Notes to Self About Summer Running

The TIART topic this week is about dealing with the heat and humidity while running. It's a topic that could probably be better addressed by someone living in Florida than Northern Minnesota. Here people start whining about 75, are grumpy at 80 and downright surly at 85.

Still, 85 with humidity is a cause for concern when running, and I've learned some lessons the hard way. Like when I was training for my first marathon I went for a long run and didn't hydrate enough. It was 90+ and humid. When I finished, I felt rotten. Really terrible. Pounding headache, nausea, cramps...it was bad. I even thought about heading for the hospital. Instead, I started drinking water. And kept drinking. After two liters I started to feel a little better. After four liters I felt okay. Several hours and 5 liters later I finally had to go to the bathroom.

I don't want to experience that again, so I thought I would jot some notes to myself.

1. Drink, Drink, Drink. In the summer it is a constant battle to take in enough fluids while running. It is next to impossible if you start your run dehydrated. The best strategy for me is to simply keep a glass of ice water on hand and keep sipping throughout the day.

2. Drinking on the Run. Unless it is above 70, I figure I'm good for a 10k without drinking on the run. I'll do 5k without water regardless of the heat. If it is warmer than 70 and I am running more than 5k, I'll plan water stops about every two miles. When I lived in the city, I would stop at parks that had drinking fountains. Living in the country, drinking on the run means that I have to stash water bottles along the road. If it is real hot, I'll freeze them first so that they will be cold when I reach them. I always stop and drink. The few seconds it takes is worth staying hydrated. During hot weather races (and long distance races) I will slow to a walk to make sure that my paper cup of water doesn't end up splashing down my shirt (feels good, but doesn't help).

3. Water or Gatorade? I've always been a water only guy. I've tried Gatorade on a run, but wound up with stomach cramps. I've always been a little suspicious of the marketing hype. Cool commercials, but who is going to spend a fortune countering the claims? I suppose if I was training in some really hot place I would look into it a little more. Until then, water is fine with me.

4. Run Early. Duh. It's cooler in the morning.

5. Run Short. Long runs are partly physical, but much of the discipline is mental. If it's 90 and the day calls for a 15 mile run, I'm not too proud to cut it short. Frankly, I think it takes as much mental toughness to do 10 mile on a hot day as to do 15 on a cool day. Most marathons (Chicago was a recent exception...) are run in cool weather. I don't need to run long distances in hot humid weather to prepare for the conditions I'll be seeing this fall.

6. Remember: Heat Waves are Temporary. They bring their own challenges, but if you look closely, winter is just around the next corner. At least that's the way it is here in the north woods of Minnesota.

Running Routes

Today while I was running a different route I thought about routes that have been favorites over the years. One thing these routes have in common is repetition. I'm not sure if I ran them so much because they were favorites, or if they became favorites because they became so familiar. Here are three from the old days:

• "To the lake and back" was a three mile run that started at our apartment in Highwood, IL and headed down a hill and past the Highland Park High School. It then headed past a couple of beautiful mansions and -ended at a spot that overlooked Lake Michigan. It was a staple of our running routine.
• "To the bridge and back" headed the opposite direction and ran along the Metra train tracks past the old Fort Sheridan. It was a six mile route that we ran at least once a week.
• "The 7 1/2 Loop" ran through the streets of Highland Park and then along the converted train tracks back to Highwood. The best feature here was a ravine that funneled the cold air above Lake Michigan inland. Dropping down into that ravine would lower the temperature by 10-15 degrees...a wonderful thing on a hot day.

Today most of my runs start from home. Living out in the country means that most of my runs are "out and back" routes rather than loops. The shortest loop is about 7 1/2 miles. "Around the block" is at least 10. Typically I run "up the Scenic Highway" which takes me past several small lakes and marshes. The shoulders are wide and gravel which is good for my knees. Sometimes I'll run "down the Scenic" which is hillier and has an asphalt shoulder, but I'll only do this when I am desperate for a change of pace.

