Get the KM back up

Distance 35km [total: minimalist 285.6km: Barefoot 4067.9km] Week49

Wednesday, 12-Dec. 7km

With a hot Adelaide day ahead the only option for running is in the early morning. I set my alarm for 5.25am. I had hoped to get to bed early but as it was our cinema night last night I didn't get back until around 10.30pm. When the alarm went off I still felt in a daze, I got myself up and had a glass of carbo fuel. I got to the beach at 5.40am.
It was calm at the beach, no breeze and definitely no strong sea breezes that normally pick up in the afternoon. It was around 28C as I set off for my run along the small strip of wet sand left by the receding tide. The sand alternated between firm and quicksand like. I ran on the sand to spare the blisters on my foot. The sun had just popped over the horizon at after 6.05am, the hills keeping me in shadow for 10 minutes after sunrise. A good run but hot work.

Thursday, 13-Dec. 10km

Even hotter night with the temperature still around 30C outside at 12.00am. I kept my windows shut as the inside temperature was almost the same as outside. I got my fan up and running for the first time this summer. I got to bed at around 9.30pm but it was a restless night. I did feel better this morning when I had to get up. It was around 25C before dawn, slightly better than yesterday. I ran along the footpath this time as there was very little sand to run on. I was careful to make sure I placed my feet correctly at each step so I didn't take the skin of the blisters. There were quite a few runners out this morning and I used a few as targets to catch. My heart rate was higher than normal at around 145bpm, probably due to the warm still weather.
At around 1pm, during my lunch break, I took the opportunity to do some surface temperature measurements using a digital IR probe with laser targeting. The ambient temperature was 35.7C.
So the results, which I averaged over around 8 measurements were as follows:

• Brick Pavement = 54.8C
• Bitumen            = 59.1C
• Concrete           = 54.0C
• Grass               = 32.0C

I did this same experiment around 3 years ago but using a temperature probe that had to be touched onto the surface. The values I recorded were much lower and lulled me into a false sense of security.
The values I recorded 3 years ago with a hotter ambient temp of 37C were as follows:

• Brick Pavement = 48.6C
• Bitumen            = 41.9C
• Concrete           = 44.0C
• Black path         = 49.3C

Anything above 45C would be risking blisters and the temperatures measured recently shows what can be expected during Australian summer weather.

Saturday, 15-Dec. 10km

I intended to go on one of my longer runs to Semaphore this morning but found the tide at its high point for the day and any firm sand was at an angle to make running uncomfortable. So I chose my normal road run down to West Beach from the Grange Sailing club. There were quite a few runners around at this early hour for a Saturday (7.30am). On the return journey I ran along the beach from Henley Surf Life saving club as enough firm sand was now available to run on. I didn't feel particularly fast on this run and my heart rate was too fast, I need to slow down.

Sunday, 16-Dec. 8.2km

The cooler weather returned this weekend which is good from a running point of view, I don't need and early start to keep out of the sun and heat. I did my lake loop, still getting a few niggles from my right Achilles, I think I have a tight spot in the lower calf that I need to use some pressure point therapy on. The blisters are starting to come off now as well, they should be fully repaired by the time I run on Christmas day in around 9 days.