Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Fortitude


What is fortitude?

I discovered a lot of fortitude on my virtual 13.1 this past weekend. I won a free entry to the Skirt Sports 13er run via Pahla B's blog, Adventures of an Amateur Athlete. I would love to have run the live event in Boulder, but well, life. There was a virtual race option. I felt a commitment to running this thing, even though I wasn't in 13.1 shape. Part of my winnings included $50 to spend on Skirt Sports merchandise, plus a finisher skirt. I wanted to earn my prize. I also felt a commitment to Pahla, because she told me how excited she was that I won. She said she knew I'd actually run the race. I'm not one to shy away from commitments.

Yep.

I dug deep for this one.

Fortitude is what allows you to run a race you aren't trained for.

Plus this was half marathon #13 for me. You know I'm somewhat superstitious. Last week I saw a black cat on the sidewalk and I skirted around him. I didn't want him to cross my path...

Fortitude is ignoring superstitions.

Before the race. When I was still dry.
It was pouring rain when I woke up this morning. When it stopped, I headed out the door. Into the 90% humidity. Silver lining: it was cloudy and 70F. I was wearing that finisher skirt for incentive. I knew I had to earn it.

Fortitude keeps you running 13.1 miles virtually in tropical conditions. When you want to quit. Even though there's no one around to keep you accountable.

I started out slow, on the bike path, running at about 9 min/mile pace. In hindsight, I probably should have started out slower. The path was pretty empty, save for a few other runners. About mile 5, my GI tract started rumbling. I knew there was a gas station about a half mile ahead and pressed on, the rumbling turning into full on red alert. I dashed through the gas station door. The friendly gas station attendant greeted me, and I said a quick hello while trying to appear calm. I had an episode much like Beth of Shut Up and Run wrote about here. I didn't deserve that thank you either. But feeling much better, I smiled at her as I dashed out the door and headed off to the forest preserve.

Fortitude pushes you to run 13.1 miles when your tummy isn't cooperating. Really, are you going to quit because of a little GI distress?

On the trail
After my potty stop, I started sipping on my Tailwind, and felt better. At this point, I was sweating like crazy. I noticed my finisher skirt had a big sweat stain in the front. Lovely. I was happy to see that the parking lot was empty. But on the trail ahead of me, someone who looked like Grizzly Adams came out of the woods. I picked up the pace, passed him, and kept looking over my shoulder. Luckily he walked in the opposite direction. Yikes. It's never dull here.

Fortitude allows you to feel strong running alone in the forest preserve but staying alert. Maybe my fortitude was making me a little too brave...

Once I hit the part of the forest preserve that is more populated, I relaxed and slowed down. My little sprint took a lot out of me and I struggled while I waited for my heart rate to slow back down. I kept repeating my mantras, and that song by Rage Against the Machine came on, the one that has the line, "F---no I won't do what you tell me!" Yep, brain, I'm not stopping now. This is the song that got me past miles 23-25 at the marathon last year, and it got me through miles 6-8 on Sunday.

Still running...and happy to be on the loop where everyone walks and runs.
Fortitude is drawing strength from cheesy, motivating songs. Eminem came on after that RATM song. I won't collapse, Eminem. I promise.

from "Till I Collapse" by Eminem
Then my phone rang. Weird. I stopped and took my phone out of my spibelt. No one was calling me, it was my phone calling my husband. Seriously? Was it a sign? Should I let it ring, and have my husband pick me up? NO! Won't quit....

I cancelled the call. I resumed my run, but thought about this for a while. Why did my phone make a ghost call? Hmmm...

Fortitude is pushing on when even your phone wants you to quit.

I finished up that loop at the forest preserve and headed back through the neighborhood that would take me home. I started to get a side stitch on my left side. Of course I did. Why not? I don't usually get side stitches, but when I do, I can normally breathe through them. This one wouldn't go away. The pain was pretty sharp too, and it interfered with my breathing, so I had to stop and walk it off. This would be my pattern for the next 3 miles. Run, side stitch, walk. Repeat. This made me mad.

