Saturday, September 16, 2006

Two weeks to go

ORN: 12.2 miles, 1:56:41, 9:34/mile

Wow, what a beautiful morning in Indiana; 59 and sunny in the early morning. This is the kind of day we dream of all year, then get a few during the autumn and then it is gone. And the memory of such a day is adequate to help us keep going through the bleak winter, the blustry spring and the dripping, languid summer.

The run went well...I set out to do it at 9:40 and found I had to hold myself back throughout the run. Splits were pretty even. The new hydration plan (read: force myself to drink more than I feel like drinking) worked well and will be doable on a marathon course.

It also struck me today that we are far more dependent on the weather for good runs than we might want to admit. The sheer thermodynamics and physiology of cooling heated muscle tissue is largely out of our control. Perhaps all my anquishing over the last month or so is just adding to the overheating!! No surpise, therefore, why all the major marathons are in the spring or fall.

Persevere. On nice days and lousy ones.

3 comments:

Darrell said...

Can I use that thermodynamics thing to explain why I always slow down at the end of a long run. Its not that I'm just wiped out, its that the weather has gotten warmer as the day went on and my muscles aren't cooling as efficiently. In actually I think both things factor into the equation. I'm just looking for someone or something else to blame. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Joe,

I just caught up on all your analyses of "the Parkersburg experience." Glad the super-hydration theory is working out. Portland will be here soon.

Enjoy your taper........ Karen!!

Unknown said...

It does not feel like Portland is only two weeks away, but I am anxious to find out where I am at after tomorrows last long run. There will be plenty of aid stations so you should be able to get plenty to drink. It is easier to plan on drinking lots than actually doing it however.