running: the dawn

This week’s theme was urgency.  For some reason I felt somewhat desperate to get my miles in.  Partially because I was back at home and didn’t have a treadmill as an option.  So as the temperatures rose and humidity boiled I became worried that I wouldn’t be able to fit it all in.  The other side of it was that I knew I would be leaving again yesterday and I still had a 9-miler to do.  It’s so hard to predict running whilst on the road.  I was heading to Andi’s house, and we usually do a great job of getting out and running when we get together.  However, the forecast included a heat advisory.

We decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to take advantage of a free pass to a local gym she had been given.  The awesome part?  We walked into the gym, apparently through the back door, and there was no one there to greet us.   The front desk was unoccupied.  After waiting for a few minutes, we decided to just hop on the treadmills.  Eventually the owner showed up and we went over to sign the legal forms.  THEN, after I had finished my seven and a half miles Andi learns that the gym closes in 13 minutes!  Oh man.  I had to crank it into high gear in order to get to mile 9 before they locked the doors.  It was close, but I made it.

Here’s the week in mileage:
Sunday–11; with 4 at marathon pace
Monday–none; I was driving and battling the hurricane that took over the great plains
Tuesday–6 general miles & Jazzercise
Wednesday–8 general miles & Jazzercise
Thursday–6 horrifying hot miles
Friday–9 general miles & impromptu speedwork

Total Miles: 40!  Hurray.  I’m finally back in the 40′s.  Let marathon training commence.

Another reason I’ve been stressed out and over-thinking my running schedule is that I will be attending a conference starting on Monday.  Which means that I get to spend anther 10 hours in my car tomorrow.  So, I have 12 miles to run sometime, and I’m not sure how that’s going to work.  Then once the conference starts, I didn’t know how I was going to get my miles in because there’s another heat advisory!  I’ve been trying to find a gym there that will let me have a week-long pass, but came up with nothing.

THEN–I emailed my friend that I’m staying with asking if there were any other options that I’d over looked.  Turns out there’s a treadmill IN the room where I will be sleeping!  Now, others might not be as excited about this, but I am ELATED.  I won’t be wandering the streets or passing out due to heat stroke in an unknown land.

I’m realizing all over again that I am a cold-weather girl.  Last winter I had no problem rolling out of bed at 5am to go running in 16 degree weather (well, maybe not exactly no problem).  But now, with the heat and such I am a complete wimp.  While I’m running outside, I feel my body temperature rising, and it causes me to panic a little bit.  Not good.  I will be glad when the days start to shorten and the heat subsides.