FYI? That’s not exactly true at all.
I try to find safe places for me to run. When I was on a training run last Summer before the WHISKEY REBELLION 5k, and while I was running on the sidewalk – nearly got run over by a car that was coming out of a blind alley.
Needless to say – it makes me think twice about where I run.
Late last Summer, I did a show at SOUTH PARK THEATRE and there’s a long paved running path that cuts directly through the park. It’s 2 miles long, so it would be a good 4 miler. Relatively flat. Heavy foot and some light bike traffic. [Folks around is always a good thing.]
I don’t know what got into me – Spring Fever maybe – but I felt so good when I woke up that after I had my coffee and breakfast, it just popped into my head that this was going to be a glorious day weather-wise. I knew I needed to get a run in – so? Why not??
I’m not joking when I say, it was a difficult run. I probably shouldn’t have attempted it for a number of reasons – but I did FEEL fine when I left the car in the parking lot.
It was about 11 am and there is little or no shade cover [trees don’t have leaves yet – but they’re working on it]. It was already about 74 degrees, clear sky – just a glorious day.
However, I’m not sure if it was a combination of YESTERDAY'S BIKE RIDE and the antibiotics I’m on for another few days – but as soon as I got about .25 miles out, I wanted to turn back.
Now – let me just say right now – I warm up slow. It takes me about a mile to get in my ‘groove’. Knowing this, I try to push through and let my breathing catch up to the physical requirements I’m asking my body to perform. This is normal for me every time I’m out there.
After 1.25 miles – I needed to add a little more walking. I wasn’t able to run more than 3 minutes without needing to walk. [My training is 5/1.] I walked when I felt like I needed to and it seemed to help. This worked for a while, and I was working hard to push through to 1.5 miles, knowing that I wasn’t going to make the full length of the Park – but that I felt I could manage the 1.5 miles back to the parking lot.
I played games with my body – looking a head to find objects to ‘run toward’. “Just make it to the end of that guard rail and you can walk. Run to the Stoplight and you can walk.” For the most part, the distractions worked.
I noticed that I was starting to feel CHILLED. I looked down and the hair on my arms was standing straight up and I had goose bumps.
THAT WAS NOT NORMAL. I’m sweating and running directly into the sun. FULL SUN.
I HAD LESS THAN A .25 MILE TO GO and I walked most of it quickly. I headed to the car to get my fitness drink and find a place out of the sun. I didn’t want to stop walking – I wanted to walk slowly and cool down.
Which is exactly what I did. I don’t know if my current medication was giving me issues with severe dehydration or the beginnings of heat exhaustion. I’m just thankful that I was close enough to my car* and that I turned around at 1.5 miles out.
Once I got fluid into me, I was fine. I am fine. But I tell ya – sweating profusely and having chills is one FREAKY feeling.
Tomorrow?
We rest…
*I was parked next to the police station – which if I hadn’t felt better after the fitness drink, I would’ve made my next stop before driving home. I might’ve been born at night, but it wasn’t last night.
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