Berry's July "something different every day" challenge

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  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Day 13.

    What? The hot and the dead - final pre-race long run in 32 degrees C (88F) heat
    When? 10am
    How long? 60 minutes
    What's new? The time. The heat. The heatstroke. The unexpended zombie pursuit.
    How do I feel? Considerably better than I expected, actually.
    SW/CW: 183lb/181lb
    Waist before/current 38"/36"

    Yeah, I should have set off earlier, but once again a much-needed lie-in and taxi duties meant I didn't set out until 10am, and the temperature was already well into the mid-20s. I used the Zombies, Run! race feature for the first time, and used a 10K story to get me through. With due defence to the heat, I set off an a pace barely above walking. What I didn't realise was zombie chases aren't an option in race mode, they're automatic! I actually managed to escape twice, but the other two times, I was happy to lose the items just so as not to have to speed up.

    About half way through, in the delightful rose garden at Forty Hall, I got the first warning signs that I was in trouble. I shivered like someone was walking over my grave. All the hairs on my arm stood up. I'd stopped sweating. Heat stroke was knocking at the door.

    I slowed right down and threw half my remaining water over my head. I took a couple of walk breaks. I made it home after an hour on the dot.

    The little lad from downstairs was out playing. Having "helped" me stretch last time I went running, he was already on the step doing a calf stretch as I plodded to the door! I told his dad Personal Trainers charged £40 an hour for that!

    Then upstairs and straight in the shower. I tried full-on cold, but I couldn't stay under it long enough, so I went for just lukewarm. And stayed there for 20 minutes, getting slowly cooler and less salty and purple in the face.

    There was half a sports drink lying about so I got that down my throat, together with lots of water and some paracetamol to take my temperature down. I made myself a cheese and ham omelette (a delicious way to get electrolytes and protein) and then realised how exhausted I was. I conked out on the bed with the curtains shut and windows open for an hour.

    I'm delighted to report I headed off any ill effects at the pass. Other than a slight inability to keep my eyes open and a yearning for cold beer, I managed to dodge the hard-run hangover I often suffer from.

    But by all that's holy, please let it be a bit cooler during the race next Sunday!

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