Sunday, July 7, 2019

Turning My Frown Upside Down

G*d d*mn Mother Nature! What is wrong with our weather? This week was so freaking hot and humid that I felt like I moved to Florida. We had absolutely no adjustment period, just zipped from the 60s to the 90s in one week. Last week I wrote about it, this week I'm whining about it.

Fortunately, we're going to get a break from the heat, at least for a few days. Summer in the Midwest is usually a really pleasant time of year when we can sit outside in the sunshine and not dehydrate from sweating so much. Running can be a challenge, but getting up and out the door to beat the heat is usually the best course of action.

There was no beating the heat this week. Except indoors with the AC turned up to 11. Funny how that works. I have to bring a sweater to work because it's so cold inside!



Ok, enough about the weather. Here's how the week went down:
Sunday: rest day
Monday: run 3.1 miles and Yoga with Adriene
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: run 4 miles and Yoga with Adriene
Thursday: strength training and CrossFit Summer Challenge
Friday: rest
Saturday: run 6.2 miles with Steph, volunteer at race packet pickup

I set out on Monday and Wednesday with the goal of hitting 6 miles but simply couldn't finish due to the heat and humidity. I tried to run slower and I did, but either I was still not running slow enough or I just couldn't handle the heat. On Monday, I walked home feeling sorry for myself and ran into an old friend who was also walking. She started running this year and told me that I am her "inspiration". Talk about feeling humbled. I shut down that pity party right then and there and told myself to enjoy the sunshine. I get to do this. I don't have to do this.


Wednesday's run was more of the same but I stopped at the park for water and decided to turn my frown upside down by working on handstands. I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of kicking up and holding it, albeit briefly. I did a few more attempts and landed on my bootie in the swampy wet grass. Ick and the ground made a sucking sound when I stood up. It was pretty funny even though I had to run home with wet shorts.


Sammy Jo and I met for strength training on Thursday, even though it was the 4th of July. There were a lot of people at CrossFit that morning. She had me work on "tempo" back squats and gradually increased the weight to 105#. Tempo squats involve descending slowly, pausing at the bottom, coming back up, and then down and up. It's as hard as it sounds. I alternated those with hamstring curls on the fitness ball. After that, I alternated handstand in the middle of the floor with assisted and then kipping pull-ups. I'm just learning the motion of the pullups. The cool thing is that I can feel myself getting stronger! Strict pull-up, I'm coming for you!

After lifting, I completed this week's challenge, the "triathlon", which consisted of a 2000m row, 75 calories on the assault bike, and a 3k run. This was the scaled version for master's athletes and for once, I was glad to be an "older" athlete! Although I'm pretty sure I could have done the full version of a 3000m row, 100 calories on the bike, and a 5k run. I'm just glad I didn't have to!


My running buddy Steph texted me on Friday. I agreed to meet her for a run and she promised to take it slow. We ran at the preserve by her house. The preserve is under construction and even though I ran part of it a few weeks ago, I had no idea that the section we planned to run was completely dug up. Oops! We definitely got some trail running practice. Once we got through that section, it was fine. There were some new trails and bridges installed, and when it's done, it's going to be really nice. I started to redzone again, and I let her go ahead so I could walk and get my HR back down. She circled around and came back to check on me. We passed a young guy throwing up along the trail. It was that hot. Still, I got my 6 miles, I got to run with Steph and that made me very happy!


In other news, on Saturday, I volunteered at packet pickup for a race I'm running on Sunday. I've never done that before and it was interesting and fun. My job was to check in the runners. I sat next to another volunteer. Overall, it was a good experience. We were busy--there were 820+ registered runners for all the distances. I enjoyed interacting with everyone who came in to pick up their race packets and t-shirts.

Packet pickup was held at a local running store, which was really dangerous for my credit card. From my vantage point, I spied a pair of Brooks Launch 6 in the patriotic pattern on the wall with all the other shoes. Brooks has been making really fun shoes. I've got a few local races coming up with patriotic themes, I tried them on, I ran in them, and yadda yadda yadda, I now own them. They are so comfortable. I plan on breaking the cardinal running rule of nothing new on race day and wearing them to my race. It's only a 5k...


One more tidbit: a post I wrote for chronic illness website, The Mighty, was published this week! I'm happy to share it with you here.  I'm excited and proud to have two previous posts published there as well as another one coming up. It's a great outlet for me and keeps my RA talk here on the blog down.

For a week that didn't have a whole lot of miles, I sure talked your ear off! If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. I'll have a recap of that race on Tuesday. I'll post about the race on my Instagram and Facebook.

I didn't let the heat ruin my runs! How I turned my frown upside down /via @oldrunningmom #runchat #running

How was your week? Is it hot where you are? How are you surviving your runs? Any vomiting? How do you turn a bad run around?

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown.

54 comments :

  1. I share your pain regarding the heat. I too am whining about it. I have those shoes too but have not worn them. I didn't even wear them on my 4th of July race on Thursday. Oh well. I am getting ready to go out for a run and hoping it isn't too bad outside.

    Have a great race today!

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    1. Why haven't you worn them? They are so light and comfy. I had a great race in them today!

