Tuesday run

A very nice short little warm little run! That does it - I just have to figure out a way to do most of my running here in July and August outside. I can't abide that treadmill - it is hard for me to get up really early (Brent goes out at 4am!), but one way or another it is going to have to happen. If I only run for 35 minutes, the heat isn't so overwhelming and I can go out at 6 or even 6:30; or I will run very early or very late.

3.23mi., 35:01, 10:50 pace, avg HR 148, max HR 161

(Pretty even split of zone 2 and zone 3, though that's why the longer runs get more intense - once I'm solidly in zone 3 due to heat and humidity, there's no coming back down, really; it is only up from there!)

Have been consulting with Brent about heat acclimation strategies for a possible warm race in Coeur d'Alene. (It will be ironic if I do a lot of heat training and then it's a cool day, but that's the kind of irony I can live with!) Exercising in heat produces better adaptation than 'passive' heat (sauna, hot bath), but some benefits come from the latter too, and I think I will be trying to spend regular time in the sauna during the couple weeks before the race.

(To me, a sauna is pretty much hell, but that is why I should do it! Bring my Kindle and a large bottle of water and work up from 30 minutes to an hour or so, I think. I can't spend more than a few minutes in a sauna or hot tub without becoming really crotchety and uncomfortable; after a recent swim I had a brief muscle-loosening stint in the hot tub at the gym, and the very chatty lady across from me was surprised that I got out again so quickly: "Why, your whole body has gone completely red!" she exclaimed when I stood up and got out. "You must be very sensitive to heat!")

Haven't typed up the details of my next training block, but I've swapped out the Tuesday and Thursday runs for this week; I'm 'saving' my interval run workout (a.k.a. favorite workout of the week) for when I am back in NYC and can do it outside in more reasonable temperatures!