Punishment for Sleeping In

Well, this morning my alarm went off and I just couldn't make myself actually get up.  It was dark outside at 5:15 and I just wasn't feeling it.  The group run was messed up since some were starting at 5:15, some possibly at 6, and others at 7am.  I think I knew I would be running on my own anyway so I took advantage of this and went back to sleep.

I finally got up and moving around 8am but stayed in bed reading a book.  I was regretting skipping my run and eventually convinced myself to just run from my house.  I live in a very hilly area that has two-lane roads with very little shoulders.  I usually avoid running from my house for safety but I do have a loop that seems to keep me on less-traveled roads.  I chugged a glass of water and ate some fruit snacks and got ready to head out.  I thought about doing my four-mile loop and then coming back to the house for more water but decided to carry water anyway so I could play it by ear.  I took a Camelbak podium bottle with me and figured that would be enough if I didn't gulp on water!

I was pleasantly surprised by how much shade I encountered along the route.  This helped a lot but I still had to face my Triple H Punishment...Heat, Humidity, and HILLS!!! It was about 9:45 when I started and the temps were definitely warm.  The air was sticky with only an occasional breeze.  The hills, well they were everywhere that I went! I got to the 2 mile point and had a choice to make...turn back to home or continue on and force myself to get the mileage in.  You see, I had a sneaking suspicion that if I returned home I wouldn't actually go do the second loop. 

I chose to go out another mile or so before turning back.  This put me on a shaded, non-paved road...the only problem was that it was a mile of pretty much downhill grade meaning I would have to run back uphill! I ended up taking a couple walk breaks on the uphill return but overall managed pretty well by just slowing down and focusing on getting the distance in rather than hitting a certain pace.  As I got closer to home, I added on a short loop to get my mileage just under 7 miles for the run.  The pace was slower than I would have liked but it was more important for me to get the distance done and to learn that I can survive heat, humidity, and hills!