Running
 

WARNING, you shouldn't have looked at the image below if you are squeamish

I volunteered to run the Hood to Coast relay with my company a while back, but I was placed dead last in a long list of reserve runners. Thinking there was no way I'd get selected, I did zero training.

6 weeks ago, I'm told that someone was fired, and that I am now on the team. 5 weeks ago I injured my foot and could barely manage a hobble for 3 weeks. Now I'm 4 days away from the race, which consists of 3 legs of approximately 6 miles each.

Besides my lack of training and unmanaged diet, the biggest problem I have is hitting a heat wall. At some point in my run, I simply can't shed heat quickly enough to increase my pace. On Thursday, I hydrated and then ran in the sun when it was 96 degrees just to see how I would handle the heat. I did ok until about mile 5 and then got the chills. Despite the blistering heat, I felt cold and nauseous and had to walk the last 1.5 miles.

Besides hydration, what else can I do to keep cool during my run? Is it better to run with a wicking shirt, or no shirt at all? Should I drench myself in water before the run to minimize the amount I have to sweat?

Any other running tips to help me get the best time I can given the circumstances?

Here is my Strava in case anyone is interested and has some pointers for me.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y26...m/IMG_2689.jpg

dude....post a warning on the graphic foot shoot!!!:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

It's now too late for last minute training. Any attempt to last minute train cannot help, but could wear you out or injure you. So focus on race strategy and letting your foot heal.

Six miles is not far enough to seriously dehydrate you, but is more than far enough to cook your body if it's hot. If it's hot, pour water on yourself at the start. Saturate your shirt and shorts. Carry a water bottle and pour it on yourself as indicated.

Run easy and don't be afraid to walk if needed.

I once ran 5 miles at a somewhat humid 100 degrees, with the last two miles tempo (hard, but not race pace). It was a good lesson in what not to do.

Time to withdraw due to an incompletely healed foot injury. Seriously.

Did you step on a blender?

How is it now?

Tony Stark once stepped on a land mine. It provided the inspiration to make a really cool suit.

True story.

I have never even thought about shedding heat while running. I did not get out of the house until it was over a hundred degrees last week.

I did not go as far as I liked.

I am just concerned you will injure yourself further, but if you already did the distance recently, hopefully you will be okay.

Be safe!

Second.

I would recommend not racing if it was a tendon or bone injury, but it's just skin and maybe a little meat. Worst outcome would be a few popped stitches and maybe a little more eventual scar tissue.

From an ultramarathoner discussion: If there's enough blood in your shoe that you start squelching, you should consider dropping out of the race.

That pic. Ew! (darcane: thanks for the laugh!)

I have a somewhat established, 3-season, sort-of-habit, daily morning "run". Run may not be the right word for it... more like "somewhat-faster-than-a-fast-walk". And not very far either -- maybe 2 km to a nice park where I sit & contemplate the river for a while, and then I walk back home. :D

But seriously, I find my "running" endurance is more mental than physical. Have never tested real limits though.

Running through pain is mostly mental, but this is for work. I'm against it.

I only do it to be ready for the zombie apocalypse! I don't need to be the fastest or go the farthest... I just need to do better than the person behind me.

Being envious of others' extensive frisbee golf discs, I decided it would be a good idea to look for rogue ones in the creek; barefoot.

At $5 a pop for used discs, I figured I'd save a fortune with all of my finds. While I didn't find any, I did come across a broken bottle. It cost me a $200 copay at the ER. That's 40 discs!

The good news is that my wife was super excited; she had just learned how to suture the week before. I've had over 2 weeks with the stitches out, so I'm good to run, just not at the pace I'd have liked (my competitive nature).

I'm going for 1 more run tonight, then either very light jogging or a bike ride the other days to get the blood flowing. The forecast for Friday afternoon is 97 degrees; just in time for my first leg.

I don't know if I enjoy punishing my body more, or drinking beer at Seaside after earning it.

Don't throw the beer bottle into the creek!

"Take me to the hospital!"
"Wait, I got this!" [loads YouTube]

Ouch! Once, as a little kid, I stepped on a broken bottle buried in a playground sand pit. Not fun. Bled like crazy.

I ran.

My goal time given the short notice and injury was 9:30 per mile. I averaged 9:27 per mile, so at least I was realistic about what I could do.

The temperature on my 1st run was about 96 degrees with no shade. Fortunately there were many kind people that either left a sprinkler running on the side of the road, or sprayed me as I passed by. Without them I would have had to walk.

My 2nd run started around 1am, with the temperature about 65 degrees. It was still a hot run because I had to gain almost 1000 ft of elevation. At the 2nd mile, I was horrified to see my pace had slipped to 11:25 per mile. Fortunately I was able to knock this down to 10:15 on some short downhill sections.

The 3rd and final run took place at about 2pm, and I gave it all I had. The first mile went by in 7:30 minutes, and I sprinted the last quarter mile.

Heat was always my limiting factor. Downhill sections were fast for me because the speed provided more cooling.

I had a great time with my team which is comprised of other people that work at SEH America. I got a phone call shortly after my 1st leg saying that I was the front runner for a job I had just interviewed for.

Yesterday I was given an official job offer to be a field service tech for radiation therapy tools. I'll likely take the offer and begin in October. I have a lot of good memories working at SEH for 12 years. It's basically the only job I've ever had

I'm the one in the sunglasses looking the wrong direction.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y26.../Forum/h2c.jpg

I hope that sand was broken bottle free, barefoot-man. ;)

Yer nuts! Only exercise I'd do in that heat is swim, and then only if the water's nice & cool.

PS: I didn't think it was allowed to get that hot in Oregon, at least west of the Cascades.

Congrats on a good run and congrats on a new job! Best of luck in it.