Saturday 26th May - the day before the 10k race at the zoo. It's hot hot hot! (27-30c) A few jobs completed around the house and lots of carbs scoffed for the following day. I really wanted to get out and run and was feeling moody because of it. Seeing people out there in their running kit, jogging along. I want to be out there with them. Sigh. Is this what an addict feels like? Come on, I want it to be Sunday already....
Saturday 27th May - I'm awake long before the alarm. Kids and husband snoozing away whilst I scoff breakfast and head out the door with all my kit and number to Whipsnade Zoo. It's already hot (28c) and it's 8am. I start worrying about heat stroke and how hard it's going to be running in this heat. In all my worrying I forget to warm up properly and start the race feeling stiff. The one race I want to do really well in and I forget my warm up. One lap completed and I feel okay. Not feeling to hot and the hills I dreaded last year are feeling rather easy. Lap two, the heat is starting to feel uncomfortable and the fatigue in my legs is increasing so I concentrate on my running form to keep my mind of the ache in the muscles, it works, lap two flies by. Lap three, the heat has really kicked in now, the hills still feel easy but coming up to the finish I don't feel right. Instead of pushing myself I ease of. I still did a fantastic time compared to last year - 58 mins compared to 1 hour 12 mins. As the chip was being taken of the dizziness kicked in - to much heat, to much effort, not enough sweat to cool me down. If I don't do something fast heat stroke will be next. A quick collection of the medal, goodie bag and a jog to some shade. I get the water bottle and drown myself, covering as much bare skin with water as possible. Thankfully there's a cool breeze and the cooling effect works. Phew! I really did not want another sit down in an ambulance again.
Lesson of the day..... if you have you're own drinks on a hot day, take the water on offer and use it as extra cooling for your skin.
Then, to add a little cool down session to the day I helped my son around the 2k kids fun run. For a 5 year old who doesn't run competitively he did very well completing the course in 15 minutes. My daughter at 11 years old raced of and completed the course in 13 minutes. Athletes in training, haha. The medals and goodie bags afterwards were of course a great incentive for them.
A few lessons learnt today. I'm hoping that the rest of the races for the year will not be as hot as that one.
Next weekend has no race booked so it may be a training run for the half marathon the following week.
119.6k of races completed so far - another 200k to go. I'm also making my personal challenge of 200 miles of races a fund raiser for various charities. virginmoneygiving.com/hels205
TTFN
Hels
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