Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Wednesday Workout Update

I am giving myself a gold star.  A hearty pat on the back.  An E for effort.  Why?  You can probably guess.  It's just plain rough to run outside right now...and yet, I'm still doing it.  There's nothing fun about running in 80 degree temps with 95% humidity - and that's at 6:00 in the morning!  The only decent factor is that the sun wasn't out before we finished our run on Saturday, thanks to the early start plus cloud cover.

Now, I'm not saying that I expect to feel SO SO GREAT and sweat rainbow sparkles every time I exercise, but my chosen form of exercise is generally something that I like doing.  However, running outdoors, in summer (and let's face it, most of spring and fall) in Texas does not lend itself to optimal weather situations.  And instead of focusing on how utterly cloddish I feel when I run through air so thick I could karate chop it with my hands, I'm going to work really hard on the mental aspect, and give myself kudos for still getting out there and completing the run when I would actually prefer to quit.

Yes, quit.  I would like to quit running in the heat.  I have wished on more than one occasion that I was a walker - only a walker.  Because while I'd still get hot and sweaty while walking in this weather, I wouldn't feel so awful, both physically and mentally, even if I covered the same distance.  However, I'm not there yet...I feel like if I switched to only walking, I'd never go back to running.  And I don't want to do that.  My history is not great when it comes to stopping something - I usually never restart.

I've gone from running and feeling exhilarated when I finish, to running and  feeling so beat during the run that negative thoughts like "you're so out of shape" go through my mind.  And that's not true - I've been running consistently for years and I'm in the same shape I was back in March, when I ran three miles without stopping.  It IS the weather, plain and simple.  It's just hard to remember that when I'm struggling through what, in other circumstances, would be a simple run.  I know it will get better (in about four months), but in the meantime, I need to remind myself that I AM doing a good job, the best that I can be doing, even when it doesn't feel like it.

What about those of you who exercise outdoors during the hot summer (spring, fall) months - are you as hard on yourself as I am, or have you figured out how to be more forgiving? 

15 comments:

  1. I admire you so much that you keep running through Summer in this weather! This morning I skipped my run because it was already too warm (you read we are in the middle of a heatwave). So answer to your question: I'm not as hard for myself as you are but always when I read what you have to run in I say to myself "don't be a cry baby, Shelley does it too!"

    I prefer walking more these days. When Bella is completely recovered the plan is to focus even more on walking. I want to keep running but no further than max 10K. I struggle a lot with running lately so I think I will stick to 5K the rest of the Summer and during Winter and comes Spring move on to 10K.

    By the way is it an option for you to switch between walking and running during Summer? Run one day, walk the other?

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  2. Your descriptions of the Texas heat and humidity are so real, I can feel it. I'm not hard on myself about it, but I am a quitter when something is too unpleasant. Even without my knee as an excuse, when it gets hot and DUSTY here in the summer, I just about give up taking walks. Or if there are too many deer flies out. Or if its raining…

    Sprinkling rainbow sparkles in your direction :)

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  3. It's most definitely the humidity. Humidity can be a killer even when the temperature is cooler - ask me with our every other day rain! You will eventually get to the place where you recognize the seasonal changes in running and go with it without any self flagellation. And like you said, you keep running despite the weather so try to come up with a positive mantra to overcome those negative thoughts!

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  4. I SO admire you running in the heat! I just can't make myself work out outdoors when it's hot and humid and instead retreat to gyms or pools. Even a trip to the grocery store in drippy weather has me whining and moaning.

    So YAY for you for not letting it stop you!

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  5. Congrats on keeping up with your running. You DO deserve a pat on your back! One thing I've done with my walking is break it up throughout the day - 20 minutes here, 15 minutes there, another 20 minutes in the evening. I don't know if that would work for running, but it's helped me get in much more time and mileage than I would if I tried to do it in a long stretch in the Texas humidity.

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    1. oops, typos! Trying again-After a very brief stint with running a while back, I did switch to walking and I'll never go back :) Love walking so much-it's done wonders for my calves, it does a good job burning calories and I also like how it's low impact and gentle on my ankles and knees. I'm a big believer in only doing exercise that I have fun doing and yeah, running was NOT fun for me lol.

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  7. The humidity makes a huge difference. We had a lovely Monday morning in Tennessee with lower temps and lower humidity after weeks of trying to breathe under water, and it made my run so much easier! I cope by keeping my mileage low in the summer months and not worrying much about speed. I agree with you about quitting though. It would be too hard to start back.

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  8. I have the greatest admiration for all of you runners who run in temperature extremes, be they hot or cold. I have to wonder if I would ever have taken up running at all if I didn't live in a fairly temperate climate. That being said, we are breaking the June record for heat this year in Seattle, and though I know it doesn't compare to what you Texans have for heat or humidity, my long run last Sunday was pretty awful. It wasn't even long, because when I was about to start my last 2 mile mini-loop, the thunder and lightening started. I told my hubby that was the Universe's way of telling me it was time for Starbucks!

    Do you still keep a running journal? Maybe recording the weather will remind you that it is nigh on impossible to not struggle with high temps and humidity. Be kind to Shelley, ya hear?

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  9. We don't have the humidity, just the heat. I've been doing a lot of walking lately. I'm hard on myself about it too, but at least I'm out there. If I wimp out completely then I worry about not running again.
    I was thinking of you on my walk this morning...www.fitcakegirl.blogspot.com

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  10. I have the greatest admiration for all of you runners who run in temperature extremes, be they hot or cold. I have to wonder if I would ever have taken up running at all if I didn't live in a fairly temperate climate. That being said, we are breaking the June record for heat this year in Seattle, and though I know it doesn't compare to what you Texans have for heat or humidity, my long run last Sunday was pretty awful. It wasn't even long, because when I was about to start my last 2 mile mini-loop, the thunder and lightening started. I told my hubby that was the Universe's way of telling me it was time for Starbucks!

    Do you still keep a running journal? Maybe recording the weather will remind you that it is nigh on impossible to not struggle with high temps and humidity. Be kind to Shelley, ya hear?

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  11. Nothing saps energy like heat and humidity. Ugh!

    Does Planet Fitness (that is your gym?) have treadmills? You might want to do that on these really icky days so at least you are running.

    I give myself something of a pass when there is a lot of heat and humidity. I still will bike, but I know I just won't have the energy to go as far and will usually plan my route to stay in as much shade as possible.

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  12. OH COME HERE and we can WALK a summer race!!

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  13. Congrats on your perseverance. I don't have any grand advice except keep running super early in the morning to at least avoid the sun beating down on your head!!!!

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  14. Yay you for working out in the heat and humidity. I give you MORE than one gold star!!!

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