Running in blistering heat is just as bad as it sounds. So bad that we moved the July 31 practice to the morning. That would be our last morning practice of the season; I already miss them.
When you’re running in oppressive heat, the heat compounds any mental pain that you may be enduring throughout your run. Want to stop? The heat is asking you to do so. Want to slow down? The heat may as well have tied an anchor to your ankles. In addition, one must drink much more water than usual, as the heat compels sweat out of your body much faster than a temperate day. If you can’t tell, running (in the heat) isn’t fun.
Despite all those negatives, running in hot temperatures is good training – so long as you don’t pass out. Unless we are incredibly unlucky, none of our important races will have a heat index over 80 degrees. Therefore, since we’ve run in the heat, running in milder temperatures should be a breeze. Speaking of races…
FleetFeet, Chickenlegs, and other various running companies organized a “pre-season” race for August 10, and many Bob Jones runners participated even though participation was rendered optional by Coach Mac. Of the participants, Jake Bryan (Junior) impressed the most, winning the Boy’s race with a time of 10:19.82! Bryan had this to say about his performance:
“Even though the course was slightly short, I felt great.”
Bryan intended to run at 5:20 mile, but he beat his intention, running 5:10. Let’s go Jake! (Gary! [Only real XC runners will get this reference] Gary! Gary! Gary!)
Did the heat training impact Bryan’s time? Who’s to say, but I have faith that he will continue to do great work throughout this season and beyond.
In other news:
- Since our first meet is in two weeks, this will be the last “off-season” XC article.
- Roman Hanson ran 11 miles on August 10, the last of which he ran at a 5:34 pace. That’s ridiculous.
- The weather seems to be much cooler for next week!
- The other captain, Caleb Johnson, is beginning to recover from his nagging injuries. Let’s hope he recovers quickly and is able to run fast by October.
