Trying to “rush acclimate”

I’m stupid. I know.  We FINALLY got sun today.  It’s been a week. A weird June, to be sure, and beginning of July. By this time last year, Lis and I were so used to sweating like farm animals while training with TNT.  (I can see Lis right now, clearing her throat, saying “ahem, Terri, it was only YOU who sweated like a farm animal, I just tried to make sure I didn’t kill myself by falling in the sweat puddles you left behind.”) Sorry, Lis. It was only me.

My biggest fear for next week’s Boilermaker is no longer the monster incline (which I’ve nicknamed THE BEAST) between miles 3 and 4. It’s that it’ll be a million degrees and humid out, as it usually is in upstate NY.  When I first signed up, I just figured I’d be acclimated by then.  However, there’s been this really freaky weather pattern that has found its way over Boston and New England for the past several weeks. It’s felt like springtime, as in early April, all last month.  Let me make this abundantly clear. Last night, when I walked into the convenience store, around 9ish, a guy walked out in long pants, shirt and  fleece. July 3rd. That just ain’t right.

Other bloggers out there are saying it’s 100 degrees where they live, and that they have drought conditions.  My husband picked up our welcome mat off of our deck to put it in the sun to dry out.  He said that water literally ran out of it.  (Guess that’s why it’s started to grow weeds this week.)

So today seemed like the perfect time to go for a run at noon, right? Hey, nobody said I always had common sense every day. I was supposed to do 4-6 mile repeats. Note I said “supposed to.”  Did I forget to mention my Flovent steroid inhaler just ran out on me, and my doctor’s office was closed, so my pharmacy couldn’t contact them for more?  Ah yeah. I can be a dummy sometimes.

I did the first interval just fine. 8:15.  Second one, not so good. More like 9ish, and with walking involved. I know, I know, not supposed to happen.  That brought me back home.

Then, I realized I could run laps around my block, which is about .45 around. I did that 4 times for a total of 2 more miles. That was it. I couldn’t take it any more. At least the .5 mile repeats I did I was able to consistently speed up, to 4 minutes per .5 miles.

Tomorrow, I am getting up before the butt crack of dawn, and leaving the house by around 5:30 or 5:45. Why?  My running group, the Merrimack Valley Striders, is hosting a 4th of July race.  I volunteered to help with registration before thinking of how early I’d have to be there. There’s a 2K, a 5K, and a 10K.  The 2K is for the kids, of course. I’m taking tomorrow off from running, and then doing my long run on Sunday instead.

On a completely unrelated matter, I just got the older version of the iPhone.  My employer gets a 10% discount on the monthly plan! SWEET!

So now I just have to figure out what the apps are for Twitter.  I hope to not get addicted to my phone, but people  tell me I just might.  I like the fact that there’s a map feature, as I usually can get lost driving in places with which I’m not familiar.  By the way, for those of you who read this blog, and want to follow me on Twitter, feel free to do so. I’ve got my updates protected for now (was getting sick of all the porn followers and the like), but if I can tell you’re a real person and not someone just trying to sell me something, I’ll likely accept you.  My name is “middlepackgirl.”

Have a great 4th everyone!

Photo by BL1961, flickr.com