Week Training Log: 9/8 - 9/14

Just when I thought the nasty DC summer weather was gone, yesterday was a return to 95 degrees with 85% humidity. How refreshing. To properly enjoy this lovely celebration of Global Warming, I had to run 35 miles in the tropical swap air. Trying to make the best of the situation, I woke up at 4:15 a.m. (always nice on a Sunday) and hit the road right away. It was already 85 and insanely humid at that hour, but I knew I needed to cover as many miles as possible before the Sun Beast awoke and really made things fun. I ran the first 15 to 20 miles around the Hains Point washing machine much faster than my usual 35 mile pace in a race against the heat. Since the humidity was so incredibly high, I had to spend a few moments every mile literally wringing the sweat out of my shorts as I ran. The fact that ultra-light-weight quick-dry running shorts can be rendered so useless by the DC humidity never ceases to amaze me. Heavy cotton shorts would have been just as useful out there yesterday.

Anyway, I ended up rising above the heat and finishing my last 3 loops in fine fashion as I hopped in with the final leg of the National Triathlon being run around Hains Point. It felt pretty great to actually pass some of the runners (they were running 6.2 miles) as I was clicking off miles 27 to 33. Of course if I had to actually compete in the swimming portion of the triathlon with these guys, I would have probably scored the first ever 'DNF by drowning' in the history of the sport. To each their own.

One more note: Colonel Denis Dion was nice enough to send me a couple photos from our Canadian Embassy visit last week, so here they are. This is me and Elizabeth in front of the sculpture outside the Embassy.

...and here I am getting my jersey at the luncheon.
Thanks again for everything, Col. Dion!!


Week Training Log:
Monday - Off
Tuesday - 8.6 miles - Treadmill speed work
Wednesday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Thursday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Friday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Saturday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Sunday - 35 miles - Hains Point Washing Machine

Total miles: 77.6