With the heat being in the 90’s lately, it’s been increasingly difficult to get a quality long run in. I have been testing different strategies to ensure I stay properly hydrated and don’t overheat. I have in the past had difficulty remembering to hydrate properly on long runs, especially in races. I also have been too proud/stupid/arrogant to put walk breaks in when I should have due to heat or injury prevention/recovery. I have tried tricks to get myself to do it, but with upper 90’s, it was imperative to find a way to force walking and hydration into my routine. My most recent long run was an experiment in insanity.
The schedule had 13 miles on it for my long run this week. Seeing as how it was 90+ degrees, I knew I had to adjust somehow. I considered doing trail running with my fuel belt on and looping back to the car once for refill. I considered dropping off a refill at a park along a trail system I use and then driving to the next access point for a starting point. Finally, I came up with a winner of an idea. It combined my need to get to a water bottle frequently with a light weights workout. It would be tough, but the most important thing is staying hydrated and avoiding injury.
First step was to set up my idea. I combined all of the different loops I run from my house and estimated total distance. I would be shy of the 13, but I would be fine with that. I set an ez curl bar and a couple of dumbbells in the back yard and rolled my water filled heavy bag out to the center of the yard. I was set.
First, I ran the loop from my house to the local community college and back. Mostly dirt/grass, I love this loop, because at almost 200 lbs, I can take a beating running a full schedule. The grass loop allows me to add mileage with less pounding. I ran strong, but felt perhaps I was going to fast. When I hit the edge of my property, I slowed to a walk and headed for the back yard. After taking a drink of Gatorade, I began my first lifting session.
10 bent over single arm rows with each arm
10 upright rows
10 ez bar curls
10 dumbbell shrugs
Upon completing this loop with about 60 seconds of rest between each, I drank some water and walked back to the property line for the beginning of my second loop. This loop and I have a history. It has two big downhills and two big uphills, and when I started running on a regular basis a few years back, I would often have to walk the last hill. Now, I like to remember those defeats when I crest the last hill as if it were but a speedbump. It is a reminder of how far I have come and a reminder to stay sharp. After 2.6 miles of hills on sidewalks, which is why I rarely run this loop anymore, I hit my property line and began the same walk/Gatorade/lift/water/walk combo from before.
I had planned on doing a downward ladder, with each run becoming progressively shorter than the one before it, but since I wanted to run the 2.1 miler with my dog, as she does better on grass, I headed out on my 1.85 loop through across the bridge and through a duplex and apartment complex. This loop has some dirt/grass, but is primarily run on chip and seal roads. Upon returning home, I did the same combination as before, making this my third set of lifts. Only this time, I got in a little extra rest going inside to grab the dog and put water outside for her upon our return.
My dog loves running. She gets so excited that the first 50 yards are always more bounding like Tigger than actual running. As we set off on our 2.1 mile loop, half grass, half sidewalk, she settled into stride and put on her best smile. I was glad I had rotated my loops, as the temperature was beginning to drop, with an impending storm rolling in. The cooler temperature meant we could keep a higher pace. I am very big on making sure my girl is comfortable and not overheated, so often, our runs together are much slower and shorter in the heat. We came around the last corner and surged up the hill to our walking point. This time, instead of lifting, I hit the heavy bag for one song on the Ipod. I love heavy bag work. I think it keeps the heart rate up and contracts the abdominal muscles with each thrown punch. It felt great, and I was staying hydrated on schedule. My girl was laying out in the grass with a big joker smile and relaxing when I closed the gate and headed out for my last hurrah.
My last loop was another 1.85 mile or so loop through an older duplex neighborhood and a new development that is half completed. It is half chip and seal and half asphalt, so I was geting a good mix of surfaces to run. As I crested the last tough hill about 1 mile in, I felt a sense of accomplishment. This workout was tough, but I had stayed hydrated and felt as if I could run it all over again with the same gatorade/water resting combos. The last half-mile was a breeze and I came to the gate ready for one last boxing round. I hit the bag for my last song of the day. As the music faded, a smile spread across my face rivaling the dog splayed out in the shade. This was controlled insanity, and a ton of fun.
After putting away my weights and bag, an ice bath and protein shake completed my days goals. As someone who pushes too hard on long runs regularly and makes hydration errors, I think the weight/boxing breaks tricked me into taking walk breaks and hydration stops. If I have to battle the heat again, I have found my plan.
