Happy Heat Wave

As the whole world knows the Midwest has been engulfed by an unusually horrendous heat /humidity wave for about a week now. As a runner, this is always a challenge. Well dumb me, who totally knows better, ran last Sun 7/17/11, when according to the local meteorologist, Minnesota was had a heat index the SAME as the Amazon jungle!! Altho I knew it was hot and humid, I didn't get myself out the door until 10am-bad choice! I work 6.5 days a week, and so Sunday is my only full day off,well you get the picture. Sunday is also the only possible day that I can work in a long run. So as I was working my mileage back up after being injured, I was determined to suck it up and pound out a few extra miles. To top it off I am very fair skinned,so the sun is also an issue.
Because I was so excited to run again,after a short day before, I wore my VFFs and chose a gravel road run that is somewhat shady . I wasn't expecting to break a speed record,mind you, but I was hoping for a decent pace. It was so humid it was hard to breathe and no breeze.
The first 3 miles were great and gorgeous as I ran down into a into a woods and past a small lake, enjoying the pelicans along the way. As I ran out of the woods up into the farm field area,it was slightly hotter. I was ok-I can do this-no  big deal.After all I am a Minnesotan (actually an Illinois transplant).
As any Minnesotan will tell you, we are accustomed to accepting all weather as a  challenge.I run all year-all through the winter...many blogs for many another day.I will just add though,that I do not own a treadmill and run in -10-15 below 0 and who knows what wind chills, and run in sheet metal screws through the ice and feet of snow....like I said food for other blogs.
So back to the heat. I can do this. Just relax and take it slow. I was well hydrated and only planning on about 8 miles. No big deal. As I progressed uphill and rounded the curve at about mile 3 I noticed I was slowing down. It was hot and blazing sun. I saw the marker for about mile 3.5 and thought, ok I will turn around there and do 7. After turning around, I am on my way back-yea!! Psychologically that was a triumph in itself. Ok slowing now, 5mile and coming back now  downhill and into the shade!!! SHADE....like a long tall cold drink of water...Right next to the lake ( a wildlife lake,not sparkly clean on a hot day...in a marsh...) and the thought crossed my mind..I could actually drink that water...NO ICK.. like I said not sparkly clean. It occurred to me that if I was thinking of drinking mirky water, I was probably getting close to being overheated. Here I was 2
miles from home in the SHADE ,and what did I do ??? I STOPPED!!!!!!!! Now you have to realize in  30 YEARS yes count them -I am old(54)-in 30 years,in ALL weather,ALL terrain, I have NEVER stopped in the middle of a run before!! NEVER!!! Not even when I have gotten injured! NEVER,not one time!!!
I stopped in the shade,walked in a few circles, and then started running again..slowly... about 1/2 mile later I stopped AGAIN!! I actually blame this all on the Smiley Collective...because I suddenly realized...hey running smiley means it's ok to stop!!! WOW !What a revelation! As I pondered this, I decided to walk briskly-hey-this will work-walk 1/2 mile, run 1/2 mile...so that was the last 2 miles of my heat run. And guess what ??? IT WAS OK!!! I was still smiling!!
  Plunging my feet into the lake after returning home, and letting my body recover from the heat, I felt like running smiley was taking over my life!! Sounds dumb ,yes... but it has overflowed into all of my daily activities!! Running smiley was definately restructuring my runs.
Now it is Wednesday.It is still extremely,abnormally hot and humid. Although I have AC at work, we do not have AC at home. We live in the woods, on a lake, and normally it is comfortable. But this week has been extreme. Sleeping has been rough.
Monday, ran at 7am 5.3 miles -very hot and humid-but last mile barefoot!! Tuesday ran at 7am same and today Wednesday  a breeze yea!!, I ran 2.5 m and ran 2 miles barefoot (on chip and seal road).. I felt fantastic!!! I even was slightly faster today...slightly...my barefootin WAS faster!!I am so excited!! I can run smiley and barefoot in the heat!!
Proof positive that running smiley breaks barriers.....and stopping to smile is ok :))

pps/ Do not run in heat if you are not an experienced,seasoned runner and stay very well hydrated.

:)) running again

Yea!! After my whole week off, I am back to running again! So far, so good! I am still running minimalist shoes before I transition back to VFFs and then barefoot,after my injuries. Maybe I should go straight to barefoot,but I am trying go gradual and smart.
Since I am back on the road again, after a solid week of heavy duty core work,I have noticed renewed strength as I run.So funny today to read an article on "What is the most important muscle to strengthen as a runner ?"

No, not your calves...even as a bf runner...but your CORE! It is true!! Strong consistent core strength empowers your running.  You do have to be consistent,tho. And, I don't mean sit ups. I mean hard core pilates,yoga ,ballet core work. The best overall training DVD for this I have found is "The Bar Method,Dancer's Body" DVD. It gives perfect core strength, develops balance and strengthens back muscles to really kick in and support strength in your running. But, you have to keep at it!!This DVD is especially great for woman runners who do not want to develop heavy muscle. It really sculpts your body!! I am 54 and I could really notice a difference!!
So, my week off of running turned out to be a blessing in more ways than one. My core strength really girded up the healing process and made my back on the road experience that much stronger!!
So far 18.3 miles this week!! I am still training for a 1/2 marathon...so here I go!!

Running Smiley when you can't run

This summer marks 30 years of consistent running for me!! I have been celebrating this by  embracing barefoot running wholeheartedly. So much so in fact that I made a crucial mistake of over training recently which of course resulted in an injury :((
After 2 weeks of mental struggling...I have realized that there is a deeper well to running smiley than I had noticed before. Whether barefoot or shod, running smiley is always about the smile buried deeply under all of the daily struggles of life. On a good day, running smiley is obvious. On a good day, we strive to achieve our
pre -conceived goals. We smile when we accomplish them.
Even though I have run for 30 years, missing daily run is always an interior panic attack. Through years of minor injuries, setbacks, scheduling conflicts,raising  kids, owning a business, I was always a RUNNER.
If you aren't one -you just don't get it.
Barefoot running has set me free. Not in the ways you might expect though.
Yes, there are the obvious ones. But deep deep inside....it has set me free of myself. It has set me free to ENJOY running at it's core. It has taught to release my grip on expectations. To inhale and enjoy every breath,every step.
As I age, injuries are more threatening. When you are young, you know you will heal.When you are in your 50's, you are not so sure any more. The first thought is always -will I really be able to run again?

This week my goal is to take the WHOLE week off of running to heal.  That is very hard to do. I can run through pain, walk in pain all day and still get out the next day and do it again.  But this week my goal is to
run smiley without running .
Running smiley without running....dig deep into the smiley well and reach for the essence of running :)))