Well, I had a great race in Santa Barbara and then came down with a nasty chest/sinus cold on the way home. Serves me right for having so much fun on those wine country hills, not to mention the wine too:) It's always fun trying to get back into running after you've been sick for a week. My lungs hurt, I gasp for air within minutes of my warm up and I just don't have any energy.

But, there is good reason for this. My body is actually helping me out by forcing me to slow down and recover. The more I push or try to run through this, the harder it gets and the worse I feel. Just my body's way of saying, "excuse me, but I need some time to recover. I know you want to get out and run, but I need a little more sleep and a lot more TLC." Then it turns into a negotiation similar to buying a new car. "Well, okay, I will talk to my manager and see what I can do..."

The more I rest at this point, the better I feel and the sooner I will be on the trails again. I know it's always best to lower your effort level (walk or very easy activity) when you have anything going on in your chest. But it's surely tough to tame my inner runner, especially now that spring has sprung.

Happy Trails,

Jenny

I just returned from my first warm-weather run of the season. We've had an extended winter and a mini-spring so here we are at 80 degrees! Don't get me wrong, I am NOT complaining, but it sure can trip up your running pace. It takes our bodies about two weeks to acclimate to the warmer temps so I typically run by effort level rather than pace or speed. Which ultimately means I slow down to let my body cool itself efficiently.

It's truly amazing what our bodies will adapt too. I crewed for a fellow adventure racing friend Rob Harsh a few years back in the Badwater 135 Ultra-Marathon. This is a 135 mile race held in Death Valley in JULY! The temperature at the start line was 130 degrees. Although I only ran a quarter of the race, I still had to train and prepare my body for the heat. One way was I took Bikram Yoga Classes (aka Hot Yoga). The studio is over 100 degrees and the class is 90 minutes long. It not only helped me train for the Badwater, it also improved my body's ability to train all summer long in the heat and humidity. Gradually my body became very efficient at cooling itself in Bikram, mid-day summer runs and eventually in 100+ heat in Death Valley. I wouldn't want to run in Death Valley every day (and wouldn't recommend it either) but when I returned an 80-85 degree run was a piece of cake.

Our bodies are amazing tools. When trained gradually, they can adapt to almost anything!

PN: i will be speaking at the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon Pasta Dinner this weekend. I can't wait to run the course through the vineyards!

Happy Trails,

Jenny