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    2. I have like 5 other pairs that I am rotating for my runs. :-) The Launch is my favorite Brooks shoes.

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  2. UGH with this weather already. I've been trying to get some miles in before my upcoming half, but I've done more walking than running because of the heat and humidity. Those Brooks shoes look awesome. I hope they work for you! I have some red (really dark pink), white, and blue Asics. I've only ever run in Asics so I thought they would be fine, but I wore them for a four mile run on the 4th and could feel the blisters forming on the insides of both of my heels by mile 3.

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    1. I gave up on Asics a few years ago and have struggled to find a shoe that works for me. I've been going back and forth between Mizuno and Brooks. I can't make up my mind.

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  3. I dont wear Brooks shoes but I sort of wish I did because I love all the different themed ones they have. I bought my sister the Boston ones last year!
    I was just talking to a friend about the weather and how i dont understand Chicago. It can be so cold that y'all call it Chiberia, yet in the summer it could reach 100! I dont understand..lol.
    What is an assault bike?

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    1. Our weather is ridiculous!

      The assault bike is basically a stationary air bike with the handles that move when you pedal. It's evil.

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  4. Brooks have become my go to shoe since they make size 5. Fortunately they make great shoes!

    Our weather has been good, but we got quite a jolt this week with 2 big earthquakes. We're 100 miles from the epicenter but still got shaken, with water sloshing around in our pool. 25 years ago we were 8 miles from the epicenter of the Northridge quake so I'm not a fan at all!

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    1. It has to be so scary to be in an earthquake! Glad you are safe.

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  5. Brooks makes fun themed shirts, too. They are a dangerous company, LOL.

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  6. Nice shoes! No vomiting here especially after I returned the rest of my prescription hayfever pills which made me feel SO NAUSEOUS when I was in Cornwall! It's gone suddenly hot here and it's a real shock to the system, isn't it!

    Well done on inspiring your friend, that's lovely! I always get sick of my photo-a-day thing, then a lady from yoga who's been gravely ill told me she loves watching out for my photos, which made me feel overwhelmed and then determined to do them with a better attitude.

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    1. Right? Sometimes I think I don't want to blog any more, people aren't reading it, etc...then I get a message or a comment about how much my posts inspire them. How nice is that?

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  7. Well I bet that you are an inspiration to more people than you know! Super cute shoes enjoy them. Sounds like a fun race this morning for you 2!

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    1. I sure wasn't planning on running like this but I"m glad I had someone to push me!

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  8. It's always reassuring when someone comes from out of the blue (or, is it Fate intervening?) and realigns one's gratitude meter. My pity party (after my whacko surgery two years ago) was very short-lived when all the mojo came pouring in from fellow runners and friends. I had people from town (who I didn't even know followed any of my fitness stuff) stopping me on the street, etc. Very humbling, and eye-opening, to realize just how much our actions are influencing those around us. Glad to hear things are turning around for you ;-) Keep on keeping on!

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    1. It was a nice slap in the face and then today, she pushed me again! Who knew?

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  9. Totally hear you about the hot and humid weather this week. It was really unbearable but then my office is set at like 35 degrees so I end up needed a jacket or cardigan when I'm there, lol.

    This is my first time seeing those Brooks sneakers and I love them! They really do have the best designs and colors for their sneakers.

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    1. I swear the shoes had magic in them. They are light and comfy and I just flew!

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  10. I'm surviving the heat by cherry picking when to run -- and mostly running shorter distances. There's definitely something to be said for not training for anything.

    Those Brooks are definitely super cute! They would have been perfect my my July 4th race. I keep clinging to my Newtons, which are now almost impossible to find. :( And no cute designs.

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    1. I have had to run in support shoes and these were neutral, but hey, what the heck? I slipped my orthotics in and let the magic happen.

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  11. Running in this heat is no joke! I hope that sick guy you saw was ok! I'm glad you got to share some quality miles with your friend - running buddies always make miles fly by. I've never volunteered at packet pickup, but I've done water stations and the finish line before. VOlunteering is fun and something I think all runners should do at some point.

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    1. 100% agree. I was actually so entertained by the variety of people who came in to pick up race bibs. Runners come in all shapes, sizes, and temperments!

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  12. Great week for you! I'm glad the HRM is helping you. I've been swimming way more than I've been running this week, that's how I deal with the crazy heat. You know I never feel sorry for myself. Running has been too good to me.

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    1. I WISH I liked to swim. And yes, I know there are no pity parties by you. Send me some of that, please!

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  13. Our humidity was off the charts this week too. Blech. Packet pick-up can be a good volunteering gig -- at least if you don't have too many people show up who aren't registered. Those shoes are amazing! They would look pretty sweet with my new InkNBurn top ....

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  14. I wanted those shoes so bad, but I had to curb myself! I would only have worn them once or twice as I already have a pair of Mizuno 4th of July shoes that I bought at peachtree last year and have barely worn so...not the best financial decision haha.

    The weather is insane. I say it every year but it feels like the hottest summer we've had ever. don't feel bad about not making the 6 miles- today I was supposed to run for an hour and a half and I cut my run 10 minutes short because I just couldn't stomach the heat anymore either. It's bad.