The Whys of Running

I've gotten serious about my running. Over the last few years I've slowly worked myself back into being able to run 10 miles and now am focusing on training for a marathon this fall. As I was running this morning I was thinking about the benefits I've discovered to running, and more specifically training for something as big as a marathon. Here are a few of them:

• Physical fitness. It sounds obvious, but I feel better about myself when I am "in shape" than when I am "out of shape." One problem of the problems I have is that having trained for marathons in the past I now consider "marathon shape" to be my standard for physical fitness. I haven't been "in shape" for many years.


• A Distraction. As a pastor, I have a never-ending job. I love it, but I need the demands of a big race to help me focus on something else for a while.


• Nature. One of the reasons I the treadmill so much is that I enjoy getting out and seeing the changes each week brings. Running here in the Northwoods is special because there is the chance to see all sorts of wildlife. I've seen bears, deer, fox along with huge assortment of birds.


• Discipline. When I am disciplined in my running, it carries over to other areas of my life.


• Ice cream. Need I say more?


• A sense of accomplishment. Okay, pride. There's a sick sense of gratification when a non-runner says, "I saw you running today, how far did you go?" and you can answer "Only six miles today" because it was your short midweek run. Slightly better is to be able to shrug your shoulders and say, "Oh, about 20 miles this morning." The look you get is priceless.

"Winter is Over!" I declared...

I declared winter over and my training to have officially begun. I meant it! It's 46 and sunny right now. I wore running shorts yesterday. Winter is over!!!

I just would look less silly if I had checked the weather forecast. There is a winter storm coming tonight. Here's the latest from the National Weather Service:

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT CDT SUNDAY NIGHT. A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL CHANGE TO ALL SNOW AND BECOME HEAVY THIS EVENING. PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...WITH GREATER AMOUNTS IN PARTS OF THE IRON RANGE AND ARROWHEAD ARE EXPECTED BY MIDNIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL BE A HEAVY WET SNOW WITH A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO TREES...LIMBS...AND POWER LINES.

Sometimes I hate living here.

Brett Favre Retired Today

I watched Brett Favre's retirement press conference today while I ran on the treadmill. It was obviously an emotional decision for him to walk away from a game that he has been so committed to his whole life.

He said he was tired. He said that he did not want to put the effort in to play another season. He said that the stress was mounting with each game. He said that the enjoyment had left the game.

The reporters seemed puzzled, probably because any of them would give their right arm for a chance to play one game as an NFL quarterback. Why would he "quit"?

I guess I can relate a little bit to his situation. Bear with me for a moment.

Brett Farve's main reason to play is because the "want to" has to be there. He doesn't need the money. He has all of the records. He's won a Super Bowl. The hunger to pay the price to play has to be there. It's not anymore. So its time to walk away and find something else to do. Something that you enjoy doing.

This winter I made the decision to run a marathon. I've done it before...a long time ago. I know what is involved. The hours of preparation. The daily grind. The mental discipline. The endless training. All for the few hours some Saturday morning when I'll try to cover 26.2 miles...because it's fun.

But if the whole marathon experience has lost its appeal, if it no longer holds the mystique, if it is no longer fun, then why do it?

A marathon, like pro football, demands intensity over many months. You cannot just show up at the starting line having faked or skipped the training and expect to finish.

Brett Farve must have looked at another upcoming season and asked himself if it was worth it. The training, preparation, the practice and the risk of injury, all for the fun of Sunday afternoons and the chance to win another Super Bowl.

He decided it wasn't worth it anymore.

And so he walked away.

Good for him.

Football fans will miss him. He was fun to watch.

But for the people who matter most, his family and close friends, his walking away from football will mean he has more time to spend with them. If he hasn't discovered it already, I'm sure he will find that the greatest blessing is not in the locker room, but in the family room. That's where the greatest game is played.

Brett, don't ever walk away from that one.