Running in the Heat

I've been thinking a lot about summer running in Austin. This may be stating the obvious, but it is much easier to run when it is cooler. Easier.

I don't want to make it easier on my body. I don't want to run when it is cooler in the day. I want my body to work harder. I want my body to adapt to the heat. I want my body to learn how to cool more efficiently. I want my body to know what it feels like to be hot and know what to do to preserve effort. If I can push my body to run a certain pace in the heat, it is going to be so much easier to run that pace in cooler weather.

St.George is just less than 10 weeks away. The weather there will likely be in the range of 32-55 degrees of dry desert morning air. I will have run 35+ runs in 95-105 degree weather by then. My body will love me for it.

It's all part of the mental game. I will have put in the miles. I will have eaten the right foods. I will have rested, hydrated, gooed, bodyglided, put on a fresher pair of shoes. What I will also have is the extra edge of knowing that even if the temperature goes up on race day, I'm gonna be okay. There are no questions of 'what if?' that are going to be at the back of my mind. My mental game will be spot on. I will only have one thing to worry about...kicking some butt!