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    1. Oh, I"ll be wearing them, trust me. They are super comfy and will be great for speed work! Which I need to get on STAT.

      I can't imagine having to deal with the humidity as much as you guys do in Florida. This week was tough.

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  15. Those shoes are super cute! I'd have a hard time resisting them too. Nice work on getting your workouts done. But let's talking about the weather whining...zip it! Lol! I know it makes everything harder than ever but we'll be freezing our booties off soon enough. :)

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    1. I know, I know...but this week was rough! Today was absolutely perfect and yes please can we have this all summer?

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  16. Way to go on feeling yourself getting stronger. It really is paying off. And you're absolutely an inspiration.
    I think I asked once, but can't find it. What headbands do you wear? I'm looking for some wide ones like that when it's too hot for a buff, and I haven't found many that stay on.
    You saw my thoughts on the heat -- also whining. For as geographically diverse as we are, we're a predictable lot in terms of weather. I think only IowaKim is loving the summer weather.

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    1. I bought those headbands a few years ago at Target. I think they were Goody? I have looked for them since and haven't been able to find more. I bought some buffs recently ?Hygge? that are cute but they are warm.

      Seriously, I love summer but IowaKim can have the heat and humidity. I'm all about moderation.

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    2. Yes! I miss Goody. Used to find them here at Duane Reade but I haven't seen them in ages.
      My buffs are warm and not particularly wicking. Maybe I"ll try to hunt down those as I grow out my hair

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  17. The weather was hot and humid at home, but fortunately we traveled 400 miles north to Cape Cod. There, the weather was humid, but not really hot. Bill and I got some good runs in.

    Not surprising at all that you are your friend's inspiration! I am always inspired when I read your posts.

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    1. Aww, thank you! I don't expect to inspire anyone--just out there doing my thing. Which we all are. I love our group of bloggers--we sure keep each other going, don't we?

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  18. I had a very similar experience on my run last Monday, too! Planned to do 7, bailed at 5.67 because I just couldn't do it anymore (and I had an eye doctor appointment to get to). I was really upset with myself and definitely threw myself a big pity party over it, but reading everyone's weekly recaps today has made me feel MUCH better about how difficult of a time I had running last week - we were all struggling! Here's hoping this current cooldown lasts for awhile :)

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    1. Misery totally loves company! I am with you--I'm enjoying these more moderate temperatures!

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  19. It is hotter than Hades here in Minnesota! But also so humid, which is causing the damn biting gnats to stick around longer than usual. Thankfully the trails offered some good shade to help but it was like running with a wet hot towel on my face! Ugh.

    Angie B
    Https://24theroad.com

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    1. We have those biting gnats here but not as bad as I've encountered in Wisconsin. Why must they be so mean?

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  20. Replies
    1. Lots of practice but handstands were one of my 3 upper body goals which also included scaling the rope (done) and a strict pull up (still in progress). Women don't have a lot of upper body strength and I'm trying to remedy that!

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  21. I run in Brooks and I've been so tempted by those american flags one. Way to power through a hot and nasty week!

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    1. Those shoes were a total impulse purchase. I do run in Brooks but I usually buy support shoes. I slipped my orthotics into them and they were fine. I don't think I'll wear them on long distance runs but for speed work and shorter runs, they feel so good!

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  22. Our weather has been so inconsistent - hot for a few days, then cool and rainy for a few days, so I feel very unacclimated to the heat because it never stays long enough to get used to it. Not sure there is any acclimating to that heat/humidity combo though - it's always rough!

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    1. Same here! That heat came blasting out of the south and after our cool June, we were so unprepared for it. This week looks much more like the summer we should be having. I plan on enjoying it because I know it's going to get hot again.

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  23. The weather was absolutely brutal last week - way too hot for this part of the Midwest! Good work on getting out in those rough conditions! I swapped a few runs for hikes or kayaks on Lake Michigan - at least it felt a bit cooler on the lake. Hopefully you got a cooler morning like we did today!

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    1. Yesterday was amazing for my race and I was rewarded with a nice finish time and AG award. I'm certainly going to enjoy these more normal days!

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  24. It sounds like the heat was tough in a lot of places this week. Hopefully your body just needs to acclimate given that the temperatures rose so suddenly. Or hopefully the temperature will go back to the previous, cooler temps :)

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    1. I don't know how you can acclimate to those conditions! It has to be what it's like in Florida in the summer. Ugh. Yes, we are back to normal for a few days, at least!

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  25. GREAT article on you and RA--and I personally don't mind one bit when you post about RA and the impacts on your running here. The fact is, most of us at one time or another will have something going on that means we have to adjust or adapt what we're doing.

    Honestly, having read your blog helped me last year when I fractured my pelvis and this year w/ the cancer dx. I felt less alone.

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    1. I so appreciate this! I try to balance my health issues and its impact on my running with other content here on the blog. I never wanted to be 'the arthritis runner' but bottom line, RA really has affected me. I'm glad to know that what I'm writing has helped you!

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  26. I so feel your pain on the heat! The sudden shift really made this past week tough. You still had a great week! Those new shoes are pretty sweet!

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