Wednesday, August 10, 2016

WWU - Run For Icee!

When Cary and I planned out the schedule for our Renegade Run Club (more on that next week), we included some fun run days in it, because after all, anyone can just go for a run...the RRC makes it FUN!  Which is why I mapped our our routes for last Saturday to end at Stripes (a convenience store recently built near our running neighborhood), so we could all get Icees as an internal cool down as well as a nice post-run treat.

Our group ran either 5 or 6 miles, (with our preggo CC running a little less).  Diane and I were part of the 5 mile group.  We went into it with a little trepidation, because the last time either of us had run 5 miles was on June 4 (my birthday run).  I meant to be running 5 miles over the summer, but it's been so dang hot that I just couldn't muster up the need to do so until Saturday.  How bad could it be?

As it turned out, not that bad.  Not that good, either.  Honestly, it really was the last mile that did us in, but that's to be expected.  It was 79 degrees and 100% humidity when we started, and in the first 3/4 of the first mile, we ran through areas where the sprinklers were on, watering the grass, which added to the humidity...I swear it was more like 115% in that area.  Because we didn't want to die, we alternated running intervals with running straight through, so we started out doing 2:45 intervals (run for 2 minutes, walk for 45 seconds) for the first mile, then ran the second mile, then did intervals, then ran, then finished with intervals.

There was water and Gatorade on the route, but Loretta was also out there on her bike, being our mobile hydration station - we all bring an extra water bottle (I fill ours halfway and freeze them overnight, then add the rest of the water in the morning, so they're nice and cool) and put them in her bike basket, and she rides the route, stopping when she sees us so we can refill our handheld bottles.  Not only is it nice to get a refill along the way, it's also a great distraction when we see her, and only briefly have I considered knocking her off the bike and riding it back to our clubhouse.  I suspect she'd put up a good fight, though.  Loretta loops around the route to make sure she catches everyone - she said she ended up riding over 7 miles that day!

We finished and happily walked into the air conditioned store to get our drinks.  I have to say, we looked a sight - drowned in sweat, beet red faces, not at all attractive.  Which is why it was so funny when a customer at the counter started asking us about joining our running group - I mean, it's not like we made it look appealing at all, believe me, which made me question her judgement.  Any case, we aren't accepting new members, much less random strangers.

After our run, we had fun playing with our temporary mascot - this little interloper named Dutch, who'd appeared in Cary and Brian's backyard that morning:
 

He was such a good dog - played with Abi and Koda, and was happy to hang around with us.  Luckily he had a collar and tag so Cary was able leave a message about finding him, and eventually the roommate of his owner, who lived just a few houses down the street, arrived to take him home.  He was a cutie pie, though, and very entertaining to play with as we relaxed after our long run.

12 comments:

  1. You have been such a trooper running in that heat and humidity. Sadly I have to admit that I haven't even got to 5 miles this summer! I definitely know it's been the weather to blame! -M

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  2. Here's an idea. I'm not a stranger to you so I could join the club right? And you know how much I love your running club. So the idea is you all immigrate to the Netherlands and find a house in my town and I can join the group :) Me moving there is not an option because I can't deal with heat very well. I suggest you talk about it next Saturday :)

    What a cute dog, happy that he could go back to his home.

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    1. LOL, I know you hate the heat but moving all of us to the Netherlands would be a tall order!

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    2. You can't blame a girl for trying LOL

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  3. The humidity is just killing me this summer. Great job pushing through!

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  4. You won't hear any blame coming from this direction re runnnig shorter in humidity. Just keep telling yourself that you WILL be faster once it calms down. I mean seriously, my Monday run and this morning's run look like they were run by two different people, all because of humidity.

    A stranger asking to join is quite the advertisement for Renegade Runners. You guys rock!

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  5. How convenient have a supported run :D The humidity is bad here this summer. Not like Texas, but it's really humid for us for long periods of time. I rode in the afternoon once last week just after a rain storm because I had to go the post office and never again! Sweltering and miserable. I admire you guys going out and getting it done.

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  6. Yeah, not only running five miles, but running in humidity, and your intervals were challenging! That is pretty funny about someone wanting to join a group of sweaty red-faced people. But if she was a runner, maybe she's used to that "look." What a cute little dog, and of course I'm especially impressed that he was so sociable :)

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    1. He was such a good dog - reminded me of one who would be in Cesar Milan's "pack".

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  7. I need a Loretta! That is an awesome friend right there. An Icee sounds like the perfect recovery drink for this weather.

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  8. Loretta is a saint. We all need her. It's hot and humid here but probably nothing compared to Texas.

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  9. How cool to have a mobile hydration station!

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