Hard Core

This morning I did a track session in the pouring rain at 5 am. As I was doing it, I thought to myself "d**m I am hard core."

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I have done plenty of speed sessions, and often run in the dark, and I don't shy away from the rain and wind. But somehow doing all 3 together made me feel like a total bad ass.

I don't typically think of myself as a hard core runner, even though I've done things that most people would call extreme. I mean, I ran a marathon in Antarctica! I still think of myself as just a slow, average runner and tend to get intimidated when I am around other runners because I always feel like they are better than me.

But today I went around with a swagger in my step for the rest of the day. Hard core man.

What do think of as being hard core when it comes to running?

100% Humidity Track Workout

I work up this morning to thick fog, 100% humidity, and a dead ipod battery. 

I knew I could face a long slow slog of a run through this humidity so I headed to a track to try out a workout I saw in Runner's World last month. 

4 x 400, 4 x 200, 4 x 100

I ran a mile to the track as a warm-up and did equal distance recovery between intervals (i.e 400 m walk/jog between 400's) and ran back home for a total of 6 miles. 

Now speed work might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to a super humid day, but it really worked for me today. 

-Since I was at the track I had access to my water and a towel without having to carry them to the whole time

-The shorter intervals made it mentally and physically easier to really push myself

-The recovery time between intervals really helped me from over-heating

-The variation in intervals kept my mind occupied so I didn't even miss my music

I was a sweaty mess by the time I got home!

What is your go-to workout when it is really humid?