Family and flag cake

Good morning!  Today is the last day of the monstrous heat wave. The high is supposed to approach 100 again today, but by Saturday it's only supposed to be 81 - just in time for my trail race with Molly!

I had another post in mind for today but had so much fun yesterday that I had to recap that first.

We spent the day at my parents' home, where the heat index outside was 115. Inside, the AC was working beautifully. My core temperature breathed a sigh of relief.

So did this guy, who proceeded to make himself at home immediately.

We all went to a neighborhood party later in the afternoon. My mom was in charge of providing the flag cake, an enduring family tradition that goes way back.

Okay, fine.  One example, circa 2001:

I've really been out of the flag cake loop in recent years, so I was thrilled to jump back in.

We begin with a blank canvas.

Mom provided guidance as we got to work (with sangria by our side). Dad documented the effort.

I showed Josh the finer points of the process while Wish looking on, wondering when the meat toppings were going to come out:

And VOILA!

On an unrelated note, later Wish just decided to put on a hat grudgingly allowed me to spruce up his Independence Day spirit.

So festive!  Hope your Fourth was fun, too!

Fourth of July

Major, super kudos to all of the runners who finished the Red, White and Boom race in Minneapolis this morning in tough conditions. Earlier in the week, race organizers announced that the run would be a five-miler instead of the originally scheduled half-marathon because of the dangerously high heat and humidity. As soon as I stepped outside this morning before sunrise and was greeted with 84 degrees, I knew that the five miles would've been quite tough enough for me.

I wasn't running, though. I was volunteering with my Twin Cities in Motion committee! I love supporting events like this because I see so many runners out there together with friends, family and total strangers. Today, more than 2,000 people started their holiday with this race (and fortunately were handed popsicles moments after crossing the finish line). The Twin Cities has a super running community, and I'm lucky to be part of it.

I did note that my timing for the morning got a little mixed up because of the early start. For example:

Literally 7:56 a.m.

"YUM!!!!!!"

If a hot dog sounds like a fabulous idea before the bell tolls eight, who knows where the day will go from there?!

Wishing you a wonderful Fourth that includes more hot dogs, watermelon, fireworks (unless your dog hates fireworks), flag cakes, grilling, air conditioning, ice cream, friends, family, swimming, or enjoying mid-summer however you see fit!

Summer miles

Well, as most of you know, the country is blanketed with seriously sky-high temperatures this week. In June and July, this weather coincides with loads of runners around town ramping up their mileage in preparation for fall races. Running outside in the summer is an adjustment, especially if you've gotten accustomed to training through the winter, and it introduces a host of new challenges. Some people love running in the heat - others make the best of it.

This will be my fifth summer of marathon training, and I learn more every year from reading, friends, and simply logging the miles. Through those summers - and a generous amount of trial and error - I've collected some ideas for how to maximize the fun in summer running when possible and safe. (I hope it's clear that in this post, I'm taking the long view of June through August, not advocating for crazy mileage during this particular week's extremes. Yikes.)

Here are five of my tips for outdoor running in the summer, whether you are training for a marathon or running in hot weather for the first time:

1) The most obvious: start early, when the temperatures and the sun are as low as they're going to get. It's sometimes a bummer to have my alarm clock chime that early on a weekend, but the upside is that I'm back home by mid-morning and can either enjoy the full Saturday or fit in a generous nap. If you want to be even more optimistic, an early start probably simulates your race day schedule and thus gives you a chance to practice your breakfast strategy! Air quality tends to be better in the morning, too. Plus, during the week, running early in the day frees you up to enjoy glorious activities like evening walks, happy hours on patios, and dinners straight from the grill.

2) Set yourself up for a nice treat afterward. If you don't already know what that treat should be, go for a nice long workout and start thinking in the last couple of miles about what you'd very much love to have when you get home. For me, one summer, it was freezies. Another summer, I walked to the nearby grocery store after every long run and bought an ice cold Gatorade. This summer, I think it's watermelon.

Whatever is refreshing and exciting for you - that's what it should be.

3) Hydrate appropriately and find a hydration plan that works for you. When I first started doing long runs in warm weather, I was terrible about hydrating and it really hindered my recovery. I'd spend most afternoons on the couch because I was totally beat. Finding the right strategy makes a world of difference in how I finish the run and how I feel the rest of the day. For me, a fuel belt with two bottles attached is just right, and I plan my route to include at least one drinking fountain stop to refill my bottles (and splash cold water on my face, which helps me a ton). Some people like handheld bottles; others plan for stops at drinking fountains more meticulously. I'm also trying to get more consistent about drinking water throughout the rest of the week. If I don't hydrate enough one day, I really notice the effect on my run the next day.

4) Adjust. Bottom line: It's simply not possible for me to maintain my paces for speedwork - or heck, any kind of run - when the temperature and dew point soar. You just have to adjust your pace and expectations for each day. One of my favorite yoga instructors, who teaches a class I find very challenging, encourages us to complete the session in a manner that leaves us feeling energized rather than depleted, which is different for every person on every day. That's easier said than done some days, but I've started thinking about this approach off the mat and on the roads. It might mean slowing down, adding a walk break or more walk breaks, cutting back on intervals or mileage, heading inside to the treadmill, or simply taking the day off.

