Two 1/2 Weeks Into 13.1 Training

Well, hello, if you happen to be leaving for work earlier this morning you might have seen me out running.  Yes, it is the first day of summer break for my kids and I did get up at 6:35 to run 5 miles today. 

I was that lady.

It wasn't 4:30 or even 5:30, but I was up early to get a run in before it got too hot.  As I write it's 5:00 pm and I can't believe I actually did it.  :)

The hardest part was actually getting up.  The weather had said there could be thunderstorms, and I was kind of hoping it was pouring rain out so I could sleep in a little longer, but there weren't.  There was plenty of cloud cover which made it nicer than it would've been otherwise. 

You see, 73 degrees doesn't sound so bad, but with 80-90% humidity it's yucky for running.  At least for me it's not the best.  If the sun is out, it's worse.  I learned this on Saturday morning when I went out for my run at 7:15, had to run 7 miles, which took 1 hour 24 minutes and came home wondering how the heck I was going to make it 13.1 miles in heat and humidity.  

The race I'm training for begins at 7:00 am towards the end of September.  I think it will be cooler then, but I'm not sure.  So, part of me (the lazy, I'd-rather-sleep-in-a-little-longer part) says it might be a good idea to start my long runs at 7:00 am to get my body acclimated to running in the warmer temperatures. (Also, because I see people running when it's 80 degrees out, so surely I can get used to running in the warmer temperatures, right?)

Then I go and run when it's warmer and I wonder if that's such a good idea after all. 

In my couple years of running I've learned I run better in cooler temperatures.  My husband is the opposite.  He hates running the cold and says it's actually harder for him, but I thrive on the colder temperatures.  The few warm runs I've had so far have reminded me that I don't do well in the warmer temps.  My pace slows up and then my brain feels horrible knowing I'm running slower.  This past Saturday my brain also asked, "WHY did you pick a race that would require training through the summer?!?"  

Um, I'm still deciding the answer to that one.  lol  Okay, because it's local and it's supporting the military..that's why.  :)

Anyway, I'm learning a lot about my running, what works best for me and how tackling something like running 13.1 miles is going to take more than preparing for a 10K.  I feel I'm off to a good start and I look forward to seeing what works for me along the way.

Note:  Again, I'm using the Another Mother Runner Half-Marathon: Finish It Plan