A Special Hug

It has been hot here in Minnesota. Unseasonably hot. Firing pots hot. Smelting iron hot. Two days ago we topped out at 97 degrees. Yesterday we topped out at 93. Both were record highs. Three days ago it was 81. A week ago it was 62. Right now it's 64. Most of the time I hate the heat. Especially when it comes on suddenly. This time though I decided to take advantage of the heat. Embrace the heat. 

That embrace became one of those hugs that linger just a beat too long and make both parties feel uncomfortable and awkward. 

Tuesday, (three days ago) we did our usual run. We are in taper so it was short with some sprints at the end. We went around Lake Harriet two times and it took until the second time for us to get some zip back in our legs from the previous week's long run. For me the sprints felt amazing and fast. It was humid and the sweat was a flyin'. That night my lower legs were killing me. Ugh. I hate that feeling. 

Yesterday was a double. I swam with Masters early in the morning and then went on a bike ride with MS and CS. The swimming helped my legs feel much better. It was another hard workout - IM day with 200, 300 and 400 IMs. I felt good throughout and made the intervals, but could tell I was tired. I got home, got the kids on the bus, ate too little and drank too little, took the dog to school, came back home, loaded the bike in the car and drove to MS's house.

Along with the heat we have had crazy wind both Tuesday and Wednesday. Like steady 15 miles an hour with 30 - 40 mile an hour gusts. Needless to say this made the ride rather challenging as we were riding at odd angles battling the cross-winds. But it went well. 24 miles at an easy pace. We were really just spinning to get the legs loosened up and spend some time in the saddle. Nothing really hard with the marathon coming up in a week and a half. After the ride I hopped in my car, drove home, took a shower, drank too little and ate too little, ran some errands and then went to get the dog from school. Got home, had dinner, then it was off to soccer for F. I was exhausted. Stood around at soccer talking to parents and cheering on F and then home to watch the end of American Idol and then to bed later than I wanted. All along I have a light sweat going because it is so damn hot and I tend to be a sweater - but I hide it well. (Or maybe I don't - someone please tell me if I am becoming "The Sweaty Guy." OK - thanks.)

I slept OK but was still hot so I imagine I sweated during the night. (Not like night sweats, don't worry.) ("GOD, WILL YOU MAKE A POINT!" I am sure you are screaming right now.)

Today was another easy six mile run. It was humid and a little rainy, but nothing to write home about. I was kind of tired, but got up as usual, drank a large glass of Accelerade and ate half a Clif Builder bar as usual and went off to run. 

About a mile into the run I was experiencing weird things with my vision. I have had migraines and it was not at all like that. I was hot and sweating because it was still pretty humid. There is a water fountain ("bubbler" for anyone in Wisconsin) at mile two so we stopped. Sometimes a stop is all I need to reset the engine timing so I thought this would help. We started running again and I was not feeling right at all. Spacey, still had the weird vision thing, hot, HR too high, working too hard for the easy pace, legs were kind of crampy and felt like jelly. I called it off. We turned around and started walking back - stopped at the water fountain again and eventually started running very easy just to get back quicker. 

I think I was running totally dehydrated with whacked out electrolytes. I don't know if I have ever felt that before. It was a little freaky. The rest of the day I am taking it relatively easy. Certainly no workouts today or tomorrow and pumping the fluids and NUUN. Luckily it's cooler today and more seasonal. Next time I will embrace the heat a little more gingerly and not throw my arms around it and grab it's ass like I did this past week. Better to have this happen in training than on race day, right?

UPDATE - Lost the unsightly tuft of man-fur today. Waxed. The experience makes the scene in "40 Year Old Virgin" all the more funny. I only had a small area deforested but it FRICKING HURTS. I didn't cry or squeal, but I had to grit my teeth and flinched with every pull. I am glad I don't have to have large swaths taken care of. (And "No" I am not going to provide pictures. Some of you people are freaks!)