Hot and Humid Summer

Travel and work prevented me from blogging in the last month. The recovery period after running in Traverse City was longer than expected but I already have four and a half weeks of decent training under my belt. I also lacked motivation and took it very easy for the first 3 weeks after the marathon. I then had four weeks of easy training, to build base. In that period I had an unexpected trip to Irapuato where I took advantage of some altitude training. On July 4^th, I ran the Leon-Comanja half-marathon and am pleased with the result. I ran the most of it in the mid 7’s, not bad considering it’s uphill all the way. We went from 5,500 to 7,020 feet of altitude. The course is very difficult but nothing beats the views and the pleasure of running in direct contact with nature. I then had two more weeks of training in Irapuato. I ran 45 and 43 miles respectively.

This is my first serious week of training for the Chicago Marathon. I have done three runs in very hot and humid conditions. I usually hate these conditions because I get very sluggish. However, this hasn’t been the case this time around so am actually enjoying the heat. My legs are fresh and am not really feeling the humidity that much.  I know that training in this weather could help me a lot in the long run. I ran the first LTR this morning: 12 minutes warm-up, 4x10 minutes (@ 7:04, 09, 12, 14 ) with 2 mins. recovery and a very easy cool down. I felt strong but not as fast as I wanted. I will settle for 51-53 miles this week. I feel much better than expected and ready to continue training.