I don’t think I’m cut out for the heat : (

Friday morning I woke from a race dream.  As usual (in dreamland) I was running late picking up my bib, where I learned that this was a nude trail/mud run.  (Where I’d put my bib, I have no recollection).  Reluctantly, I stripped down and ran off late to the Start Line, apprehensive about my nudity.  While I was running I noticed not everyone ran this race nude, in fact, very few runners were naked.  Some, especially the women, ran in shorts but with no shirts, and some runners were fully clothed.  Then someone told me, “No!  It’s Clothing Optional’.”  I was not happy.

So, Friday I got out on the trail in my waking life, late as usual (since the boys went back to school getting out early is tough.)  Thing is, we’re still in the midst of a heat wave, and 10 AM is way too late to begin a trail run. But I had this great idea.  I was going to stay in the canyon and avoid the heat on Friday – forget that oven along the ridge.  I was going to keep cool.  Really cool.

Ha!  I felt overheated the first 1.5 miles in – Aliso Creek Trail which has virtually no shade.  My right glute felt pretty tight and my throat was sore.  But I was determined to make this trail run.  I need to get back into training.  (Wait.  I don’t need to.  I want to – I’m just a little crazy with this “need” thing right now.)

I laid on the picnic table at Wood Canyon Trail to stretch that glute (figure 4 stretch) and I couldn’t even keep a hold of my legs, my hands and legs were so slippery with sweat.  Later, that ibuprofen I took for my throat ended up helping with the glute too.

Wood Canyon, a beauty, but hot as heck

Finally approaching much needed shade on Wood Canyon Trail

Determined to make this run, I put my head down and plowed through it.  And then it started happening again.  I couldn’t cool down.  And I was hydrating all the while (with Nuun tablets too!).  Taking my mind off the heat, I shot an amateur video of Wood Creek Trail (Featured Trail video below), and got to enjoy some cool, breezeless shade for a short while. 

A Baby snake, as I ran onto Wood Creek Trail (probably a gopher snake, its tail covered in dirt I couldn’t see rattles, but his head looks a bit tiny in proportion to his body to be a rattler)

One of 2 tortuous flights of stairs in this wretched heat on Wood Creek Trail

Covered in salt and drenched in sweat, I laid beneath a tree back at my car and stretched a long while.  I arrived at school to pick up my youngest, my back actually cramping from the heat exhaustion.  After a shower, I felt loads better, but the sore throat was growing worse. 

Friday night, we decided to go to our son’s friend’s family restaurant Steer Crazy for some good bbq – a plug for those in The OC looking for some bbq with an ocean view and ocean breeze : )

By late Friday night the sore throat evolved into chills.  Bundled up in four blankets, I went to bed freezing while everyone complained of heat.  All day Saturday (today), I laid around, sleeping, aching, and sweating.  Heat exhaustion twice this week, I think really took a whack at my immunity.  Sadly, so, so sadly, I’ve decided against Sunday’s early morning group trail run (Boo Hoo! Not happy.  But I will be back)

Miles logged Friday:  9.24

Featured Trail of the Day Wood Creek Trail

As a positive note:  my right glute has not given me any problems since Friday’s run.

In Retrospect

With a few days to look back, I believe my biggest mistake, a pretty major one that nearly took me down in the Hard Corps Marathon, is that I didn't pack the Nuun tablets. That is what I normally run with to replace electrolytes. Instead, I switched sports drinks and went with what the aid stations supplied (which was Gatorade). Secondly, (and from now on!) I must bring along salt packets -- that sucking pretzels thing has got to go. Salt is definately my problem; I sweat salt. Every bit of me was crusted with salt after Saturday's race -- my clothing, arms, legs, face. Sunday, by the way, my hands and feet were cramping. I neglected to continue replacing those electrolytes after the race.

It's all about learning lessons. My runs, especially races always are. And I like that.

I ran pretty quickly after the marathon -- just waited one day to hit the ground. But what I did differently this time (compared to my first marathon), was to get out for small, yet frequent recovery runs.

Monday, I dropped my car off in the shop and ran home, taking a little detour, for a total of 1.33 miles. I felt strong, yet a little tight in my left hamstring. I sweated an unbelievable amount. Even back at home while stretching, the sweat poured from my face.

Tuesday, after work, I ran 1.26 miles with my 8 year old in the cool evening air.

Today (Wednesday), time to pick up my car, I ran down to the beach first. I ran it at a leisurely pace. The ground still wet from a downpour earlier in the morning, enormous puffy clouds hovered over the ocean. The wind blew directly at me for half of the run, adding resistance, and hopefully strength to my muscles. Though I certainly didn't race up Golden Lantern to PCH, I ran it all with little difficulty, and ran on into the service station wishing I had more time to run. Alas, I had no more time. But that is fine, because as I mentioned above, "small, yet frequent recovery runs." (Miles logged today: 5.4)

"A Glorious Comeback"