Back from vacation, learning an old lesson

ORN: 9.4 miles total, with 7 x 1 mile repeats, average 8:56 (but averages are deceiving)

You'd think I would have learned this by now. But apparently not.

Hydration matters.

Running last week on vacation in northern Wisconsin was awesome. The cool temperatures, dry air, beautiful woods to run through, stress-free atmosphere all worked together to make a great week. I ran hard, felt good, enjoyed every step.

And, as often happens, I somehow thought that what had happened would continue to happen.

When we got home Saturday night, we were greeted with a classic set of the "Indiana Ninety-fives"... 95 degrees with 95% humidity. Out the door at 7am this morning, it was already 76 with very high humidity. The schedule called for 7 one-mile repeats. I decided, with the heat, to be happy with 8:45s.

The real problem, though, was I decided to not take any water with me. Shoot, I figured, it would "only" be about 9 miles total and, shoot, I didn't need much water in Wisconsin and, shoot, I don't really want to put on my water belt, because shoot, I don't like how tight I have to cinch it up around my waist to keep it from bouncing.

Shoot.

It all worked fine through the first four intervals. All within 4 seconds of each other at 8:41. Felt good. My shirt was drenched in sweat, though, and it was just awful outside. The fifth interval slid to 8:59 and the last two were a real struggle, at 9:17 and 9:36, respectively.

Worse, I hurt like crazy. My feel, my hips, my quads all ached, in a way they haven't in a long time. This is, for me, one indication of dehydration...somehow the joints are less "lubricated." I drank about five glasses of water in 45 minutes once I got home; I had clear evidence that in that "mere" 9 mile run, I indeed had dehydrated.

You'd think I would know better. Perhaps it's good to relearn this on a non-race, short day out.

I'm gonna counteract this by wearing the belt on each of my runs now...even the short ones, while it is still this humid...which will be through much of September. It also makes me wonder if I shouldn't investigate a non-waist-oriented water device.

Enough on this, though. We had a fabulous vacation and here are a couple of photos of the fam.

The Fam, at Schoolhouse Beach
Here we all are, at a favorite spot. I'm in the back. From the left, is son Matt, son David, his wife Susan and my wife. Drew had the "binocular eyes", then Nathan and young Miss B. It was awesome to spend a full week together.

G and me
My lovely wife and me on a fire tower. In the background is Lake Michigan and, on the horizon, Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Yeah, the sky was really that blue.

Vacation or no, do persevere. And drink plenty of water...do as I say, not as I do!!