk about that horrific twelve miler that happened yesterday. I set my alarm for 6:00AM sharp to hit the road for a twelve miler (HAHAHAHAHAHA. No). The dogs miraculously slept in until 10:15. Unprecedented. Smartly, we thus decided to start our run around 2:00PM, the hottest part of the day. I do this all the time. I don't know why.

It really wasn't bad at all at first. We kept a steady pace and were feeling fine. Most of our run was on the El Rio Trail in Boca, our first time running it. The trail was nice, flat, and quiet, but lacked something essential: 

SHADE. 

Photo shoot/water break at mile 6. Don't mind if I do. This was the one spot on this trail that was shady. 

This is right by Florida Atlantic University. In case you are seeking out this landmark of a shady area.

But it is waterfront property!

Nobody has ever looked cool sucking water out of a camelback. But Will Brez comes close.

Here comes the highlight of our run:

Mr. GIANT reptile. He feels the same way about shade. It's pretty important.

Every tiny bit of foliage that provided the eeeensiest bit of shade on your face was like a tiny miracle. The black asphalt trail became pretty unbearable after a while. After mile 8, things just fell apart. We ran out of fluids and there was a lot of walking.

Bright side? I'm not sore today and now Daisy can help me do some laundry.

Nope.

Hoping that training in the heat gives me some slight edge on race day. The average high in Annapolis on June 1 is 81. It was 82 yesterday. So there.