TALES FROM THE TRAIL (AND SOMETIMES THE ROAD TOO)

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Heat Training Begins

We did not travel to Texas for heat training.  We came out to visit family.  But just simply standing, or sitting outdoors, I breakout in a sweat it’s so dang hot out here.  When I wake at about 7:00 AM, it’s already over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27C). By late morning, it’s triple digits until about 8 PM.  Then it’s in the 90’s for the rest of the night.  See.  Perfect for heat training.

I know for many runners that running in 83 degree weather is not much.  But for me, a heat sensitive gal who runs mainly in the coastal hills of California, heat is a big problem.  I never begin a run in 80 plus degree temperatures back home, and one with little shade at that.

I took it nice and easy today, running through the ranch fields first.  Thousands, I mean literally thousands of grasshoppers flew and hopped out of my way as I made through the grass and virtually everywhere else that I ran.  There were little ones, yellow ones, brown and red-striped ones, giant brown ones.  And they’d fly into my legs, sometimes my arms.  And when the big ones hit my hand, I’d have a little “freak-out” moment.  The big grasshoppers were about four inches, the smallest about an inch.  A truly amazing sight.  The only way to avoid the critters was to run directly in the middle of the country roads.  (Which I did not do often)

Heading off the ranch  SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA

I started off slow and ended slow today (slower than usual).  I also carried a thermometer and took my temperature regularly.  Through out the 8 miles, my temperature increased a maximum of 1 degree, but only for a short while.  It mainly increased from .2 to .5 degrees in this heat.  And I was able to quickly bring it back down by drinking fluids.  I also noticed that my temp came down quickly when I ran through shade.  I plan to take my temperature regularly as I train in the heat while I’m here.  I’m not sure what I’ll discover.  Mainly, I just want to be aware of my body and know what if feels like when its overheating so I don’t do a repeat of my little heat exhaustion drop out from Bulldog last year.

Pretty flowers everywhere, even though this part of Texas is in a terrible drought.SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA

The beautiful lonely roads of Texas countrysideSANYO DIGITAL CAMERA

One of the large grasshoppersSANYO DIGITAL CAMERA

A quick pose before acres upon acres of fields, no people, no cars, no other sounds except my feet hitting the ground.SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA

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A stop at an old cemeterySANYO DIGITAL CAMERA

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8.02 miles (12.9 km) run today.  I drank my entire 64 fluid ounces of water and one small bottle of gatorade – this amount of fluids is unheard of for me back home for this distance of a run.  I barely drink this much on a 15 mile run back home.

Back at the ranch, I was giddy that I got in my first heat training run.  Then I crashed hard and fell asleep before heading off to the water park in town. 

12 comments:

  1. Look how flat it is there. Looks like a nice road to run on. Its suppose to be warm here this weekend.

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  2. BTW... Did you notice you are almost on pace for 1500 this year?

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  3. Holy cow, I would freak.out. Grasshoppers are shady.

    Otherwise, super pretty!

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  4. I love that sign on the tree stump!

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  5. I've had the "opportunity" to travel much of the country. There is *no place* like home!

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  6. Oh the irony!

    Socal weekend forecast 90+! 101 in Pasadena yesterday, 96f in TO at 7pm!

    Summer is here, bang!

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  7. Nice run Lauren! Heat training is tough but it is good. Even if it feels slow and tough it makes you strong and you will benefit from this. Just drink, drink, drink...water that is.:)

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  8. Thanks for stopping by Jeremy. Yes, it is really, really flat in most places here. But I do get me some rolling hills here and there (nothing like Holy Jim!). But I think the heat makes up for it.

    1,500 miles! You are more optimistic than I. :)

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  9. Thanks for reading Giraffy! Yes, the grasshoppers are a bit creepy, especially because there are so, so many of them. But they don't bite. So that's a good thing.

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  10. I love the tree stump too Jessie! (It's actually a fence post, but definitely a tree stump at one point.) I can just imagine the young couple out here in the country with their life's ahead of them so, so long ago!

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  11. It is so ironic Stuart! Thanks for stopping by. I can't believe I'm actually getting to where I can run in this heat. Soon, I will notch it up and start later in the day.

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  12. Thanks for reading Johann. It is definitely tough. I hope it will make me tougher.

    Ahh shucks, I was just getting my bota bags ready to fill with wine, then I saw that you wrote "water." Kidding! : )

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