Summer Sunrise Watermelon Series, Race #1 (actually #2)

This morning I ran the first (for me) race in the Summer Sunrise Watermelon Series, hosted by the Lakeland Runners Club.  I missed the first race because I was out of town, but signing up for the whole series is still a total deal ($30 total).  So I did that.  The race itself is pretty nice: you run around Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland, which is about 3 miles around, so ideal for a 5k.  I did the series back in 2010 with the philosophy that if I could run four races in the middle of the summer, a marathon should really be a piece of cake.

I have to say that I was less than enthused about this race because I thought that it would be torture, and also I have not been doing a lot of running as of lot.  Or Crossfit for that matter.  In fact, I have kind of been doing not much.  Although I have tried to do some heat adapting, which has mostly consisted of getting out in the evening (around 6:30PM), hoping that this will build some resistance to crazy temperatures.  Is it working?  I'm not sure, although this morning was encouraging.

In fact, it was so encouraging, that I may have possibly PRed on this course for me--I can't find my old numbers to prove it, but I was close.  Seriously.  I assumed that I would have to walk and that it would not be fun, but I did okay (remembering, of course, to slow down a bit when I felt that I had to walk).  It was even above the Threshold of Ick (temperature + humidity > 160), but that didn't seem so bad.  In fact, I felt that I did pretty well, especially considering that I have not been dedicated to training as of late.

I have been doing the Picnic Island runs as well (we are already through two of three) and a few other 5ks here and there.  In fact, I have been doing a race almost every week, which wasn't the plan at the start of the summer, but here we are.  These shorter distance ones are evidently better for me.  It's nice to feel better about things, even if it was just for one morning!

This week I should be getting back into the routine.  I totally plan to go to Crossfit (unlike those days last week when I totally planned to, then didn't...) and may come up with a super-easy running plan.  However, part of me thinks that continuing in the same vein might be a great idea.  This more laid back approach seems to be working for me, and probably I will want to get back to the grind in the fall.  We will see!