I can't do it!

HEAT, that is! I just can't cope in it at all, and today was a sweltering 25 degrees.
This morning I got an email from Shaun saying I now need to step up the pace of my long run, and if this means having walk breaks to recover then that is absolutely fine, as long as overall the run is done faster. There is no shame at all in walking.. the name of the game is to finish the race (or training) faster (whichever method that may take).

Graeme was hanging out some washing earlier, and came in to tell me that it was absolutely red hot outside and today's run would be difficult. On a long XL run, I wear 2 tops to avoid chaffing, so this wasn't good news!

I went out, and now that I wear a hydration belt, I really feel even more weighted than before. The first 5 miles there was lovely breeze and the heat hadn't been a problem. I think I took Shauns' email a little bit too literally and ran this first half too fast. Then the breeze just completely disappeared, the sun burnt down and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I had a long walk break, which didn't seem to help at all. To cut a long story short I basically had to run/walk all the way home. It wasn't as bad an effort as last week, but it wasn't a great deal better either!
Even when the breeze finally surfaced, I felt I was too far gone by then.

So, imagine my surprise to get home and realise I have run this route 4 minutes quicker than I have ever done before! Unbelievable. Maybe on a cooler day and being a tad more conservative at the beginning of the run may get an even better result yet!

Graeme had got to 2 miles and turned back as he felt awful in the heat too. Heat you're not used to really does bugger things up in your training good and proper!!! If I put it all into perspective though... running in Marrakech gave me heat stroke, and that was 1 degree cooler than today, so I'm definitely improving... I think!

A quick note on yesterdays bike session at the gym... Again, I gave it everything during the faster sections and was visibly and audibly using every bit of energy I had. One woman kept looking at me as though she was concerned I was about to explode! When I'd finished, I could barely bend my knees again and the tiredness I felt in my quads was like nothing I have ever experienced on a run. It suddenly dawned on me that Graemes' approach with his lack of running training (but lots of cycling) is actually making a big difference when he runs! So, he isn't superhuman after all. ;-)