The rule of P

The rule of P is: Proper Preparation Prevents Piss-Poor Performance

It's not necessarily one that I follow with any consistency

I wonder if there's some kind of alliterative phrase for what I've actually done this week in order to "prepare" for a nearly 8-hour race tomorrow?

At least I'm only in for the half at Sunburn Solstice instead of the full

For starters, this week kicked off our year-end audit at work, so I've been throwing down some extra hours at my desk pulling samples. Not great from a stress perspective, but manageable. Unfortunately, I've also been trying to get some time to visit with my in-laws who are in town this week, which has meant some pretty late evenings.

Completely worth it, though

I did even take a day off work yesterday so I could spend a day with Tank and his folks, but I'm not sure that day "off" constituted great recovery or preparation for a long race.

We went golfing in the morning under the scorching sun.

It was a beautiful day, but could have used more shade

I had more than 11,000 steps before we left the course to go explore some local businesses, including grabbing some ice cream down by the river. As I was walking back toward the car, I stepped on some uneven ground and my left sandal sort of rolled over, tearing open a blister on my baby toe I didn't even know I had!

 

Not ideal.

Fortunately I have some blister plasters, so when we finally got home I was able to clean up my feet and apply a dressing that has it feeling pretty well fine now. I was even able to get out for a short shake-out run yesterday early evening, before heading out to dinner with the in-laws.

The blister didn't hurt, but some other stuff complained

My ankle is still pretty stupid, though it has definitely improved since I tweaked it again (GAHHH 😫) last Wednesday. It did ok during yesterday's run, after taking Wednesday off running.

..though I still walked over 5km, because I had the chance to go the pretty way down to the in-laws' airbnb..

Thursday's run, however, was only 3.5km, so I don't think that's necessarily indicative of how my ankle will behave over multiple hours. I also got sunburned yesterday (despite applying sunblock), and today I'm somehow more exhausted after finally getting 8 hours of sleep than I have been for the last few days getting less than 6hrs per night.

Oh, and possibly slightly anaemic after the onslaught of mosquitoes and deerflies on the golf course

The weather is definitely not expected to be great for "performance" tomorrow, either.

With my race not starting til 1:22pm, I can look forward to hitting the worst of the heat of the day

So basically I'll be limping along with a bandaged toe, taped-up ankle, hopefully fading sunburn, and no rest beforehand...but I'll get to see some of my favourite people, and wander around a beautiful trail on a sunny day while eating candy and cookies. 

Doesn't sound like too bad a wheeze, actually.

..then I just have to make sure I'm able to walk the next day, as the wedding for which Tanker's folks are in town (his cousin is the groom) is Sunday afternoon, and I'd rather not have to explain to all of his family members (many of whom I've only met once before) why I'm in a walking boot and/or using a cane. 

So, all I can do is show up and see...and hope for some of those amazing popsicles along the way! And hey, I guess I've already got the "Sunburn" part of the race down..

Melting

 Y'all, it has been HAWT

Hot enough that I nearly took the "trail" on the right

The last couple of days have seen heat warnings in our area, so I figured I'd do a quick run-down of strategies for not dying in this weather.

1. Shade

If you can run a shaded route, you eliminate the additional heating effects of solar radiation, which can have a major impact on athletic performance. Pretty straightforward.

Though easier said than done in some places

2. Timing

If you can possibly run very early or very late in the day, you can avoid the worst of the heat. I used to do a lot of my mid-week running around 3:30-4:30pm, when it was typically at the hottest point of the day. It was tough, and introduced a lot of extra stress on what were supposed to be "easy effort" runs.

I'm either smarter or just lazier now, and tend to run in the evenings after 7pm

3. Hydration

When it's over 28c/82f, I don't care how short the run is - I'm bringing water, usually in a hand bottle. Hydration levels directly affect your body's thermoregulation capabilities, so it only makes sense to give yourself the opportunity to drink freely while out there pushing. I use a lightweight, soft bottle that holds enough for about 45mins of running, and add a vest with additional carrying capacity for anything longer.