Fortitude is not quitting when a side stitch won't go away.

At this point my skirt was almost completely soaked to the hemline. I passed another runner a jogger who stared at my skirt and shook his head. I glared at him. I don't want your pity, dude! How about some support?

Fortitude is summoning up anger when another runner thinks you're an idiot.

As I ran, I worked on exhaling on the opposite side of that side stitch. I was starting to feel a little off, too. In my mental fog, I started to think that maybe this run wasn't a great idea. Maybe I am an idiot. And then the words of Becky floated in my head..."for every word of self doubt, you have to do 10 burpees". Well, there sure as hell weren't going to be any burpees at that point. I knew if I got down on the ground to do a burpee, I'd never get back up. I figured that running the rest of the way would be so much easier. So while I was walking, I turned my thoughts around. I kept reminding myself that I wasn't dehydrated, that I was drinking my Tailwind. That I can and I will. I thought about the what ifs...what if the Chicago Marathon is hot and humid like this? Would I quit then? What if this was one of my real training runs? Would I quit that? How will I be prepared for a hot race if I quit on a hot training run? How would I feel if I gave up? What would that do to my confidence?

Timing is everything, and as I worked all that out in my head, by mile 12, the side stitch went away. I was able to slowly run the last mile to the finish, which was my home. I was happy to finish running, not walking. Never do I want to walk across a finish line, even a virtual one. I spotted one of my neighbors walking her dog, and I worried that she would expect me to stop and talk before I hit 13.1.

Luckily, I hit 13.1 about 10 feet before I reached her. I stopped my Garmin and caught my breath. Victorious.

She took one look at my red, sweaty face; my dripping finisher skirt. "You're crazy", she said.

I grinned. I'm not crazy. I'm tough. Fortitude.

I am. Completely. Soaked.
The stats: 13.1 miles, 2:06:50m 9:41 minutes/mile. Not my fastest by any means, but for these conditions, finishing is winning. Not my slowest either. Had I not gotten that side stitch, I would have been on pace for a 2 hour half. And that's pretty respectable for these conditions, in my opinion.

Nope, not me. I'm not a quitter.

I can and I will.

Go hard or go home.

Badassery.

And now that unlucky 13th marathon is on the books.

Fortitude. Do you have it? Would you have run this one, in the conditions I faced? Would you have quit? What do you do to push yourself when the going gets tough?

I'm linking this post up with Deb Runs for her Wednesday Word. Fortitude. What a great word!

Monday, June 15, 2015

Ready to Race!

Welcome to the 8th Race Recap Link-Up!! I love reading recaps from other bloggers. Its a great way to learn about different races, support other runners, and gain motivation. A recap is the final leg of the race. It’s your chance to relive your race and allow others some insight. The training miles, the race day jitters, the glory of crossing the finish line. the good - the bad - the ugly We want to hear it all….

Meet the hosts...


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This week's post isn't a race recap....
today I answer the question:


Maybe I should title this how not to train for races. There's a lot of advice out there on social media on training for a race. I've run 2 marathons, and am currently training for my 3rd. I've also run 13 halfs and a bunch of shorter races. After all this time, I think I've finally learned what works--for me. But I couldn't figure it all out on my own. I've been working with a coach for the last 2 years, and having that input has made a huge difference in my running. I've also learned a thing or 2 from her that I think everyone can learn from.


Train for the distance you are running. The longer the distance, the longer the training. There's a local radio station, who every year after the Chicago Marathon, interviews people who didn't train at all. It's really interesting to hear their comments. Some of them actually finish around 5 hours, which is pretty respectable for no training. But overwhelmingly, when asked if they'd do it that way again, no training, they all respond no. You could probably wing it with a 5k or even a 10k, but any distance further than that requires some time on the road. Unless you are a one and done racer. Then have at it.

