What Happened to the Days When I DIdn't Have to Shower SECONDS After a Run?

I thought tonight's run was going to be so much cooler! Freak (aka typical Texas) storm with hail this afternoon dropped the temperature. But heat index still had low-90s temperatures by 7:30 pm with 65% humidity. So it ended up being ANOTHER hot run.

I can't remember having a sequence of runs like this where I've had the requirement of scheduling a run so as to shower just seconds after coming in from the workout. Why is that? Oh, yeah! It's because I never trained this hard or in weather this brutal before.

I was a runner of convenience in the past. The weather had to be just right (total Goldilocks) or I wouldn't run. I always ran "easy miles" - I was just doing distance to keep some miles on my body. Not really running too hard. What can I say? I hate to sweat!

But now I'm running with purpose (to break 2 1/2 hours in the half marathon) and, perhaps stupidly, doing it in the Texas heat of summer! And can we talk about the lost time? It's not just about the time spent out doing the runs. It's about the hour or so afterward of showering, washing my hair, drying my very thick hair, and straightening my naturally kinky wavy hair. Women should get bonus points, because most of us are making twice the time investment of our male counterparts for the same results.

3 mile tempo run tonight. Goal pace of 11:30 on each mile.
Beautiful perfection...
Mile 1: 11:24
Mile 2: 11:30
Mile 3: 11:25

Off to the chiropractor tomorrow to get low back spasm addressed and fix up my tender shins (from my tight Achilles and plantar muscles).

Happy Running!