I checked out a few research papers to understand the reasons for my long run fiascos and have more or less zeroed in on the cause-effect relationship for different parameters that may be culprits. I feel vindicated by all this and find it enlightening and exciting to discover the effects of temperature, humidity, glycogen consumption, pace and runner' body weight. The literature I'd read spoke on 'Temperature Regulation' and did not actually address my problem but from its content I stumbled on the solution. I think I could write a thesis on defining all of these and developing a nomogram to enable runners that are going to race the SCMM (or any race in hot weather) to find out their chances of keeping a particular pace after factoring in all the above parameters. Well, I have a lot of plans but I end up doing zilch about them.
I have now understood that it is indeed better for me to do two medium long runs on the weekend ie one each on Saturday and Sunday. I must advise and caution my wards at Colpal to also be wary of putting in runs lasting more than 2 hrs, in this weather. Hopefully, it will rain soon and all of this will have to be reviewed next summer. I have also developed a strategy to cover my overall distance by varying my pace so that the average still comes to the desired level. This idea too could sort of be either published or, I could include it in my long overdue book. Well Dan, you got to the bottom of it and thats important. Like I said, the force is still with you; hang in there:-) Does that mean the alcohol bugaboo was a false alarm. Maybe and maybe not but look what happened; you lost some weight ol' chap:-) I'd say its better to stick with the lifestyle changes you made as a result of this jolt that got you in the b***s.