Nothing new on race day. You've heard this one before, but my Facebook feed is always filled with runners lamenting wearing a new pair of shoes or trying a new fuel at a race. Heck, I'm guilty of this myself. A few years ago, I ran a half marathon in Florida wearing the cutest socks with the race logo on them. I had never worn them before--I was "saving them for the race!" Hello, black toenail. I don't lose toenails very often. I was really mad at myself about this. Anything you want to use on race day, you need to give it a test ride on your training runs. Last summer, about halfway into my marathon training, I switched fuels. I drank that fuel for every long run for the duration of my training. And I knew exactly how things would go, as far as fueling was concerned, on race day.

This is heat training in February. Whew!
Train for the conditions you will be running in. Last March, I was registered for a half marathon in Florida. In the Chicago area, we were in the midst of a polar vortex. How the heck was I going to train for the Florida heat and humidity when it was sub zero here? I knew I had to do something, since I crashed and burned at my previous Florida half, so I did what I called "heat training". Yep. I put on thermal tights, a sweatshirt, and a hat, and ran my runs on the treadmill. No fan to cool me off. Holy moley, I was hot. And unfortunately, I didn't get to use my heat training, as I had to cancel my trip, but my spring runs were phenomenal. And this article in Runners World, which I read recently, validated that I was not a lunatic for doing this. Apparently heat training is "a thing".

Does this look like marathon training to you? Slam balls? Kettlebell swings? Pushing the prowler? Yep.
You don't need to run huge miles to run a marathon. There, I've said it. Throw darts at me. But we are not elite runners, folks. We're those everyday people who like to run and maybe get a personal best out of it. Most of us are not made to run tons of miles, especially us older masters runners. But you're not off the hook. Instead of running massive miles, make sure one of your weekly runs is speedwork, one is a long slow distance run, and either 1-2 other runs of 3-6 miles at easy or tempo pace. In between there should be a cross training workout, like HIIT or something intervally. And one day of weights. Cross training is also ok. I did this last year with great success. The high mileage training for my first marathon? Not so much. That plan left me with plantar fasciitis and a stress fracture.

Set reasonable goals for your race. Be realistic. Take time to evaluate what you want out of your race. Do you just want to finish? Run with your friends? Do you want to PR? Qualify for Boston? As your training progresses, you can reevaluate your goals and make adjustments in your expectations.

Trust your training plan. It's so easy, after a bad run, to want to make changes in your training plan. I've been guilty of this myself. Don't do it. You picked your plan for a reason, and you should follow it. Things have a way of working out in the end.

Choose a mantra. A big part of training for a race is mental training. By picking a mantra, you're setting a positive tone for yourself. When you feel like you're getting down, repeat the mantra to yourself and remind yourself what you're capable of.

Do you have any tips for race training? What works for you? What would you tell a beginner?

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Speaking of races...
I'm pretty excited that I've been asked again by Gone For A Run to participate in a virtual run, the All 4 Run Virtual 4 mile Run to be run the weekend of July 4! I really enjoyed my last virtual run with them, the BadAss 5 miler, and this one looks to be a good one as well. There is some sweet swag again: a t-shirt, medal, and magnet.  What better way to celebrate the 4th than to run 4 miles? If you get it done early in the day, there will plenty of time to relax, eat, and take in the fireworks. Anyone want to run this one with me? Click on the link or go to goneforarun.com to learn more! And let me know if you're running it, so we can run virtually together!

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Featured post from last week...
Check out RacingTales Ironman Raleigh Recap. She got more than she bargained for! june 16

About this link up...

It is active every Tuesday - Friday. Link up your most recent recaps, or throwback to an old favorite. *If your post is unrelated to the theme, it will be deleted. One recap will be featured on the next link up! Read at least 3 other posts and leave them some love. The more the merrier… share on your social media so others can link-up. #TuesdayTales Grab the code to the link-up image below on your post or somewhere on your blog.
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Thank you for linking up this week - be sure to come back next week. [caption id="attachment_777" align="aligncenter" width="278"]GOTR SoleMate GOTR SoleMate[/caption

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Water water everywhere!

We have had so much rain this late spring, I feel like I live in the Northwest. Some summers in the Midwest are like this. All you can do is make the most of the rare sunshine you get. Or learn to make your own sunshine.


