Spring marathons

So you train all winter in the cold and come race day you get temperatures in the 70's or 80's. What the hell? Then the next weekend, the temperatures are back to normal just like the averages the marathon promoters quote in their marketing smack. Ugh. (the Country Music Marathon is the last weekend this month, I'd bet money it'll be in the 80's by noon)

What's the ideal temperature for a marathon? 41 degrees according to a quick search of the web. Sounds about right to me. Any cooler and your body shivers to stay warm, any warmer and you start sweating? Geb gave up three minutes when he raced in hot weather. Mortals multiply by 3 or 4.

Fortunately, I've never been faced with those kind of temperature extremes on marathon day. My warmest marathon was Boston in 2005. The temperature that day only got into the 70's. To warm for me to run the race I wanted, but not hot enough to completely implode. I do that well enough when the temperatures get above 60 degrees. I even ran/participated in two marathons this spring in almost ideal temperatures.

Boston is coming up in about 8 days. You can bet everyone running the race is wondering what they'll get weather wise. (if they were actually lucky enough to get in before it sold out) Geez, funny how quickly the window to register has closed and not so much for those who qualified but didn't get in. I had months before it sold out. Sure doesn't seem that long ago.

I'm trying to get my running mojo back. I've run a few times in the last couple of weeks. Seems like I've got more aches and pains now from not running than when I actually do run. Old age, perhaps? Damn, I'm not that freakin' old.

Got back on the bike again this past sunday. The temperature was in the low 60's when we started but it warmed up really quick. Great day for a bike ride. I plan to start riding a little more frequently as cross training and let the legs get a little break from the running. (though I do seem to run best when I'm running high mileage)

Great thing about the bike, I don't mind the heat. Bring it on, the hotter the better, just so long as I've got some water. Sure is fun blasting down a hill with the wind in your face. Worth every bit of the effort grinding up the hill. Though it did seem some of the hills we rode this past weekend didn't quite give back as much speed on the backside as the effort to climb them implied? Fastest decent this ride only 39 mph.


The fast master at the top of one of many hills from this weekends ride.