I figured I would start the post off with a positive. ( + )
Yesterday I had a nice round of 5 x 1 mile at approx half marathon pace. I have not been on a track since January or early February, so I was not truly looking forward to the oval. It was not a hard workout, but sometimes I get a little dread when facing the track and the clock, even at easier paces. However, a nice surprise awaited me as I ran about 20 seconds per mile faster than anticipated at what felt like a very easy effort. Mile repeats at ANY pace never feel easy to me. I could hardly believe it. Somewhere in the middle of the workout, I realized that having a good base is truly amazing.
And now for a negative rant ( - )
Today was the day that I finally got pissed. I have suffered through the heat and humidity of the south for months on end. I have stayed disciplined to my HR and gutted through workouts. I have swallowed my pride and let the mph go. I have increased my fluid intake beyond my own comprehension. I have stumbled out of the door at odd hours in the morning to "beat the heat."
But honestly, training in the heat does not make you stronger. You are not automatically fast in cooler weather after you have slogged out miles in the heat. I have decided I am just dumber and slower for all of this. I was so mad riding home today- seeing the mph and just dying in the extreme heat. I woke up earlier and tried so hard to make the best of the day. Now I know that I can ride a very slow pace at a low HR in dangerous heat. Yea me.
Grrrrrr!!!!!!!
It is just stupid. The heat is destroying my training. It is infiltrating all of my discipline and hard work. It is making a mockery of my determination to be fit for my ironman.
Our weather forecast today:
SEVERE
Extreme heat index. Outdoor exposure should be limited.
104F feels like 115F
So if you live somewhere and your training is getting "hot" at 80 degrees, I don't want to hear about it. And likewise I won't complain this winter at 30 degrees when you are 14 below. :)
5 comments:
You will never hear me complain about the heat up here. Ever. But I'm sick in the head and also love it stifling hot. I loved summers in Florida. And there is some benefit to training in those conditions. It makes you stronger, physically and mentally.
So I read in an article in Running Times that the heat actually DOES make you stronger. I don't remember all the details, but basically a study showed that heat acclimation lowers your overall lactic acid accumulation. So in general, you’ve improved your lactate threshold by purely heat acclimating.
Maybe check with Joy on the real details!
Ha ha! You two are so funny. Okay, I have read that it if you train slower secondary to heat then you still are what you train= slower. Plus, recovery is poor. I read a study that said if you race heat, don't train in heat for long...just get really fit in cool weather. Regardless- I was just being a baby. Wah wah wah...poor me. :))))) All good. And I will tell myself that you two say I am stronger; therefor I am stronger.
AMEN to 90 degrees NOT being hot. come and experience what 115 really feels like with humidity. guarentee you wont be back
I've had a rough time lately with the heat too. I kinda thought I was beating the heat and toughening up enough to ignore it all summer but something changed last week. I was too busy to get my runs in at opportune times and just suffered through the 115F heat indexes. My attitude went south last week. So when I was miserable on 2nd of 5 red loops Sunday, I just packed it in and went home. Demotivating for the last really hard run before CO. Hopefully they're all right and the hay's in the barn.
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