Day 57: I Definitely Didn't Run Alone

All day I debated what was too hot to run. Other people run in hotter weather all the time, and it's not like I'm out of shape, so I should be ok. Of course, I don't always turn great times when it's hotter, and I really need to hit my 20 minute goal today, since I missed it two days ago (by quite a lot), and so that I can move on with my somewhat vigorous end of the program. (Another week without two days off in a row means there's no wiggle room on the days I run.) All day the heat index sat at 100, so, I sat around and chugged water all day in case I lost all the common sense I was born with..

As evening set in, I checked the temp and it was still 100. OK, this is going to have to happen right at dusk, so I got dressed with a white shirt with some reflective on it. I checked sunset time. I checked the hour-by-hour forecast. On 2 sites. Balls, the only time the heat index is going to be below 85 is between 11pm and 7am. Well, I remember a time when I had common sense.

I started out running and breathing very well. I could tell I was running fast, but it felt right, so I kept a pretty good pace throughout.

I started running east, and there were some huge fluffy clouds on the horizon that were pink - the kind that look like mountains the way they peek out between buildings. I could hardly wait to turn down the main road and see the sunset.

For the first time in several weeks I was running without my sunglasses. I missed them almost immediately as there were 10,000,000 people out. Note to self: if your options are to run when it's 100 in the middle of the day or 95 in the evening, choose the one with fewer people!! Previous post completely disregarded, running around people SUCKS! I said hello to people as I passed, but I had my David Bowie up so loud, I have no idea if they replied. I know one guy must have said something pretty frakking funny, though, or at least his cow of a girlfriend thought so. Hey, douchebags, see the headphones, they aren't USUALLY in for show. I can't hear you! Nor do I need 'tips' from people who waddle along weighing more than my car. Enough of that. I didn't want to put that down, but it's going to drive me nuts not knowing what was said.

The rest of my run was virtually people-free, thank all things holy. I was now running toward the sunset, listening to Johnny Cash, and still doing great.

When I got to the end of the main road, I was going to turn down a block and run back the way I have been lately. I finally realized why the uphill seems so much worse on that street, than if I just stay on the main road - it's that lovely downhill block that I run down to get to that street that throws the inclines off. Yay that it wasn't all in my head, boo that it took me like 2 weeks to figure it out.

Regardless, there was a traffic jam at the intersection, so I just turned and ran up my original hated hill. I tried to take it slow, but by the time I was to the top, my breathing was shot. I was now running down the side street I used to love to run down, although I'm not sure why, because I so often failed on this street. Don't think about it. Just try to get to the end. Speaking of the end, not quite a block onto this street, I checked the time and I had 9 minutes left. Oh, now I know I have been running too fast, and I was somewhat concerned that I was going to get back to the house too quickly, if I made it back at all. Pace slowed dramatically.

At the end of this short side street is where I turn toward the infamous Rapist Corridor. I really wanted to run it, because I thought that would time out my run better, and I wouldn't have the dramatic uphill I was facing if I stayed on the street back to my house. But it was full on dusk and I didn't have the energy to outrun a dog, meth head, or rapist, so I tackled the hill. Slow, look at the 'scenery,' not the hill..

The payoff, of course, was the dramatic downhill on the other side. Nice and slow, past the angel statue, why does it smell like tea here? I actually had my breath back by the time I got to the bottom of the hill. Well, I had my breath, but my stomach/abs were just on FIRE. I mean, I had been breathing into it for awhile, but it was just burning like nothing I've experienced before.

As I prepped to go back uphill, I saw a runner coming toward me. A runner. Full on running. This, I believe, was the first runner I had seen in this town while running myself. How very exciting (for me). It also confirmed that since the only time I've seen another runner has been on the hottest run, that it is not my fault that I don't have the common sense I was born with. It's running. It makes you abnormally insane.

So mid-way up this hill, I can either re-run part of my route, or turn down my street. I still had 3 minutes left, but I turned down my street, because I didn't think I could take the rest of that hill. At this point, I was about to collapse. I kept setting a goal a little bit closer to where I stood, a technique that always results in me failing my time. I was full on mouth-breathing, so my throat was on fire, my stomach was on fire. I made it to the alley at the other end of my block, then turned back for the house (hello again, neighbors), and ended in our alley.

I stumbled into the backyard, dizzy, nauseous, burning from mouth to waist, and crawled up the steps. I bumbled in to the couch and curled up, fetal. Well, this is a first. I was moderately concerned I would never get off the couch. I wanted to get up, but there was no hope of it. When my heart and breath returned to normal, and I had somewhat cooled off, I stood up, and apparently my left ankle is broken. It hadn't been bothering me and didn't hurt while I was running, so this was a shock, but I managed to get to an ice pack. It was very sore all night, and as I write this the next morning. Lovely. I was also quite dizzy the rest of the night, but that seems to be okay today.

When I finally made it to the laptop, I was quite pleased with my time and distance. Since it was all run, it makes sense that it was my best overall time. Plus, my times were below 40/1:30, which was my goal from all of one week ago. Wonder what my goal should be for next Tuesday!? I've had better times on my "just runs," but this is about average, plus it was for twenty minutes!!!! Completely absurd. I'm going to have to come up with a better celebratory move than the "Fetal Position Move," if I'm going to keep rocking these runs.

Weather: 85, Dusk, No Wind, 72% Humidity, Feels Like 95
Time: 8:30pm; Run 20 mins
Distance: 2.71K (1.68m)
Elevation: +72.1/-72.1/net 0 ft
5K/10K: 38:46/1:21:56