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July 23, 2005, 6:00am: Beating The Heat....seriously.
| GOAL: |
12 miles |
RESULTS: |
12 miles
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| LOCATION: |
Creve Coeur Park, Maryland Heights, Missouri
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| CONDITIONS: |
80°- 85°, hot, humid, hazy. |
| SUMMARY: |
TIME: 2:13:40 |
PACE: 11:08/mile
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HEART: 147 or 79%
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| TOTAL TRAINING MILES TO DATE (walking & running): 422 miles |
Hello 5:00am Once Again:
The alarm was on time. Yep, it was still pitch black outside. I had slept better than I usually do on Friday nights, though. I didn't let the nervousness of running keep me up all night. Of course, this was 12 miles, no 16 or 18 miles. Today was a recovery run...a smaller run in between two bigger runs since next week is the big 21-miler.
The Run
I just took is easy today, and I ran the entire 12 miles without stopping again. I felt energized. I ate pizza last night, and so I felt "carb loaded", even though pizza isn't the best food to carb load with. I didn't eat anything this morning, either. I felt full still from all the pizza. The 12 miles today was three runs around the shorter loop (4 miles) of the park. With each finished loop, I could watch the sun getting higher and higher, wondering when the moment will be when the temps will start shooting up 5° or 10° each hour. I was hoping it would be after 8:00am. I finished the run around 8:15, and those last 15 minutes were tough. I was feeling the heat, and started using my water bottles to douse myself with water on my head and neck. I controlled my water intake the whole run, so I wouldn't feel sick afterwards. I was concerned that the pizza would come back to haunt me halfway through the run and I'd have to make an emergency bathroom stop, but that wasn't the case at all. Like last week, I had no pains or discomfort at all. Just the typical exhaustion and dehydration.
Support at the Family Reunion
Today was the family reunion at my brother's house, which is also the house where the O'Brien Clan grew up. So about 100 members of the O'Brien family reunited, like we did two years ago. Nearly half my sponsorship dollars came from this family,so I was certainly excited to see everyone, thank them and give them an update on my progress. Thank you to those who donated that were at the reunion: Paul & Kathleen Bayless, Jim & Melissa Aubuchon, Bill & Cooky O'Brien, Rosemary Aubuchon, Dan Aubuchon, Sue Aubuchon, Mike & Marge Finklang, Mark O'Brien and Cathy, Mom, Jim O'Brien, Clark & Mary Zumwalt, Jordan and Eileen Parker, Karen Finklang, Frank & Alpha Finklang (Happy Birthday to Aunt Alpha!),, Walt & Flavia Gronski, Ellen O'Brien, Erin O'Brien, Mark & Phyllis Summers, and Joseph & Helen O'Brien (Happy 60th Wedding Anniversary!). I learned so much from my family today. Most of them couldn't believe I ran 12 miles this morning on one of the hottest days of the year. My cousin, Jim Aubuchon, is training for The Breast Cancer 3-Day, which is a 60-mile walk for women and men who want to make a personal difference in the fight against breast cancer. We had a great conversation about the endurance and dedication it takes for such events. Another cousin, Frank Finklang, was telling me that his wife has finished 2 marathons. Cousins Kathleen Bayless and Christine Diekmann tell me they have been on the same trail that the Alaska marathon is on in Anchorage. Kathleen was telling me about the path and how she met someone on the trail that was in the middle of running across all 50 states, one state at a time. Kathleen also recommended I take Arnica Montana pills for my joints. The Aubuchons enjoyed an Alaskan cruise not too long ago. I haven't seen Cousin Jim O'Brien in a long time, either, and his daughter wanted a picture taken with me. It's funny how we have such a large family, and even to this day, we still kid around on who's who in the family. Everyone was so supportive. Jordan and Eileen Parker were a pleasure to chat with. They were one of my mile sponsors. They live near Seattle and encouraged Lindsey and I to visit them next time we take a trip up northwest. They can see Mt. Rainier from their deck. WOW! I was telling them about a picture of Mt. Rainier that we took from the plane on the way back home from Seattle in March 2004. I still have it as my wallpaper on my computer. Here's the photo. Some other cousins said they still wanted to sponsor my marathon, and they plan on sending donations through the mail. Many enjoy this website, too. I feel blessed to have such a great family.
| THOUGHTS: |
I'm so glad I was able to beat the heat today. Every passing minute past 8:00am was getting brutal. I'm glad I was finished by 8:15am. But, I can't wait to be a night owl again... |
WHAT I'LL
REMEMBER MOST: |
Watching the sun get higher and higher in the sky with each loop around the park. |
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