Weather Blues

I think Austin turned into Houston.

This humidity is atrocious. It was 81 and a dew point of 75 when I started my run yesterday morning, and I might as well have been running in soup because it felt about the same.

I'm struggling in the weather this summer, way more than last year. I had to restart running in June because I rested my inflamed psoas, after already taking time out for marathon recovery, so by the time I got back into it, my fitness was minimal and it was already very warm out in the mornings. I just had no time to acclimate. Then in July I spent three weeks in Southern California, where the temps were easier to bear, despite a heat wave that wouldn't quit (Although, let's not talk about my 75 degree humid-as-heck runs while Austin was enjoying a truly bizarre cold front and 58 degree mornings....RUDE). I could breathe a bit better there than here, which didn't help me stay acclimated to 75 dew points.

I've tried to be patient, and some runs have definitely gone better than others. But I'm still struggling. Yesterday morning's interval run was probably the toughest it's been for me, even though I just ran 12 in 73+ dew point on Sunday (and I thought THAT was bad). It wasn't even a difficult interval run, and yet my heartrate was sky high and my legs felt like lead.

While I know that the weather will start shifting to cooler in another couple weeks, I need to readjust my attitude and my training before then. I need to allow myself to just slow it down more, and I probably need to work better on consistent hydration. This morning I ran as slow as I could and dropped the distance by a mile, and felt much better than yesterday. My heartrate was substantially lower....thankfully.

Admittedly, it's hard to not get freaked out that I'm not as strong as I was two years ago. I have goals and I really REALLY want to achieve them. So, rather than continue this pity party, and just like while I was training for Boston, I need to focus on the things I'm good at and I know the training will fall back into place, particularly when we get a break in morning temps Labor Day weekend.

• I'm consistent. When I write a plan, I make it a priority. It doesn't mean I don't shift things around or tweak a run here and there, but I put in the miles.
• I have endurance. It felt like it was never going to come back after so much rest in the spring, but I can complete my long runs and keep upping my miles week after week. The endurance is there.
• I respect the distance. The marathon can't be faked. I never lose sight of this. If I want to achieve my goals, then I need to put in the work. And I do! Even when the weather makes me want to hurt someone.
• I know when to run easy and when to run hard, and I know that easy runs will pay off on race day. 
• I'm not afraid to hurt. I don't like it, but I know not to give up. So while the weather makes me whine, I will still get my butt out there and do my best and push through the pain. All the stupid crap that I've endured over the last 10 years has made me a fighter. 
• I pick some really cool races to run. I am SO EXCITED to go to Sacramento and race CIM in December. Picking new and fun races in other parts of the country is part of the run of running marathons. There are so many places to see and experience.

I'm in Week 4 of training for CIM. Race day is less than 16 weeks away. My build takes a big turn this weekend, when I'm running 14 miles on Sunday. Passing the half marathon distance in training definitely helps me shift my attitude and lights a fire in me to continue strong in training. I'm not anticipating the strongest of 14 milers, but I'll get the distance in and I won't overdo it like I did last weekend. I'll come back home, jump in the pool, and feel the accomplishment of another long run completed. The weather will still piss me off, but I can't control it and have to embrace it...somehow!

I also can't really discount how much outside stress can impact my body during training. My husband is traveling a ton right now...all over the world...and it coincides with the start of school. My kids are both in high school, at two different schools, and my son is DRIVING to school (yikes!). I'm handing it all on the home front, and trying not to get too caught up in all these big changes, but I'm admittedly very weary right now. I'm tired from the stress, I miss my husband, and I'm anxious about how school is going to go for both of them. I suppose it has caught up with me and when combined with the physical response to the weather....well, yeah, I'm a little beat up! It's TEMPORARY.....thank God! And it makes me circle back to my commitment to myself to just slow it down and focus more on taking better care of myself.

There's a light, and cooler temps, at the end of the tunnel and it's closer than I think.