Oh, the humidity!

(I am not the first person to title a running post that.)

I wish I had the answer for how to run in the heat and humidity. Slow down, stay hydrated, blah, blah, blah. It doesn't seem to work.

Because of the weather, I had already changed last night's 9-miler from a pace run to an easy run. I was not confident in my ability to hold a 9-minute pace for 6 miles. I did think, however, that I could do a progression run. My plan was to warm up for 1.5 miles, run 3 miles at 9:30 to 10:00, run 3 miles at 9:00 to 9:30 and then cool down for 1.5 miles. FAIL.

I warmed up around 10:30 pace, ran a 10:04 mile and thought that was fine, but then the pace kept getting slower and slower. At the turnaround, I refilled my water bottle (that isn't a good sign!) and took a gel. Shortly afterward, someone stopped me on the trail for directions. Between the midway stop and that stop, I just gave up. I slogged along back to the trailhead, ending the run with an 11+ pace, completely soaked with sweat. Worst run in a long time.

On the plus side, I am not too upset about it. I'm frustrated that I can't push through better. I was hydrated and fed well enough, so I know that's not the issue. My guess is the cumulative fatigue is making it more difficult to push through the heat and humidity. I know I'm making progress, and I just have to hope that with cooler temps and rested legs, I'll be able to run to the best of my ability.