July 29

Distance: 8.5 miles
Song of the run: Sorry, none for today.

Run Notes:
This was a hard run today because of the weather. At 6:30A it was already a hot and sweaty run. Maybe I would break down and turn the A/C on when I got back home.

I began to think I would sweat off half my body weight as I went along flicking perspiration off my face. Then at the four mile mark I reached up and my face felt suddenly dry and flushed. I tried to remember the symptoms for dehydration and heatstroke. Okay, maybe I was getting melodramatic, but I had just read an article in Runner's World which talked about just this kind of scenario and I tend to worry about these things.

I slowed my pace and began to monitor my body a bit more. When I got to the turn off where I could head home or go for the longer run, I decided I'd be okay as long as I kept a slow steady pace and could keep bringing spit up into my mouth. (okay not a pleasant image but something I thought important at the time.) At the end of a hill on mile six, I felt like I was going to hit the wall. I walked for about a minute and thought about a park that was coming up in .5 miles where I could get a drink and cool off. Although I normally never drink from fountains ( I am an admitted germ-a-phobe), the water from that fountain tasted phenomenal. I cooled myself off and headed down the hill for home.

I know I was not really dehydrated but I think it was important that I listened to my body. Running on hot days can really take it out of you and there is the potential for overheating yourself to the point of dehydration and heatstroke. Now that I've cooled down and hydrated myself I've realized it's not so bad out there today. I think the A/C can stay in the off position.
D

P.S.
Don't forget to check out the article and pointers about running in the heat from Runner's World.