I'll also add a scoop of sport drink mix for longer workouts, as carbohydrate and sodium both help with absorption and transport of fluids

4. Conductive cooling

That hand bottle? Throw some ice in it, and it becomes a source of conductive cooling against the palm of your hand - which studies have shown is an effective method to increase exercise capacity. If your bottle has a narrow, finicky opening you can pick up a stick-style ice tray (random amzn link example - I do not own or endorse that particular one) to make endless amounts of bottle ice. If you're using a hydration vest, stick some ice in it too! The conductive cooling against your chest or back will be even more effective, though the ice likely won't last as long.

You can also just dump some ice in your pockets, or your bra!

5. Evaporative cooling

You don't really need anything fancy here - I did some testing last summer, and found that the moisture-holding properties of a cotton shirt or even just a cotton bandana significantly helped with cooling, particularly if you can catch a breeze. I'd never recommend such things in cold weather, when your primary goal should be to transport moisture away from your skin as much as possible...but when it's hot, soggy can be good!

Cotton bandana around the neck, pre-soaked in water before heading out.
Wearing one around your wrist can be effective as well

6. Clothing choices

At a basic level, lighter colours will absorb less heat energy than darker ones. If you want to get all fancy, some companies - notably DeSoto (Skin Cooler), Columbia (Omni-Freeze Zero), and New Balance (NB Ice) - have developed fabrics that have active cooling technology. I have a couple of items of each type, and they do make a difference, though possibly not enough to justify their cost. Still, being made for active pursuits, the flatlocked seams on the items I own would be much less likely to chafe during long runs.

Bright-coloured NB Ice shirt on the left - generic black shirt on the right.
Which do you think is going to keep me cooler?

7. Pacing

The reality is that no matter what cooling strategies you employ, high heat and humidity is likely to overwhelm them sooner or later. In order to avoid heat stress, you'll have to slow down - please allow yourself the grace to do so, and to walk as needed. You can build some acclimatization through shorter, easier workouts, but if you push too hard during heat warnings like we've had the last couple of days, you can do real damage that could derail your entire race season. Focus on the long term, and be gentle with yourself!

Discretion is the better part of valor - you don't have to be a hero, just show up again tomorrow!

Fortunately, the weather has broken for now, and it looks like it'll be a great day for the Niagara Ultra tomorrow. Tank and I will be volunteering at the 10k aid station, so if you're racing we'll see you out there!

Trixie

 I mentioned back in May that we had adopted a kitten.

Before the trails exploded into flowers and greenery

That little kitten turned three months old today - one month and one day since we brought her home.

When she was so tiny I had to give her a boost to see out the window

She has definitely not been helpful with productivity while I work from home.

This was her favourite spot to sleep when I'd bring her into my office during the first few days

This is her most common perch now - where she can do the most damage

We've had some pretty serious discussions about data integrity

Even when she's not physically impeding me from working, she's an awful distraction.

How much work would you get done with this at your elbow?

Or this on a chair right behind you?

Now, with two cats already in the house before her, you may ask why we felt we needed a third. Well, we mostly got her to be a companion for Fionn - while now about 3.5yrs old, he still behaves like a kitten, and has desperately needed a playmate.

My poor boy would get so bored, and cry during the day for someone to play with him

Esme is not a playful kitty. She is a huge suck toward Tanker and I, but to all other cats she is an absolute miserypants: hissing and growling, and swatting or biting if another cat comes close. She isn't aggressive - she just wants to be left alone.

Preferably in her hammock in a sunbeam

The "tortie-tude" is REAL with her, so that left my little man in a position where he had loads of energy, and no-one to help him burn it off. 

So he'd come and distract me, too.

We needed another kitty around - preferably a very young kitten (so the other two would accept it) with high drive to help them keep up with Fionny. We also wanted a female, as we had all too much experience in the past few years (before our old tomcat Karma passed away in February) with the literal pissing contest that can happen between two male cats.

Enter: this adorable little nugget

We gave Trixie a few days in her own room to try to settle in after we brought her home (on a Monday night), then come Thursday evening we let her out while Tank and I were both around to supervise. We did put her back in her own room that night, but when Tanker returned from work on Friday we released her for the final time, hoping that the other kitties wouldn't get aggressive.

The first cautious sniffs..

Fortunately, Fionny has been an excellent big brother to her! Despite him weighing in at over 13lbs and Trix starting out as 2lbs of floof (as of today she's up to 3.8lbs, so he still outweighs her by nearly a factor of 3), they play together wonderfully.