Which is what I tried to do. I ran what I hoped would be a quick 4 Saturday morning before I went into work. Not so much. The humidity was 90%, and even though it was 65 degrees, it felt like I was running in a sponge. My friend Penny used the word moist to describe the conditions. While that pretty much sums it up, there's something uncomfortable about that word, isn't there? Anyways, I eaked out an average of 8:54 minutes/mile, and was happy that I at least was sub-9 for that short run. There were puddles everywhere.

When I left work around 1 pm, it was 85 degrees and sunny. Crazy, right? I decided that I wanted to take my kayak out for a spin paddle. Luckily for me, my oldest son was home and he agreed to help me put the kayak brackets on my Jeep. It wasn't as easy as it seemed and when we were done, we had sweated so much that we both had to change our clothes. My husband helped me load up the kayak, and laughed and laughed at the thought of me doing this by myself at the retention pond.

Well, I got the last laugh. Not only did the park district employees help me take the kayak off the car, they carried it down the hill to the lake for me. The studly park district employee with the big biceps (man, he was cute!) told me to come find him when I was done and he'd put the kayak back on my car. No problem, right? Meanwhile, I headed out onto the lake into the sunshine.


This is the retention pond where I do my speedwork, and a lot of my long slow runs. I also run here quite a bit in the winter because the path is plowed and sanded, and the bathroom is open and heated. I've never been out on the water though, and I really enjoyed seeing the park and the path from a different perspective. I didn't have much company on the water, except for a dragon boat full of kids. They must have been learning to row because they kept stopping and listening to the instructors. I couldn't hear what they were saying but it wasn't warm and fuzzy. When the kids were rowing, they were grunting.


There was also another guy in a different type of kayak who was rowing furiously to get back and forth across the lake. I think he made 2 trips for each one of mine. Overachiever.


Me, I paddled at a nice leisurely pace. Got yelled at by a fisherman tho, when I ventured into a part of the lake that was apparently off limits to boats. Who knew?


I spent about an hour paddling around the lake, making 2 trips around it. It wasn't exciting but it was relaxing and just what I needed. I headed back to shore and my new boyfriend loaded my kayak back up on my Jeep.

Sunday morning I woke up to rain. It had rained all night and everything was even more soggy. I had a virtual 13.1 miler on tap for Sunday. My plan was to get up early and go. Mother Nature had other plans, clearly. But I checked the weather radar, and it looked like most of the rain was going to pass to the south of me. By 730, I was out the door.

Of course, the 90% humidity meant that I soon became a sweaty mess. I did a lot of puddle jumping on this one. The creek along the path was up to the top of its banks, and the retention ponds were starting to overflow. There weren't a lot of people out running, but I had plenty of company with the ducks. It was that kind of morning.

By the end of my run, I was completely soaked and exhausted. The last 3 miles were a lot of run/walk combo. This was a tough one--one of the toughest halfs I've run since last summer. Humidity is not my friend. I'll post a complete recap of this run on Wednesday, because the Wednesday word is Fortitude, and in these conditions, I needed a lot of fortitude to complete this run.

When I got home, I wrung out the sweat from my running clothes. Wow. I asked my son to take a picture of me as I dripped sweat all over the kitchen floor.

I don't know if you can see but my skirt is completely saturated. With sweat.
Mother Nature is doing her best to ruin everyone's outdoor plans. But you can't stop a runner, can you?

What's the weather like by you? This has been a really disappointing start to summer. I'm hoping that it turns around for us!

I'm linking up with Tara at RunningNReading for her weekend update! Check it out! Lots of great posts.


Friday, June 12, 2015

Taking the Long Way Home Book Club Book Review: The terrible and wonderful reasons why I run long distances by Matthew Inman


I picked this book because it's summer and I thought, since we're all so busy, what better book to read than a graphic comic about running? It's a quick, easy read that took me all of one hour to get through. But I'll go back to it again and again, because it really hits home for me. Most of it, anyways! I've always loved the Oatmeal comics--Inman has a kind of snarky sense of humor, much like me, and the comics I'd seen previously from this book were funny and poignant.

