32.5 Degrees Celsius, Bring it ON!!

This weekend we had near record temperatures in the National Capital Region, I say bring it ON! I live for this weather!!

The Bay, has started the summer bustle, cottagers are returning to enjoy the rivers and bays, from my back deck I could hear the motorboats out on the river. With the price of gas rising so quickly, I wonder how many people will be trading in the power boats for sail boats this summer.

Saturday was hot, hot, hot and humid. My run was just 5k and this seemed like the perfect morning to get out early. Yard sales galore, and the government dock was teeming with boaters launching their crafts for the first time. Ahhh, summer is finally here.

Two of my Woo Hoo girlfriends Glenda and Nancy, who were out biking had stopped to see if I was home, good timing as I was just walking in from my run. We had a great visit on the back deck, they had a chance to relax for a bit and refill their water bottles before the 20K bike ride home.

My other Woo Hoo friend Anne and her husband Dean were on the Rideau Lakes Bike Tour for the weekend. If you recall, Anne ran the marathon with me two weeks ago and has started training for her Half Iron Tri in August....she has graciously agreed to help me with my Try-A-Tri, yikes, I'd better get going on that!!

Sunday was really stinky hot. Glenda and I drove into the Running Room Sunday morning and it was really very hot and humid at 8:30AM.

The Half Marathon group assembled for the 7K run and split into the running groups. The 2:10 group started off and because it was so hot, as pace leader I determined that slower was better, so we set off at a 7:30 pace....

Interestingly, as always, the runners who have never done the distance just couldn't get it into their heads that this pace was what we do, even after explaining why we run the Sunday runs at a much slower pace, some understood and staid with us and while others went off on their own accord. All I can do is explain and hope that they will learn. Our route incorporated several large hills, each had a long grade to them. The runners that went on ahead were struggling up the final hill and finished their run with the group.

Over the next 18 weeks, they will come to understand the differences between the tempo, steady, fartlek and long slow distances. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear! That is why I firmly believe in these running clinics.

Even with this spike in temperature and the crushing humidity, this weekend was The Weekend to End Breast Cancer 60K walk. Over a thousand walkers and crew raised $ 2.1 million for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. Well done everybody, you are all hero's....

On another weather related story, Bob Gentile, toughed it out on his Kettle 100 Mile run in LeGrange, Wisconsin. Due to extreme weather conditions ranging from Tornado warnings, hail, torrential downpours, he made the 100K cutoff but decided at that time to not try to make 100 miles. Congratulations Bob, well done despite the conditions and you got your KETTLE!!

Stay safe everyone while we experience this extreme weather, use common sense and be smart while you're out there training.

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily