I was actually going to call this post Fried Guano, because that's what the first half of my run smelled like, and what the second half felt like.
Over the last couple days, I've found it very difficult to motivate myself and focus on anything for any period of time. I've been sleeping later than I wanted and taking far too long to get moving in the mornings. Today, there was one major thing that I had to do: I had to run 8 miles.
When I still had not managed to do this by 2:00, I knew I was in trouble. It's hot down here. Really hot. And it only gets hotter as the day goes on. Eventually, I managed to get my feet into some shoes and head out the door. When I left the apartment, the temperature was 100, but it didn't actually feel that bad. In fact, my first mile was quite fast. Now that I think about it, my first half was pretty strong. I got to stop at a couple lights which gave me all the recovery that I needed.
My second half was more a series of short runs surrounded by water breaks. I stopped at almost every water fountain available and timed myself in between them. My endurance was shot, but there's only so much you can do when it's that hot. I just focused on taking my next step. And then my next one.
And then I saw the train. With about two miles left, the kiddie train that drives through Zilker Park was entering its turnaround before heading back to the playground on the other side of the park. We were at the same point, and I decided that the next time I would cross their tracks (about 3/4 of a mile down the trail), I would be ahead. In that time, there were several points that I wanted to stop, but I knew that I had to beat the train, and so I did. When I crossed the tracks, they were still a couple hundred feet away. I smiled, and I thought, even if I can't beat the heat today, at least I beat a train.
The last long run is completed. I've got runs on Monday and Tuesday, and then a short two-miler on Friday. That's it. I'm less than a week from Seattle.
No problem.
Sunday's Run:
110-104 Degrees / Sunny
8.11 Miles
1 Hour, 3 Minutes, 44 Seconds
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