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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / cramps and bridges and fog, oh my

cramps and bridges and fog, oh my

July 29, 2013      10 Comments

I’m going to combine a few training updates in one big post, because they just seem to flow that way.

On Wednesday, I completed Week 5, Day 3 of the 5-10K plan for the second time (5:00 warmup/30:00 steady run/5:00 cool down). I got out a little later than planned, and it was humid. Horribly humid. In addition, I didn’t really have enough time for my small pre-run snack to digest, nor was I able to get enough water in me on the way out the door (it still takes me forever to drain my Tervis). I paid dearly. I was sluggish and crampy, so after 15 minutes of running, I started doing 4:1 walk/run intervals, figuring that some running was better than none. Rather than being annoyed, I was pleased that I had gotten out at all and that I hadn’t just cut the whole thing short.

The biggest positive of the morning was looking to one side of the sky and seeing the bright, full moon, and then looking to the other and seeing the glorious sunrise. Stunning.

Friday was almost worse. The planned run was shorter (5:00 warmup/25:00 steady run/5:00 cool down), and I felt properly fueled going out the door, but then our youngest pug got upstairs and wreaked havoc ther, and a frog jumped out at me from the garage door opener control panel and well… it just went downhill from there. About three quarters of the way through, the 5-10K app had a hiccup so I lost that data, and then my RunKeeper app jammed and I had to restart that. Ugh. I really like having my numbers so I can compare and analyze my performance, but I knew how much I had left to complete the workout, so I just set my stopwatch, put my head down and finished.

I did not have the highest hopes for Saturday. We were out late for a wonderful retirement party, I didn’t get to sleep until 12:30, and then had to be up at 5 AM for our bridge run. For some reason, I felt pretty fresh when the alarm went off, and was kind of eager to get going. And then I opened the back door to let the pugs out. It was like being slapped in the face with tepid pea soup. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

However, I was committed, so I packed my bag, loaded up my water cup and grabbed the keys.

When the headlights came on the car, I thought it was raining. And then I realized it was fog. Thick, obstructive fog.

Unnerving is the best way to describe it. We had a very long, careful ride out to the bridge, with the fog never lifting.

I mean, can it be more eerie than this?

It never once let up. The sunrise it created could only be described as baleful, something out of a science fiction novel.

The fog just swallowed the road. There weren’t a lot of runners out, but it was hard to see the ones who were way ahead.

And while the fog was impressive, the real star of the show was the oppressive humidity. The air was wet and heavy, lacking the usual relief of a breeze off the ocean. I was sweating from my elbows and other places from which I never knew I could perspire.

The challenge was real, and I think I rose to meet it. I completed about four miles, running the whole way up and down the bridge once, and then walking up and running down three times, for two complete bridge reps. I had wanted to do the bridge one time and then run on the flat to the beach or the nearby pier, but I didn’t feel entirely safe doing it alone (I had separated from my friend so she could do her six mile run). There’s always next time.

Overall, I’m doing ok. It’s a slow buildup, and I am looking forward to increasing my miles as time passes. I waver between being frustrated at myself for not pushing myself to the breaking point (which is clearly the wrong thing to do, anyway) and being happy that I am out there running.

For now, I’m going with happy. Very red, but very happy.

And in other news? Mr PugRunner is hitting the bridge workouts, too. I am so proud of this guy. My lovely friend, Melody, snapped this picture of him as he finished up his run on Sunday.

How are you beating the heat this summer? 

Do you dial back your workouts when conditions aren’t great, or do you just go for it and hope for the best?

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Comments

  1. Matilda says

    July 29, 2013 at 9:24 am

    Fog in Summer?! Wow.
    Doesn’t the humidity just zap the energy right out of you? I still go run, but I might only be at 70% of my maximum.
    It still a great training tool. Sometimes you have to workout in crap conditions to get you weathered for all types of weather.
    Great show of MrPugRunner.
    Matilda recently posted…Monday Motivation – AwesomeMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      July 29, 2013 at 12:45 pm

      Draining. Absolutely draining. Here we don’t really have a choice. It’s humid and slightly cooler in the morning and then just plain humid at night. I still think I prefer it to cold weather.

      Reply
  2. Karen @karenlovestorun says

    July 29, 2013 at 10:27 am

    Wow, that is some fog! Probably not the best to run in but beautiful in it’s own way.
    Great job for getting out there and loving it! I was going through the same emotions last summer. I always wanted to push more and then one day I just let myself be happy with being out there running and it was a great feeling.
    I *hate* when running apps fail…I almost stop instantly and look around as if to say “what do I do now?!” LOL.
    I use the Jeff Galloway app or Gym Boss to help me with my run/walk intervals and luckily they haven’t failed me yet! 🙂
    Karen @karenlovestorun recently posted…Weekly Workouts July 22-28My Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      July 29, 2013 at 12:48 pm

      Right? It was bizarre. And difficult.

      And the apps aren’t allowed to fail. I’m the same way about stopping and looking around, all confused. Not fair!

      I’m actually about to finish a post on Galloway and intervals, so I hope you will weigh in tomorrow.

      Reply
  3. Cyanne (RunStretchGo) says

    July 29, 2013 at 1:05 pm

    Way to stick with it!! You’re so right, its so easy to give up when it feels like everything is against you, so its awesome you stuck to it.

    And yay forMr Pugrunner for getting out there!

    Reply
  4. Diana says

    July 29, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    I get nervous DRIVING over bridges, I can’t imagine running one. Good for you! =)
    Diana recently posted…In The Long RunMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Kristin @ A Mom on the Run says

    July 29, 2013 at 4:32 pm

    Love that last one!! You’re doing awesome sticking with it, just imagine how easy it will feel when this insane heat and humidity lets up!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      July 29, 2013 at 6:00 pm

      That last one is a personal favorite.

      I can only hope it will get easier. I’m at the point where I don’t know if it’s my shortcoming or the weather. 🙁

      Reply
  6. Elizabeth says

    July 29, 2013 at 7:58 pm

    Good for you for knowing when to really be careful!

    The humidity is awful in the midwest, but we’ve had a slight break this week, which has been wonderful! If its just ridiculously hot or cold, yeah, I dial it back. Its better to be able to look forward to next time, than to not have a next time.
    Elizabeth recently posted…Race Review: Color Me Rad 5K, St. Louis EditionMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      July 30, 2013 at 12:04 am

      My lungs just freeze up in the cold. I’m so much better in the heat. Which is the reverse of so many people. But this past week has been ridiculous.

      Reply

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Welcome to Runs With Pugs. My name is Jenn and this is the story of my love affair with running and finding myself through fitness. From C25K to marathon, from triathlon to SUP, from broken leg to the recovery journey... I'm sharing it all. I'm a wife and mother of one, living in NE Florida, in love with travel, adventure, and food. Oh. We have pugs and a hedgehog, too. Thank you for joining us! We're glad to have you along for the ride!
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