Marathon Week

Marathon week. What an exciting time. For the runners, it can be the best week of their lives or the worst. Most have already decided what it will be. Some are sad that their Saturday group long runs are over and will savour the week and upcoming marathon events and some are glad that after next weekend, they'll have their Saturday mornings back or in other words they will be glad to "get it over with". Golfing, fishing or sleeping in will be back on the calendar. For me, not much changes. I always look forward to the Saturday group runs and when they are over, I look forward to the solitude. Kind of like living in North Dakota where the winters make you appreciate the summer.

Speaking of summer, it looks like we will have summer weather for next weekend. I'm glad for the spectators and volunteers though I'm certain it does cause some concern among the event organizers as most runners are not yet acclimated to running in warmer temps. If you are a runner, remember as always, hydrate early and often. You may have to scale back your marathon goals. That's just the way it goes. The bottom line is that there are few runners who can perform at their peak in warm weather. More blood moves closer to the skin to help keep your core temperature down and that means less blood flowing through your muscles. Less blood flowing through the muscles means you will slow down. Pushing harder than you've ever pushed before can be expected for marathon day though if it's hot, it might put you in the medical tent. Best save the effort for a better day. Please use good judgement when toeing the line.