In Heat – Forced Recovery

The first 6 days after my 50 miler had left me feeling cocky. 7.5 miles no problem, 5 miles at marathon pace was a breeze, and almost 6 miles up and down Summit Ave in Brookline feeling like it was nothing at all.

I walked out the door this morning assured that 18 miles was going to feel like a walk in the park. My limited experience with ultras has really not given me time to experience how I recover. Today, the heat zapped me instantly. And it was for the best. I zig-zagged around town for a difficult for 3 miles before spending five minutes “adjusting my pack”. 3 miles was about all I felt up for, but I tried to march onward. I added another 2 miles before calling it quits, feeling depleted. Thankfully, I ended with a perfect view of Boston on the clear day:

Forced recovery is probably the best thing I could have asked for. My difficult race schedule adds some unnecessary pressure to what I consider my hobby. A slow walk home with some music and running into friends made me appreciate the summer day and my accomplishment last week. Most importantly, I felt happy with my run today – normally a day like today would have me bummed out for a week.