Summer of Running
Photo from my 2014 5K PR at the Chicago Rock n Roll.
If you’ve followed me for any amount of time on Instagram or have met me in person you know that I really, really, really don’t like summer running. Every summer I wish I could be the type of person who thrives in the warm weather or the type of person who isn’t greatly affected by the heat. People who see gains during a summer of running: I envy them. I won’t even lie about it because running in the summer is such a struggle for me physically and mentally. Physically, I must slow down to survive the runs because my perceived rate of effort dramatically changes. Mentally, I need to remind myself that effort is effort, regardless of the number on the watch (“I am not losing fitness, I am adapting”). The downside to slowing down is that I spend more time outside in the insufferable heat. At times, it feels like a lose-lose situation where even I question my dedication to this sport.
So, why do I continue to run in the summer even though I dislike it so much? Bragging rights. There I said it. That’s my truth and I won’t deny it. It’s not about proving anything to anyone else; it’s about proving to myself that I am a strong enough runner to run through tough conditions. I’ve always said that Miami’s heat and humidity is like everyone else’s elevation and hills. I also have the option of training outside every day of the year. I can’t train the way other runners around the country train, but I can train hard with the conditions I’ve got.
This year, however, I am approaching summer running differently. To give you an idea for what my previous summers as a runner have looked like, here’s a recap:
2013 First full summer as a runner; summer was spent training for three fall half marathons.
2014 Trained for the Chicago Marathon.
2015 Trained for the Berlin and Chicago marathons.
2016 Trained for the Chicago and NYC marathons.
2017 Trained for the Chicago Marathon.
2018 Trained for the Chicago Marathon.
2019 Break from marathon training.
2020 Pandemic; running took on a different meaning this summer.
2021 Trained for the Chicago Marathon.
My only other marathon was the Miami Marathon in January 2015 that I built upon from the 2014 Chicago Marathon race. I also ran an ultramarathon, the Chicago Lakefront 50K, in March 2015; but once again that race built upon the training for the Miami Marathon. What we’ve got here is a runner who strongly dislikes summer running, but has spent most of her summers as a runner training for a marathon.
Make it make sense, please!
I’ll admit that part of the problem here is that I love the Chicago Marathon so much. So much that I temporarily forget about suffering through a summer of running. Truly though, the problem is that you find out about your entry into the Chicago Marathon in the winter/spring and don’t start training until summer; there’s a temporal and seasonal gap between “Yay! I am running Chicago” and “Crap! I forgot that the bulk of my training happens in the summer.”
This summer will be different though. I had a fun and wonderful time at last year’s Chicago Marathon, but I’m pretty sure my marathoning days are behind me (something really special and spectacular would have to happen to get me back in marathon-mode). This summer I plan on listening to my body and trying something new(ish). How will I do both of those things? I will listen to my body by running less and I will be trying something new(ish) by focusing my training on the 5K distance. The last time I focused primarily on the 5K was back in 2012 when I first started running, which means I am both excited and scared of this new direction. I’m excited for the challenge and scared because a 5K is an entirely different beast of a distance. Training for a 5K means more of a strength and power focus as opposed to the endurance focus of those longer distances. Training for a 5K means my body and brain will both have to adjust and change in response to the new demands.
As of right now, my goal race will be the Great Smoky Mountains 5K that’s happening during the Great Smoky Mountains Running Experience in September. I am keeping my eyes open for any fun 5K races in August though. I’m not sure what the exact goal will be (run as fast as I can vs. run a PR), but here are some numbers for the number lovers:
My first 5K time was 37:05 (pushing a stroller with two kids!) in 2012.
My fastest 5K time was 24:40 in 2014 (came close to that in 2017 and 2019).
My most recent 5K time was 26:51 in 2021.
I have participated in nearly 40 in-person 5K events.
I’m hoping my experience will help in this next round of training and I’m excited to see what these legs on mine got in them.
Have you focused on the 5K distance and have any tips to share? If so, I’d love to hear them!
