To 1/2 Or Not To 1/2
That is the question? Two days out and I still haven’t signed up for the 1/2 this Sunday. On one hand, it’s nice having options to decide on races so late (unlike IMLP 2007) but all that happens is that I agonize over the decision for that much longer.
It’s going to be hot here again this weekend with heat advisories and all that sort of thing until Sunday night. Temperatures in the upper 90s with dew points around 70. Forecastfox even drew me a little pretty picture of what it’s going to be like through the weekend:
I’ve been out there in hotter and I suppose it would be good mental training if nothing else. But it just seems a little silly to pay to suffer through a race that probably won’t be fun come the run, doesn’t it?
I’m a little uneasy about doing something this close to Wisconsin too, although I would really be using this as a long training day. Just cruising through the swim, intentionally backing off on the bike and riding at IM pace (or slower?), and just running at a slow pace to have a supported long run. Heck. I might even walk through aid stations if I need to or not. I don’t think I’d build up any unnecessary fatigue and I have a rest week due next week (yay!) anyway, so even if I need a couple extra days from the effort I’ll have it.
I don’t know. What would you do? Would you pay to do a 1/2 if you had the fitness, but you knew it was going to be really hot and sticky out? Or would you do as the National Weather Service advises and, I quote, “seek shelter in an air conditioned building to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke”?