Happy 4th of July: Maintaining A Training Schedule in the Summer Heat?

Good morning and Happy 4th of July! As I write this it’s only 9am and the sun’s already baking everything in sight-not that it’s going to put a damper on the fun today, it’s just a fact of south Texas life. Long runs have crept down from 12 miles to a whopping 4 or 5, necessitating hand held water bottles for what used to be an easy run in the fall and winter. A handful of laps around the BMX track in practice leaves one overheated,out of breath, and looking like you just doused yourself in a pool.
I took off Friday from work along with J, and we went to F’s place for a girls day at the pool. Apparently Friday was known as National Ditch Day, so yes we were glad to be a part of that! We made frozen wine slushies by blending moscato with various frozen fruit. They were so tasty and easy to make, and will surely be blended up again. Sometimes with the craziness of how fast a daily routine can go, it was a refreshing change of pace to lay at the pool with friends under the Palm trees. 

On Saturday at my hometrack, we had a drone filming our practice and the races for a spot on the local news. I absolutely love going to the track to practice. I still have a long way to go, but the goal is to get back to where I was. I got a bunch or practice, got to see some friends, and got a snowcone before I left. The flavor was called Panama Sunrise; it was the color of a sunrise, and sour. K’s baby tried some, and judging by the wrinkle of his little brow, I think he agreed. 

Lately I’ve been waiting for it to cool down outside before running. I cut my mileage almost in half in the summer, sometimes even leaving the Garmin at home if I know the route, and carrying water for anything over four miles. Running in 80 & 90 degree temps is rough,so I try to do things that keep running fun. I try a different route, and even listen to music, which I don’t normally like to do. To combat the mosquitos I found some bug spray by Avon that is also spf 30. Sunscreen and a hat are must haves!! Sunglasses as well if you have them. 

Runs have been so much tougher. However, when the sun is going down, leaving pink cotton candy clouds in a light blue sky, and a slight breeze comes through the moss covered trees, and the deafening sound of cicadas rings out over the newly waking streetlights, it’s actually alright. It seems to always be those little details that are remembered later.

Yesterday night, on the last mile of a training run, fireworks were popping in the sky. Blue, Pink, yellow, red, and green exploding a few blocks over in what I wish could happen everyday. I love fireworks. Not the little ones that litter up the streets and become an amalgam of burnt paper and crumbled wrapping, but the huge ones that fill up the sky with unending color. During the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, they have firework shows. I remember sitting there on the ground with friends just wishing it could last forever. That being said, I really love holidays that involve pyrotechnics. Haha. 

Off to the pool again with D to enjoy this beautiful and blessed day! (Raises water bottle with dissolved Nuun tablet in it) Cheers!