In the introduction to the book, Inman gives a little background. He started running 10 years ago to lose weight. He says he was an overweight kid. Since he started running, he's run all the distances, including ultras. The inspiration for his comics come while he is running. Even though he's run far and admittedly fast (his half marathon PR is 1:30), he waxes poetic on the pain and challenge that running poses.

from the terrible and wonderful reasons why I run long distances by Matthew Inman
Midway through the book is "A lazy cartoonist's guide to becoming a runner". This is simply brilliant, and should be required reading for all beginning runners. Because as he says, "remember, running sucks in the beginning". How many people have said to me that they "can't run", that it's "too hard"? Inman calls running "a front loaded chore". It gets better. Maybe not easier. As runners, we all know that.

Like me, Inman has a strong dislike for the treadmill. He likens the treadmill to a cyborg.
"It is like being taunted by a cyborg. A cyborg never tires. A cyborg does not know fatigue. A cyborg only know ones and zeros. Cyborgs are dicks."
I've never thought about my treadmill as a dick, but it does throw random pieces of plastic at me, so there's that.

One of my favorite sections of the book is "The Dos and Do Nots of running your first Marathon". I'd seen this comic prior to reading the book, and it never fails to entertain me. His tips could actually apply to running any race distance. And yes, gels do taste like "boob milk from a cyborg". I'm not sure what that would taste like, but I imagine that gels would just about cover it. Ugh....

I know this voice well. Image from the terrible and wonderful reasons why I run long distances by Matthew Inman
I've written a lot about mental toughness while running long distances, and defeating the voice inside my head that tells me to quit. Inman actually has a name for that voice. He calls it the "Blerch". He visualizes a "fat little cherub who follows me when I run".  You can out run the Blerch, and you can silence him.  The Blerch has struck a chord with a lot of us. Inman has organized virtual and live runs "Beat the Blerch". He sells tshirts and gear on his website. The book also comes with 2 Blerch stickers, if you're into that.

The only section of the book that I take issue with is his description of running a race. He says:
"The closest comparison I can think of is if ten thousand pregnant ladies all met in the street and started firing infants out of their hoo-haws in a massive game of amniotic paintball. It would be a messy ordeal. There would be sweat. There would be tears. there would be police cars and barricades. But in the end, an army of countless baby-people would emerge, all feasting on orange slices and high-fiving one another for a job well done."
Ok, I have compared running a marathon to giving birth. A painful ordeal, but oh, so rewarding in the end. And you do get amnesia, a bit, for the whole process, and sign up to do it again. But really, firing infants out of women's hoo-haws?  I get your analogy, Mr Inman, but it's a little gross the way you describe it. Anyways, you are right, it is an "exuberant payoff" to months of tedium.

And one other thing, I don't listen to music to distract myself from the pain and tedium of running. I don't believe that listening to music "waters down the core of what it takes to be a distance runner". I don't agree with him on this point AT ALL. Trust me, I still feel the pain.

image from the terrible and wonderful reasons why I run long distances by Matthew Inman
In the end, we all run for the same reasons as Inman. We run to "seek that clarity". We run "very fast because we desperately want to stand very still".
"I run to seek a void."
We run to shut out the world.
"Demons are forgotten. Krakens are slain. Blerches are silenced."
That's why I run.

How about you?

What did you think? Did you enjoy the book? Do you have a blerch?

Don't forget to link up your review below!

And by the way, there won't be an author interview this month. I tried to reach out to Inman, and never heard back from him. Then I saw a message on his website that basically said, "don't email me". And I found this comic of his:


I'm sure he's a really nice guy, but probably gets tired of spam. Anyways...If you want to learn more about Matthew Inman, here's an interview published by Wired in 2013. Mark Remy of Runners World also interviewed Inman in 2013, and asked questions similar to what I had in mind, and so that will have to suffice. You can read that interview here. For now, I'm just going to continue to enjoy his comics, his love for his dogs, and his irreverent take on running.

