Update On Things

While we have been blessed with a generally mild Texas summer this year, the "dog days" seem to refuse to go quietly into that good night. It is not unusual for high temperatures in Texas to hover well into September and it is starting to look like that will be the case again this year. While we eagerly await the changing of the seasons we're forced to deal with the reality of daily life in a "humid subtropical climate zone". (Understatement.)

This has obvious impacts upon training and performance, and I am certainly feeling the cumulative effects of what has been several weeks of hard work in the heat. Granted, it's not as bad as it could have been, but it has still presented a unique set of challenges. First and foremost is the constant focus on hydration and electrolyte replacement. Short runs of only a few miles leave one doused with sweat (think: stepping out of the shower fully clothed). Longer runs, meanwhile, can be draining physically and mentally, as it seems that no matter how much one drinks or how many salt tabs one ingests, it always seems that you're a step behind. Every breath of wind, every tree branch that provides a sliver of relief from the unrelenting sun, becomes a blessing of the highest order. Sleep is often sacrificed as runs must be undertaken in the early predawn hours to avoid the heat of the day - a sacrifice which further reduces the quality of training by preventing the body to fully heal from previous training sessions. In short, training in the summer is a grind.

As for where I stand at the moment, coming off of back-to-back higher mileage weeks (around 80 miles/week) has left me skewing to the "burned out" side of the running spectrum. A couple of (hopefully) minor niggles can certainly use an easy week to recover, and that is just what I am going to provide. 

This week I have also committed to my next adventure - Cactus Rose 100 in October in Bandera, Texas. I've had my eyes on this race for a while now so I decided it was time to put my name on the list. It's time to begin the mental preparation for 100 miles on what will probably be one of the tougher trails I will see in the state of Texas. I feel that physically I am prepared, but the question will become am I mentally ready? Am I ready to make a plan and commit to it? To have a pacing strategy? A nutrition plan? And most importantly - am I ready to display the mental focus and resolve that it will take to earn buckle #2?

To be continued...