project262.com | Marathon Training for Patrick O'Brien

June 25, 2005, 7:00am: GOD IT'S HOT

GOAL: 14 miles

LOCATION: Katy Trail, St. Charles, Missouri

CONDITIONS: 79°-90°, hazy and steamy

RESULTS: 14 miles
TIME: 2:41:20

PACE: 11:31/mile

TOTAL TRAINING MILES TO DATE (walking & running): 295 miles

I Was Sweating on the Drive to St. Charles
I wanted to get a head start this morning, and was wanting to get running at 6:30am, but I tossed and turned all night, thinking about how I'm going to deal with the heat. I stepped outside to get in my car and was already sweating before I left the garage. It was going to be a "steamy" day, at least that's how KMOX described it on their weather hotline at 314-321-2222.

The Run
I started the run with Coach Rich, and lately I always lose a water bottle during the first minute of running. I think it's because my belt is too big, and it flops around. I haven't adjusted it since I've dropped some pounds, so I need to do that later in the day. I carried my Propel bottle for the first couple miles, and let me tell ya, Propel goes from a sweet-tasting water to a nasty warm salt water taste after a couple miles of running. ICK! The shape of the bottle is great for gripping, but the taste is awful when it's warm. I need to keep an empty one at all times.

I was feeling the effects of Friday's lunch quite a bit. We had a belated birthday lunch for Mark Swanson at FOX 2, and the whole promo department brought goodies...and I mean real good goodies...3-cheese potatoes, slaw, baked beans, sloppy joe, brownies, rice krispies, and I made chili cheese dip. Well, I had gas for a few miles from it. I'm just so glad it was just gas. I'd hate to cramp up early in the run.

Overall, I didn't have any pain or troubles for the entire 14 miles. The heat was the main factor. Coach Rich set up water stations at Mile 4, Mile 7, and Mile 10. They really helped. I cant' tell you how many bottle of water I drank during the run. I even used a few to wash the dust and sweat from my face, pour down my neck and over my head. The shady areas weren't too bad...it's those long runs in direct sunlight that were hard to take. The temp rose over 10° during the run. I took walk breaks whenever my body wanted them, and I wasn't concerned about my pace. I just wanted to get through the 14 miles on one of the hottest mornings of the year. I'm glad I spread out my drinking times, otherwise too much water at one time would have made me sick. When the run was over, I poured cold water on a towel and for about 20 minutes, I just wiped it on my face, neck and head. I drank lots and lots of water...almost too much. I think another bottle and I would have been too much. I had some chafing right at the top of my butt crack, and I think that's from the water belt rubbing for over 2 1/2 hours. The same chafing happened on my last 14-miler.

Another Trip to Fleet Feet
I stopped by Fleet Feet and bought more GU and a pair of shades. The ones I have really aren't designed for runners. I think they're skiing sunglasses actually, but they're over 3 years old and bobble around my face when I run. So, I bought some Ryders sunglasses (Fury Bugaboos). Fleet Feet has that 10% discount for the Joints in Motion team, so I can't find better deals anywhere. I still think I'll buy some designer sunglasses for non-running.

THOUGHTS: I'm surprised I feel so good and didn't experience anything weird happening to my body during the run. I was so exhausted, though, and I'm glad I was able to regulate water intake.

Back