5) Dress for it. You think wardrobe notes belong only in my winter running advice, right? Quite the contrary. I've learned that there are lots of inexpensive accessories that make summer running more comfortable. Grab a visor or hat to start, for sun protection and shade. (I find that there's nothing more energy-sapping than hot sunlight on my face.) If you are prone to blisters or chafing, get a stick of BodyGlide. Slather or spray on sunscreen and add sunglasses. A couple of summers ago, my mom sewed little cooling beads into rolled-up bandana scarves, which are wonderful and refreshing when you soak and freeze them the night before a long run.

This summer, I have to fight another member of my household for the bandanas. We've basically been swapping one little scarf for another from the freezer continuously for this guy:

Do you mean me?

5) Distract yourself! I signed up for a few races of varying distances this month to mix up my routine: a mile, a 5K, and a 25K on trails with Molly to replace my regular long run this weekend. They help with accountability, they're on routes I don't usually run, and they're just plain old fun. I also like to try to focus my attention on the rest of my environment when hot weather cranks up. Last weekend, I was grateful for a breeze that wasn't necessarily chilly but was a heck of a lot better than still air. I also like to take peeks at the trees and flowers that are the product of all that hot weather. That advice is easier to give when I'm typing next to a big bowl of watermelon than to put into practice on a hot and steamy day, but I try.

Reader! Do you have foolproof tips that I didn't cover?  Any feedback about my tips?  Please share!

Marvelous Monday: Week 27

It's Monday, and I'm armed with tools to beat the heat this week - namely, watermelon and iced coffee (see #4). We don't have air conditioning in our home - sometimes I could see possibly changing this week - but the fans are working overtime and doing a good job of cooling this place off.

At Miles and Laurel, I start the week with Marvelous Monday, five marvelous tidbits about the weekend and upcoming week:

1. My passport arrived!!  I am now equipped to travel the world on a moment's notice!  I also got my old passport back in a separate envelope. I had been kind of sad to turn it over, so I was pleased to see it in the mail. Let the international vacation offers roll in!

2. I got to try a new-to-me restaurant this weekend with Sara, who is eager to help me with that item on my list. Our destination: The Anchor Fish & Chips in northeast Minneapolis. Some of you may find it odd that we were excited about fish and chips for lunch on a 93-degree day in the summer - that's how good that meal is at Anchor. I need to get back there, pronto.

3. Josh's dad is visiting this week!

4. Every summer I reach a point when hot coffee is just not an appealing option for me, especially after a morning run. I've been curious about making iced coffee for ages - printing off the instructions at least last summer but possibly the summer before that, too - and this weekend I finally tried it!  I used a recipe from The Pioneer Woman and am set up with a gigantic vat of iced coffee. I am very excited about this.

5. Tonight is Wish's graduation from obedience class. (Note: this is not at all to say that our obedience training journey has ended.) I've learned a lot through this class and have gotten to do some good work with him. "Pomp and Circumstance" will play at least once in our home tonight before we leave for class.

Reader, please tell me: are you into iced coffee?  Do you love fish and chips like I do? How are you staying cool this week?

Expectations

Well, I've gone and done it. I've started gearing up for a fall marathon - more on this later; that's not the point of this post - and am a few weeks into a training plan that I've used before and love. The big, tough chunks of the plan are still weeks and weeks away, yet I was telling Josh recently that even the plan's early weeks have been challenging because of the heat.

I mean, check out this week's forecast:

That is wild!

To be clear, the first priority is obviously being safe, so with that in mind, I try to get around those temperatures by running as early in the morning as I can, before the sun gets high in the sky. Even that strategy helps only marginally sometimes (while simultaneously snatching away precious zzzs!). The beauty of a long training plan is that it teaches you to ride out tough stretches in order to reap the benefits of fast running later in the season. Essentially, you put in the work - the early mornings, the sweat, the slog mileage - and don't give up, and the payoff comes farther down the road. You just do what you can to get through those challenging sections. (More on this later in the week!)

If you've been here before, you know I love extrapolating life lessons from sports. Read on!

Anyway, my alarm rang yesterday morning at 7:00, and as soon as I checked the weather, I knew that I had made a mistake in not heading out earlier: already 73 degrees, with a 64 degree dewpoint and full sun. (For me, a trifecta of trouble.) I got ready for the run with Debby Downer enthusiasm, sprayed about half a can of sunscreen on myself and headed out. It was slow, and it was hot, but two miles ticked past, and then four and five, and soon enough I was on the home stretch and finished 14.

But here's the thing: My whomp-whomp expectations for the run didn't even prove true. I won't go so far as to say the run was joyful, but it certainly wasn't terrible, and it wasn't worth the negativity I had projected earlier. I practiced hydrating, slowed my pace accordingly and motored through.

As I was thinking about this with a few miles to go, I came across this spray-painted message on the river road:

When I was in high school, I wrote "BE HAPPY" on my cross-country skis to combat the bad habit of letting the physical challenge of racing sink my spirits and allowing myself to usher in negative thoughts midrace.  "BE HAPPY" (and later, "SKI HAPPY") was my reminder to myself to try my hardest but also allow myself to just enjoy being out there in the fresh air, focusing instead on the thrill of the effort. More recently, this has shifted slightly to the idea of having confidence in my training and trusting myself. Sometimes I finish a run in tough conditions and come back covered in sleet or snow or rain (or just sweat) and tell Josh that I can't believe I did it, and he always says, "I can." Like I wrote awhile back: Running reminds us we're stronger than we think.

When I'm doing my long runs, it's hard for me not to come away with some kind of lesson from the miles. This weekend's run was a reminder to be open to each experience and not let preconceived expectations dictate the story. Like my grandma always said, you only have as much fun as you want.