Sunday, April 19, 2009

Hot As Ballz

Today was a perfect simulation day for my marathon...

Perfect that is, if I was running Badwater.

Sure, I'm being dramatic. Badwater is one of the craziest ultras around; running across Death Valley up to Mount Whitney, in the heat of the summer. Good times.

I was supposed to run 13 today. I only ended up running about 11. I figured the hot conditions and the steep terrain I ran on today more than compensated for the 2 measly miles I didn't run.

Today, it was hot. Stupid hot. 95 friggin' degrees hot. And it was kind of windy. So I had a choice. I could've run on the roads and up the hills of Griffith Park and back, or I could forgo the hills and run nearer to the beach. Or I could run in Sullivan Canyon, where the first 3 miles are run under a canopy of trees, but it's basically straight uphill for 5 miles. I chose #3. I am happy to report that I did NOT roll an ankle, trip, stumble, fall, or take a header. I was nervous about running single track one week before Big Sur. I had stomach problems around mile 7. I'm sure I was dehydrated, and the long, steep, 5 miles up hill didn't help things either. I stopped in a restroom, washed some cold water on my face, and it really helped me out. My stomach problems got better, and I was able to have a strong finish.

It's still hot out.

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