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Be sure to link up your review below! You know the rules; make sure you link back to this post. The badge is below. And be sure to read everyone else's reviews. Sharing is caring! Remember if you don't have a blog, or don't care to link up, post your review in the comments. Thanks again for participating!

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I hope you'll join us next month for our next book Running Like A Girl by Alexandra Heminsley. The link up will go live July 14!



Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Post run yoga

People are always asking what yoga poses are most helpful for runners. I was really sore this weekend after my runs, and I took my mat outside on the deck, as I often do this time of year, to stretch it all out. I have a pretty comprehensive post run yoga routine that I like to do, and I thought I'd share it here on the blog. This sequences of poses hits all the high points--the hips and hamstrings, of course, but also the calves, the IT band, and the low back. These are poses that everyone can do, and I'll talk about modifications for people who can't access the poses fully. I could have downloaded images from the internet, but wanted to show you how I do them. As I like to "keep it real", you get to really appreciate how tight my hips and hamstrings are when you see the pictures!

Some days are like this.
So no excuses! Yoga is for everyone, not just flexible people! Remember this, no matter how deep you get into the pose, you are getting benefits.

For all the poses, hold each one for 5 breaths.

Start with 10 sun salutations, or what I like to, modified caterpillars. Caterpillars are meant to be done moving across the floor, like a caterpillar,  but I slip too much, and so I like to do them this way on my mat.

Start in forward fold at the back of your mat.


Step forward into plank. Keep those hips up! Push back on your toes to get that calf stretch. Don't hunch your shoulders.


Push back into downward facing dog. Push your hips up and back.


Return to forward fold and repeat this sequence x 10 reps. After your last downward dog, step your right leg forward between your hands into low lunge. Push forward with your hips. You can keep your hands on the ground, place them on your knee, or push them into your low back.


Push back as you straighten your front leg. Try to keep your front foot on the ground. Fold forward over your straightened leg.


Push forward into low lunge again; then repeat the hamstring stretch. On this second one, curl your toes back towards your face. Fold forward again over your straightened leg. Push forward into low lunge again, then lift your back knee off the ground for a runner's lunge.


Optional: You can straighten the front leg for an additional hamstring stretch; fold over your straight leg. Push forward into your runner's lunge again.

Move your right hand to the instep of your right foot. Lower down to the mat onto your forearms into lizard lunge. You can place a block under your forearms if you can't get down to the mat. You can also drop the back knee down to the mat. Or you can just stay up on your hands.


Push back up and straighten your arms, lower your back knee, and slide your front leg underneath you for pigeon forward fold. Once you're in position, take a back bend and fold forward over your pigeon leg. Hold for as long as you want.


Push back up into a backbend, straighten up, and come to your knees. Repeat the sequence from low lunge to pigeon forward fold on the opposite side.

After you've completed both sides, come to your knees again. You can sit on your knees for modified hero's pose, you can sit on your toes for broken toe pose, or you can sit between your knees (on a block or on your mat) for the full pose. After your hips open up, you can also go into the backbend for a quad stretch.


Slide your legs around front for seated forward fold. Feel free to use a strap if you can't touch your toes. Remember to lean forward from your hips. It's not how far you go forward; it's about folding from the hips.


Slide your right leg back with your foot on your thigh for one legged forward fold. Try to grab the extended foot. You can also grab the foot, twist it towards your left and pull it towards you for a soleus stretch. Repeat on the opposite side.


Open your legs wide for wide legged forward bend. Again, bend forward from the hips. You can lean forward and place your hands on the mat or you can peace lock your big toes.


Slide your legs together; cross your left foot over your right knee. You can either keep your right leg straight or bend it and place your right foot next to your left hip. Make sure both hips are on the ground, otherwise keep a straight bottom leg. Slowly twist to the left and either wrap your right arm around your left leg or push into your left leg with your right elbow. You can also take a bind. Repeat on the opposite side.


Straighten both legs. Repeat the twist on the opposite side. 

