It never amazes me how fast the humidity can return once we enter August .. I look back just to Monday when I was running early in the morning and saying that my hands were cold because it was about 50 degrees, now tomorrow it should be about 75* with a heat index of close to 80* (yep, before the sun even comes up). That should make my speed workout tomorrow morning interesting .. I think i’ll gear up with the fuel belt just to be safe and then work to stay hydrated as best as I can overnight.

The best part is that tomorrow is my ‘double session’ for the week, which means I have to head out after work (in the REAL heat) for yet another couple recovery miles after doing a speed workout in the morning.. well, the only positive in that is that I have time to rehydrate throughout the day before heading out again.

I’m happy that I decided to follow a REAL training program this summer that takes me away from the same old routine I used to follow when I trained. Its interesting because I just don’t know what my schedule looks like for the next upcoming week because I don’t look ahead, it always makes it a surprise. I like to keep it that way so I don’t know what to expect. The best part is that runs over 12 miles actually feel pretty easy now .. and I feel like i’m in much better shape than I had been before (and I look better too). I’m not sure how I’m not losing any weight in this whole thing, but as long as i’m running better, thats what the goal is.

Just to prove to myself that I’m willing to embrace change in my routine, I expect to run a 5K for the first time in about 2 years. Next weekend my training plan tells me that I should race a 10K or 15K, but I can’t find one locally, so instead i’ll just do a 5K over here in Alburtis and then sum it up with a short recovery run after that. I also expect to find a 10K or 15K race the following weekend when i’m in Connecticut visiting the in-laws. I don’t expect to do great in either one, but its part of Mesocycle 3, Race Preparation and reminds me how far i’ve come. I really bombed out in April when I ran a 4 mile race because I just wasn’t prepared.. this time I expect to be.

So change in the routine is good .. change in weather, change in training, running some shorter races .. it can only lead to good things as far as I can see it.