Feeling The Burn

I have pushed myself pretty hard this week, burning over 4000 calories. I am exhausted! The week is not over yet with a planned spin class tomorrow, and swim. After the week is done it will be about 4500+ calories. I have been extra good nutrition wise staying on WeWa and keeping my daily intake of about 1300 calories. I am the President of this IWLC so how would it look if I did not do well, besides I want to do well for myself anyhow.

How did I burn 4000+ calories?

-Spin class 5 days in a row. Tomorrow will be the 6th day.
-2 mile track run with intervals
-3 mile run off the spin bike on the TM
-3 swims at 750 yards each
-5 mile leisure bike ride on Baby Girl

(She was getting jealous of that stationary spin bike)
-7 mile run off Baby Girl (word “run” used very loosely)

I did my long run today since Lil’ Buster was going to be with Grandma. Man, was it HOT. It was in the 90’s again and unbelievably humid. It had been 3 weeks since I had done anything over 3 miles, and was not sure if I could do it. I thought I would go out there listening to my heart. Not my heart rate, but my heart rather than stare at the Garmin. I would run at my own pace at my comfort zone. Well, that was all good and dandy except my legs felt like cylinder blocks. I assumed it was the heat or just way too much on the legs with all the spinning.

Whatever, kept going it was now about mile 2, and I felt negative about the whole run. Dark clouds began to roll in, followed with a huge rain fall with no thunder or lightning just a steady shower of rain. It was like God’s way of saying, my dear child take this shower to cool off since you are not too bright trying to acclimate in the heat and humidity from hell. That got me to mile 3.44. Yes, I remember the exact distance that I began to feel more negative. By that point the sun came blazing back with full steam ahead. I was getting close to my turn around point when I saw a maintenance man go by on a golf cart on the trails picking up trash. I contemplated hitching a ride with him back to my car. Here is where some serious walking commenced for a good mile. I was OK with walking all the way back. Then the voice of reason set in.

VOR: Are you really going to walk the rest of your long run?
Me: Yes, I am not training for any long distance runs right now. It is all about listening to my heart, and it wants to walk.
VOR: Do you know how long it will take you to walk back?
Me: You are right. The sooner I can get home; I can shower and indulge in an afternoon nap. Geez, why do you always have to be so damn reasonable?

I was trudging along at about mile 5ish , and I let out a huge startled scream. I thought I had found my first dead body like the Pearl Izumi ad states real runners find. Great, I thought now I could be a real runner without putting out the fast miles. (I kid, I kid..I joke, I joke) It was one of the workers installing the street lights taking a nap under a tree. Just his legs were hanging out on the trail. Needless to say my scream finished up his nap time. Sorry guy, thought you were dead, now get back to work.

I begin to pick up my run a bit after that. I just wanted to get to my shower and bed at home. At mile 6 it was like God, gave me that lil’ punch on the jaw as to say, go get ‘em kid. The cloud cover came back over and the rain cooled me all the way till the Garmin read 7 torturous miles, in a way too long time of 1:39, and an obscene (14:12) pace.

It wasn't pretty, so much for listening to my heart. What made me think of that listen to my heart run crap!?! I got home to a sweet shower. I even indulged in the powder and body sprays. I put on some cozy pj’s, pulled the curtains to make it pitch black in the room, and laid in the bed. Within minutes I was back out of bed. The damn kids next door were playing basketball outside my window jamming to “Back That Ass Up”. Yep, school is out now for sure.

**Please Note**

Acclimating to the heat can make you believe God adjusts the weather for your run, in addition to making you believe you have conversations with the Voice of Reason