Long, Sunday Run...

Good morning. I had a nice long 10 mile run this morning. Sarah had to go into work today at 6:15a so I took her and then decided to run early. It actually works out well because it's going to be 90 today. Running when it's 70ish and humid is much better than 90ish and humid. Duh... ;-)

It was a great week of training. I ran 44.25 miles this week and am now at 965.25 for the year. This week I will eclipse the 1000 mile mark for the year. I'm excited about that. Hitting 1000 miles can sometimes be hard just to hit in one year, so to hit that mark at the half way point is good. More than anything, it's a great base and I will be able to reach some time goals this fall.

My friend Aaron ran a 4:08 at Grandma's Marathon yesterday in Duluth, Mn. That's an outstanding first marathon time--especially for him considering he ran the race with a bum knee and a bum foot. It's an outstanding time. Another friend of mine, Shelly, has a big half-marathon coming up next week. She's trying to sub 2-hour it. I bet she can hit that mark.

One bit of advice for today. I get a lot of questions about running in the extreme heat and extreme cold. Specifically, why do you run in that? For me, it's two fold. One, it's just easier for me to run and deal with the weather than trying to go and run inside. Two, I tend to temper my expectations about time and how I will feel while running. For instance, I know when it's 90 and humid that I am going to feel bad at some point because of the heat. So...I slow down a bit, drink more water before I leave, and just mentally prepare myself to know it's going to be a bit rougher. Often times, I'm 30 seconds per mile slower on really warm days than I am when it's cooler. Optimal running temperatures for me are from the mid 40s to the high 60s. But...you really only get those temperatures consistently March-May and mid September-late November in Indiana. So...I know if I am trying to hit a personal record at a distance greater than a mile or maybe even a 5K, I better run races in those months. I think our bodies can handle the heat without major issues for about 20-30 minutes, but at some point the extreme heat really takes more out of you. Case and point: In the late 90s I was running as well as I've ever run. In many ways, I was more fit. I used to run the Owensboro 10 miler every summer (last weekend in June). Even though I could put a mile under 5 minutes and could normally run 10 miles at a 5:50 average or better, I could barely average 6:15 or so a mile at the Owensboro 10 miler. The heat really impacts your ability to run far like that. At 33 years old I ran 59:03 for 10 miles in the 40 degree weather. At 19 I ran 61:30 or so for 10 miles in the Owensboro 10 miler in 80 degree weather. 14 year age difference and you'd think the times would be reversed. However, I have no doubt that the explanation is heat and not age. I bring this up just to say, you can run in the heat and at the same time just understand you may not run as fast as you want and you may feel worse. It happens to everyone.

Have a great Sunday and a great Father's day to those who are fathers. I look forward to the day when I have a little one making me a cute card and giving me a big hug. Kids are awesome and my friends who have kids look happy. Sarah and I have a couple more years before we could dedicate the time necessary to raise a kid, but I look forward to it when it happens. I have a feeling I won't be running 40 mile weeks, but I'd gladly trade that for the chance to be a Dad. Happy running to you...