Wednesday, July 11, 2012

PR's

There were a lot of PR's set last week!  Oh no, not be me!  And maybe not by you (although some of you kicked some serious butt in the heat)...but by Chicago's weather...and just about 90% of the country!  That was some hot stuff last week, huh??  Consecutive days in the 100's, 80-90% humidity, some strange and strong storms that produced high winds, heavy downpours and even hail (100 degrees + hail = weird).  My thoughts are...if the record is 102 and we are at 100, give me those extra few degrees and lets set a record!  I'm already incredibly hot and uncomfortable, let's at least get a record out of it, right??

Of course that meant some pretty uncomfortable and hot run days.  I usually never complain about running in the heat.  I usually like it.  But day after day of running when it was 95-102 degrees (temps when I was actually running) really took it's toll on me mentally.

I started out feeling badass running in the high temps. I took precautions: ran slower, walked, carried water, put ice in my shirt.  The next time I may have just said it's hot but I can do it.  After the 5th or 6th run, thinking about running in the heat made me want to cry (1st world runner problems...total meltdown! lol).  So much so, I was going to take it inside to treadmill it last Thursday, which would have been perfectly understandable and acceptable.  Last Thursday night, there was a fun run that Maggie was going to and I had been a "maybe" on.  But with the temps that day still in the 100's...this was my meltdown day where I could have cried at the thought of running in the heat again! lol.  But Maggie convinced me to go and we would run slow, which we did and I felt good after going.

I wore a new shirt that day...Maggie sells "I run with Fast Women" shirts and tanks and the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.  I finally ordered a tank but love the tee's so can't wait until I order one of those (and it's cool enough to wear).  Go to her blog to find out how to order a shirt.
After running 3 last Thursday with temps about 100.  Love my new tank!
I actually find nothing sexier than a sweaty runner!  Am I the only one??  I'm really serious too!

Anyway...this week has been much more tolerable weather-wise.  I'm sure you have all noticed it and are enjoying it just as much.  In fact, since last Saturday was still going to be incredibly hot, CARA cancelled all training runs.  At first I was a little upset!  I thought...way to leave us hanging!  We still have to run our long runs (mine being 10 miles).  But then I thought about it and Sunday was going to be cooler by a good 20 degrees, so I got a group together and we ran our long runs on Sunday.  I was as giddy as a little school girl to run on Sunday in the cooler temps!  It was raining at the start and still 80% humidity, but I didn't care one bit!  Yay to cooler and more tolerable temps!  Now only if the humidity would go down.  I guess I'm asking too much.

And just because I thought it was funny and almost made my mom pee from laughing so hard (true story)...when it's 100+ degrees outside and you have no air in your car (even though it's a convertible, it doesn't do much good in that kind of heat)...and you get off of work and have work pants on, what is the most logical thing to do??  Well tie a towel around your waist and drive with the top down home, of course!!

Infamous car temp pic. It was about 103 this day.
Hot look, right??

In other news...my friend Kathy is letting me borrow her road bike for my upcoming sprint triathlon in August.  I was going to buy one but didn't want to spend a fortune and was having a hard time trying to get one from Craigslist.  This way, I can spend a little more time on getting a bike and not just rush to get one!  But I needed to test out her road bike a little first since it's completely different than a mountain bike.  Luckily Kathy and I are about the same height.  I tested her bike last night and LOVED it.  You can really pick up some speed on that thing!  But I mostly rode it cautiously as to not kill myself or someone else!  This will be so nice for the triathlon!

I also was trying to figure out what to wear for the swimming part.  I really would like a tri-top and some bike shorts to wear.  That would be perfect!  But it's hard for me to find the right tri-top (being slightly larger on the top) and again, didn't want to spend a fortune right now.  So I actually just went and bought a regular sport suit from Dicks Sporting Goods.  It was on sale.  It's practical and maybe  a little boring but I loved it because it fit really well and I have a hard time finding things that fit me well.  And it shows a little cleavage which never hurts since it draws attention away from the less flattering areas of my body.  It may be interesting to bike and run in it but I'll practice beforehand.  It shouldn't be bad for the short distance.  And since I never photograph myself in a swimsuit...why not do it and post it on a public online forum?
Ok I'm not a swimsuit model.  I'll just say...I have some Marilyn Monroe curves and be happy about that.
Lastly...if you or anyone you know what some really hideous looking couches that are perfect for slipcovers...I'm going to be selling my old ones.  I'm selling them pretty cheap and can get the measurements if you are interested.  Note:  My cat scratched up one part of the back side of the couch.

Sofa

Loveseat

Scratch thanks to my cat (on the loveseat I believe)
Happy running!!  It's a cutback week for me and I live for these!

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous7/11/2012

    Yay for triathlon training! You'll be happy your riding on a road bike. On the attire, my thoughts are this:
    1-swim in teh suit
    2-pull on bike shorts or tri shorts for the bike ride
    3-add on a sports bra (if you want/need) for the run.

    Since you're still trying out tri's, definitely no need to invest in a crazy top! However I'll be more than happy to share my tips on buying a top when you're ready. I got one last year and ultimately didn't like it at all, and am much happier w/ my choice this year for tri-tops.

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    1. Yes Lauren, I would love to hear about your tips on buying a top. I'll let you know.

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  2. I would definitely test out your tri outfit before the race, just to make sure nothing rubs you the wrong way - hooray for borrowing a bike! :D

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    1. Well, change of plans. I am updating my blog today.

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