With the little one usually being the aggressor!

It only took a couple of weeks before I wandered into the bedroom and found them together on the bed..

Not exactly cuddling..

..but definitely very comfortable together.

It's not a perfect arrangement: Fionny still gets bored when Trixie is snoozling away, or lose his temper a bit when she refuses to stop attacking him (particularly his tail). I've had to help the poor boy escape her sorties on a few occasions, and have had to pull the two of them apart now and then when they get just a little too rough with each other.

But more times than not, they're quite content together.

Trixie herself is a handful - I mean what kitten isn't? Her tiny teeth and claws are razor sharp, and she uses them liberally on anything within reach. 

She looks vulnerable, but in fact she is pointy side up.
IT'S A TRAP

Tiny as she is, you wouldn't think that would give her much range, but it turns out she's built of springs as well! We had thought we'd have to help her up on things for a little while, but she could jump up on the futon in her room the very first day, and can easily jump up on our bed despite it being high enough that my feet don't touch the floor (by a good number of inches) when I sit on the side of it!

And whatever she can't jump, she'll just claw her way up

Just this morning, as a matter of fact, she worked out how to get up on the bathroom counter...and promptly stole one of Tanker's toothbrushes, then jumped down and buggered off with it!

Then sat in the hall and tried to tear its bristles out.
(Yes, we'll be getting him a new one)

The little buttmunch is almost impossible to keep off the kitchen counter, particularly when you're trying to get her breakfast or dinner ready.

She hasn't quite put it together that it takes even longer when I have to lift her off the counter and drop her on the floor half a dozen times in the process

I may also need to start keeping lids on any cookware I leave on the stove

I have puncture wounds and scabs all over from her either failing to jump up on my leg at my desk, or from her frantic flailing when lifted off of something she was exploring or attacking. 

Or just trying not to fall off somewhere precarious, like the back of my office chair

She's an absolute terror in so many ways!

Like her penchant for hanging out in the box where I keep my running gloves and gaiters

..but she's so absolutely adorable and entertaining that it's impossible to get mad at her.

With her snow white and spotty back and pink little nose!

Even Esme has started to - if not actually warm to her - at least defrost a bit. 

I wasn't quite quick enough to catch the nose boop, but it happened!

To be honest, Esme is probably less surly toward Trixie now than she is toward Fionn...unless Trix attacks her, or there's food around. Then it's definitely growly hissy time, but otherwise she's been remarkably chill for the past week or so.

And it's still only been just over a month!

So while my ankle is still a jerk and there are still just so many things to stress about, at least I have an adorable, ridiculous little distraction to keep me laughing while the world burns.

She's not a cuddler, but at least she'll tolerate me getting close

I'll also say that there are few joys in the world like watching a tiny kitten chase a full-grown tomcat around the house, or for that matter jumping in circles while chasing their own tail! I'd say I can't wait to see what she'll be like when she grows up, but I'm more than happy to enjoy the journey through her silly kitten months for now.

Warming

 I know I was kind of harsh on spring about a month and a half ago

In my defense, things looked a lot different outside back then

It's still spring for a few more weeks, but conditions outside are immeasurably more pleasant.

The forests have gone green instead of dirty browns and greys

Instead of last year's dead leaves, the trails are now lined with thousands of beautiful flowers.

Delicately scented phlox

Magnificently perfumed lily of the valley

Cheerful little daisies

..and some kind of flowering tree with which I'm not familiar

While we've struggled to get any consistent heat, I've been able to leave my jackets behind for some time now - even as my cranky ankle still has me oscillating between outings that are more run than walk, and ones that are more walk than run, I'm typically comfortable in shorts or a skirt and t-shirt no matter the actual exertion level.

Nice to be able to pause by a tiny waterfall without getting chilled

The return of the mosquitoes has not necessarily been welcome - I keep forgetting to apply bug spray, and have suffered the consquences.

..though it definitely helps you keep running if you were starting to feel lazy.

So while not everything is wonderful - my ankle is still a problem, and my lower back issues might actually be getting worse - at least it's a great deal lovelier outside to help take my mind off it.

If you've gotta suffer, might as well do so in sunshine, surrounded by flowers

Maybe spring isn't so bad after all.