Sometimes I throw in a cowface pose, just for fun...it's like the twist, only both legs are crossed. The goal is to get the knees on top of each other. Maybe in my next life...grab both feet and gently pull the feet outward as you lean forward over your folded legs. Straighten both legs again. Repeat on the opposite side. 

And now you're done.



You can lay back for savasana if you wish!

This entire sequence should take about 15 minutes; you can hold the poses longer if you want. You will feel refreshed and so much less sore after this routine. 

Do you do any stretching or yoga after a run? What are your favorite poses? Anything you'd add to my sequence?



Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Warm weather motivation




We really haven't had much hot weather here to speak of, so thinking about warm weather tips and motivation is not first and foremost on my mind. The weather forecast for the upcoming week is looking a little toasty, and so it's good timing for me to review what I do differently to get through a run in the summer than in the winter.

nike.com
Sweating makes you feel extra badass- Do you dread the thought of heading out into a morning that is 99.9% humidity? My Florida friends talk about this a lot. But we Midwesterners suffer from some pretty intense humidity in the summer months as well. I won't lie..the humidity really takes a toll on my running. After a run on a humid morning, I could just wring the sweat right out of my clothes. And that makes me feel like I worked so much harder than on a comparable run in the winter. So let's put a positive spin on it. What is it about sweat that feels so cleansing? Here are a few sweaty mantras you can adopt:
"Sweat is liquid awesome"
"I don't sweat, I sparkle"
"Sweat like a pig to look like a fox" 
"Sweat is fat crying"
Next time you say you don't want to go out for a run because it's too hot...too humid, pull out one of these mantras. Celebrate your sweat. Embrace it! You earned it!

Summer running gear is so much cuter- Because for me it's all about the gear. I just love my summer running clothes. I get to wear skirts and tanks, and I have such a fun variety! Planning my outfit the night before an early morning summer run makes me feel motivated to get up with the alarm and head out the door.

Getting ready to run is so much easier- Since you don't have to wear as much to run in the summer, morning prep time for a run is significantly less than in the cooler weather. Slip on your skirt or shorts, your tank and bra, and you're ready to hit the road. But if you're going for a longer run, take the time to use your Body Glide. Chafing is no fun.

You have less clothes to wash-In the winter, my laundry is doubled. There's tights, and base layer tops. There's a second top. Maybe a vest over that. Long wool socks. Gloves. A hat. Summer laundry is just so much easier.

I'm loving the light singlets that are out this summer! This one's from New Balance.

You get to see the sunrise-Would you want to miss this?

Last summer sunrise. Not sure why I looks so stunned. 
Drinking fountains and bathrooms are operable- Where I live, between October and May, all the drinking fountains are shut off in the local parks. That means either I carry water or I go without. Sure, I don't need to drink as much in the cooler weather, but on a longer run, it would be nice to be able to stop for a sip. The portapotties seem to disappear with the falling leaves too. I guess the park district folks don't think people go to the bathroom in the cooler weather. One park by me opens the public restrooms every day in the winter, and so I plan a lot of runs there.

A much welcome drink on a recent warm day. Oh, and check out the cute Skirt Sports skirt I won! 

Beer tastes so much better after a hot sweaty run-Maybe you don't partake, but for me, the best post run drink is a cold beer. I don't drink a lot of beer, but I do enjoy one after a run. I also feel like I've earned it! It's really a great way to refuel. My husband is a homebrewer and we've always got something tasty in the fridge. My go to is usually Spotted Cow (from New Glarus in Wisconsin) or a German Weiss beer. But my husband is brewing a Belgian Wit beer for my fall marathon. And naming it BQ. I hope it brings me good luck.

Only available in Wisconsin, I'm afraid.
Running in the heat and humidity is certainly a challenge. Remember to take it slower, pace yourself, and stay well hydrated. With the proper preparation and mindset, you can run in the heat and humidity. Running in the summer brings big rewards in the fall, when the weather is cooler.

And it you need any more motivation to run outside in the summer, here's my famous/infamous picture from last winter:



Which do you prefer? Summer running or winter running? No fair if you live somewhere tropical--we know what you like! Any tips for surviving the summer heat?