so hot right now

The decision to do an October marathon was strategic: fall is my favourite time to run, and the hardest training will be in early September just as that season is kicking in. It also means avoiding long treks in the dead of winter. However, the one downfall of this whole strategy is that it involves training through summer. And summer means heat (insightful, I know!).

I love hot weather, but my body and its Anglo-saxon features tend to betray me when the temperatures rise. I am so pale that I border on translucence, so I burn easily and never really tan (though I put in a valiant effort every year). Once, on a family trip to California, I had some sort of allergic reaction to the sun that led to me breaking out in itchy hives. Like a vampire. 

A completely inaccurate representation of what it's like to run in the heat.

Normally, with running, my brain gives out before my body. I will feel like I can't go on, and then I'll meet friends and pick up my pace to run alongside them, or Backstreet's Back will shuffle onto my IPod and I'm flying again (works every time). But heat seems to be the one thing that causes my body to give out before my brain. I'll be raring to go, and then be confused by the fact that I'm suddenly dizzy, my eyes aren't fully open, I'm faint, and every step is a challenge. And I'll push through because my brain tells me the pace is slow and I haven't been out for long, so I'm fine. And then, as happened Friday, later on that day I'll feel headachy and dizzy and exhausted.

Anyway, all this to say that this week's training was a bit rough, and I was feeling discouraged. But there was an "extreme weather warning in effect" for several days this week. So maybe my slowing down, cutting distance, and turning a tempo run into an easier stroll was the best thing for my body. And, in any case, today is my birthday, so I'm allowed an excuse for my less-than-spectacular training week, oui?

Speaking of my birthday, huge thanks to the friends who donated to my fundraising campaign in honour of my entry to the world 28 years ago ... means so very much to me!! Still a long way to go, but the goal is in reach. Here is the link again just in case anyone else would like it... (today is my birthday, so I'm allowed a shameless plug, oui?)

http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1429184&langPref=en-CA

Week 3 Recap:

M: cross-train day - bike 45min
TU: 10k, weights
W: 14k (3k hard)
TH: 8k treadmill + core class
F: 7k
SA: cross-train day - BodyAttack, weights
SU: 24k

Week total: approx. 63k