Started late in the morning, temp. was a bit cooler than the past few days, about 85 with not as much humidity. Was not sure how far I was going to go, but I knew I was ready for a solid effort. Quickly got into trance running mode and finished off 5 miles without much thought or effort. I got onto the South Farms and felt good, blue skies with big summer clouds leading me onwards. Finished the 12 mile loop with no troubles, so stopped at home and refueled. Out on the trail again to Busey Woods, the day was getting hotter, and the humidity was rising. In the woods there was a short section that had curtains of heat I had to wade through. It was a delicious experience, the heat was tactile and heavy. Back on the South Farms dirt road for the second time, I was baking, the heat was back in the 90's, there was no shade, and the next water pit was 3 miles away at MBK. I started thinking about the Western States 100 going on today, and was inspired knowing there were runners out west suffering and working much more than me. I desired to be one of them, slugging it out on mountain tops and in hot valleys. Instead, I took what was at hand - flat roads, dirt trails, intense heat, and lots of solitude. When I finished the 2nd loop I decided to keep going, so back to Busey Woods for one more trail loop, and finally, finished! I started at 11:00am, and walked inside my house a little past 6:00. Along the way I had stopped to do some strength exercises, had 3 refueling stops, along with plenty of water breaks. With the heat as it was I had no choice but to take it slow and easy. It was a great run, the gentle pace should allow my legs to quickly recover from this tough session.
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