High noon of Summer
Charlotte is in the middle of the hottest summer on record. Could
runners be facing any worse conditions to start their training for an early
fall marathon. Cranking out a 20 miler is tough enough. Cranking it out when
the morning temperature is 75 degrees before the sun comes up, is even harder.
A side from starting runs way earlier i.e. before the sun crests
the horizon and staying well hydrated, there isn’t much else for one to do.
May be trying running on a tread mill in doors. A few
friends that I know have taken this approach. Although, I don’t understand how
they do it. Tread mills in my opinion borderline on cruel and unusual
punishment. A 20 miler on a tread mill can easy approach between 2 and 3 hours or more.
How many Seinfeld, Friends, or Big Bang Theory reruns can
one person truly watch? Here’s hoping
they have a Netflix account to help them through it.
Recently, I read an article about breaking up long runs. For
example, instead of doing a 20 miler, the article suggested doing 2 – 10 mile
runs separated by 8 to 10 hours.
As we run of course, we get tired. A tired runner is less
efficient i.e. meaning their forms starts to break down. This can be very true
during a 20+ mile run. The theory behind the split long run is getting 2
quality runs. During the 2nd run there will still be a certain level
of fatigue, but there should be sufficient recovery time to allow the runner to
keep good form during the run.
Could everyone do this method? It isn’t likely. Most working
class runners are also time crunched runners so getting in a 2nd run
would be considered a luxury. Having the ability to fit in 2 – 10 milers in the same day
means these runners live in a utopian runner's society. A society we would all love to live.
Whatever training method you use, just make sure to be
safe. As tough as a cold day is for training,
a hot day can easily put you in the hospital.
Stay safe and hydrated my friends,
The Cool Down Runner
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