this BEAST is what I encountered for my second long run of training. As you may have picked up, I am vehemently opposed to this thing as I train but my mother talked me into trying it out due to the forecast calling for, you guessed it, extreme heat! When I first walked outside and saw the clear blue sky, I was tempted to not listen to my mom and just hit the road running but then....the image of a broken nose and cracked teeth flashed before my eyes and I decided to go with the plan to hit the gym for my 9 miles. I tried out the TVs on 4 treadmills until settling on the 5th because there was no way I was going to endure this torture without visual stimulation aside from the occasional person walking by wearing spandex that clearly should NOT be wearing them....I hit the "Quick Start" button, select an uphill grade of .5% and speed it up to 6.7 mph for 8:57 minute miles (when I run 5 or less its usually around 7.2 to 7.5 as a reference). I instantly feel my body revolt this decision to run on the treadmill but there is no turning back now. I try to focus on the top 20 countdown I've chosen to watch and pound away the miles. At mile 3, I'm happy to know that I'm at least a third of the way done. Neil Diamond's "Cracklin' Rosie" comes on my Ipod and I feel a lil' pep in my step. By mile 5, those pep steps begin to fade....I feel forced to reduce my speed to 6.5 (9:13 mile) and I'm annoyed. I have hit the point that I just want to be over with this but I am not even close to finished. I push through and come to mile 6....just 3 more left...mile 7 comes reluctantly and mile 8 feels like even more of a drag even when I push myself faster to 6.7 again. Finally I hit 9 miles, bring my run down to a walk and feel SO thankful that its over. That's when I realize some STINGING pain....I have a major chaffing burn under my right arm and my inner right thigh has had better mornings as well.....This has been the worst of my training thus far but in the scheme of things, I survived. I managed to run 9 miles at an average pace of just over 9 minutes a mile and that is an accomplishment I should comfortably rest my hat on for now.
For the future, I will suck it up on the weekends and get up early if its hot out to get my long runs done rather than suffer miserably on the treadmill. I shall also make sure I lather myself in Aquafor in any possible place that my clothes could rub me the wrong way...I do not wish the stinging pain I felt when I hit the shower on even my worst enemy! I had to bite my finger to avoid screaming bloody murder scaring my neighbors!
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