So I've been pushing my mileage back up in preparation for a fall marathon, but I have to admit... it has been practically impossible to run anything of quality + quantity under the conditions that we've had in the past couple months.
It's official: July 2012 was the hottest month on record EVER for the USA, according to NOAA. There have been more 100 degree days in Chicago this year that I can even fathom. More than I've ever experienced in all of my 35 years, combined. Even worse, when a guy needs to run 60-75 miles a week... he doesn't have a choice... he bites down and takes it.
The last 2 months have been completely exhausting. I've been feeling totally beat and tired. And sadly, I'm even behind in my training by a week or two - so technically, I haven't even spent as much time out there as I should've been… UGH.
It's not often that I really complain about the weather.... but mark this as a formal complaint: I AM SICK AND TIRED OF RUNNING IN 100 DEGREE HEAT... sick of 95 degrees... and sick of "just" 90 degrees with 60% humidity. I'll stop short of saying that I wish it was zero degrees right now... but at least when it's 32, I can get in quality running without utter exhaustion.
OK, enough whining. Here's what I've been doing recently:
This will be my 3rd week in a row at or above 75 miles, and 6th week in a row above 50 miles. I'd love more, but that constitutes the start of a good-enough base. Another week at that level, then I go up to the Adirondacks for two straight weeks... at that point, game on. The weather will be much more favorable, I'll be able to rehydrate my whole body from this fucking heat, and I'll get 14 days of solid hill work. When I get back from the cabin, I should be a monster and ready to gut out 1 final month of hard training.
I've had some speed in the last couple weeks, though nothing to brag about. I've done 3 tempo runs - all 5 miles each averaging about 5:50's. Going faster or longer has just not been possible given the weather. I'll hit the track tonight for the first time since March or April. Any interval work has been in fartlek runs.
Months ago, when it was consistently 75-80 degrees in MARCH, I jokingly said that we were gonna be cooked to death in the 12/21/12 apocalypse. I really hope that's not the case, but something is certainly not right with this picture:
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