I had some nice and fairly cool runs in Indianapolis. Back home today, was a different story. I got out to run around lunchtime. The plan was for an easy 20. I headed to Sand Island, so I wouldn't have to deal with the pounding of the road.
The temperature was around 80 and it was fairly humid. The weather was tricky, because it was cloudy for the most part. This trail is partially shaded. I went without a shirt on.
I started off heading toward Freemansburg and was feeling great. The legs seemed very fresh and quick. I enjoyed myself as I didn't even look at my watch until the first mile clicked off. Too bad, that wouldn't exactly last.
There were quite a few bikers and walkers in this area, as I cruised along. I was hoping I could get out 5 miles or even farther on this first segment. I wanted to have half or more of the run done when I got back to my car.
The first mile was just over 8 minutes. After that, the miles dipped to around 7:30 and they were quite consistent. The quads started to feel slightly sore. They still aren't completely recovered from the 50 miler and they aren't a big fan of stone trails. I don't like to go on pavement though, because that bothers my feet sometimes.
I didn't make it out too far. At about 2.33 miles, I came to some geese. I would've had to run between two adults with babies. One of the geese hissed at me as I approached. I decided that it would be wise to turn around.
I cruised along as I headed back. I was sweating a lot and noticed my pants were getting quite soaked already. I need to buy a headband of sorts to keep the sweat out of my eyes. If I wear a shirt, I usually wipe it away, but I couldn't do that today.
Since I was only at just under 5 miles when I got back to the car, I headed out the other way. That was a mistake. In this heat, I have to rest more. I didn't really feel like stopping with the van parked next to me too and people in it.
It was good to be a quarter of the way through the planned run. However, I was hoping to feel better. Some brief rain was nice, but it didn't last. I kept going out and out. I knew the farther I went, the farther that I'd be when I got back to my car. The quads were bothering me, but after the 50 miler, I knew I could survive with them for some time.
I just kept going and going. Eventually, I was to the end of the towpath at the Allentown Canal Park. Heading there wasn't too bad, as I think there was a slight downhill. I knew when I got back to the car, I'd be at 13 miles.
Heading back was very tough. I felt like I had been running with an easy effort, but without being heat adapted yet, it wasn't easy enough I guess. I probably should've been running closer to 8 minute miles. I also knew I wasn't drinking enough, even though I had a handheld with me.
I felt like I was starting to overdo it and was going downhill quickly. Rather than pressing on in the heat, I elected to call it a day at mile 10. That was very disappointing and I had to walk all of the way back to the car. It was over 3 miles. It did give me a lot of time to reflect on my training.
Clearly I need to run slower in heat until I can get used to it. I also need to run shorter segments and give myself some brief recovery. Had I stopped at the car the first time, that might've been a big help. It's a lesson learned I guess. Hopefully in a few weeks, I'll be much more used to the heat and can train better. I need to get used to it for my summer marathon.
In the evening, I did some more core work and strengthening. I really hope that this pays off down the road, especially for my weak quads. I need to do it at least 2 or 3 times a week.
Tomorrow, I'll try a long run again. I'm thinking maybe I'll just go to pavement this time. Although that does bother my foot, it does seem slightly better for my quads. Hopefully, I can handle 20 miles this time around.
10 miles - 1:16:04 (7:36 pace)
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