When Weather Doesn't Cooperate

According to weather.com, here's the forecast for Saturday, April 9, when I run in the Eisenhower Marathon in Abilene, Kansas:

Isolated thunderstorms
High: 85
Low: 57 (Friday/Saturday overnight low)
Wind: From SSE at 16 mph
Humidity: 63%
UV Index: 7 High
Sunrise: 7:02 AM CT
Avg. High: 68°F
Record High: 85°F (1952)

Um, yeah, the weather for Saturday isn't looking too good! And it's gotten worse with every passing day. A few days ago the high temp was 70. Now it's 85, which would tie the record!

With exception to a few miles, the race is mostly an out-and-back following a north-south route. You go south, and then turn around and head back going north. So the out, with 16 mile-per-hour winds, may kind of suck. But I'd rather run against the wind on the out than the back!

However, it's not the wind that bothers me. It's the temperature! I have run 100 miles in 90+ degrees. When I won the Mohican 100 in 2009, the heat and humidity made the air feel like pea soup. But running 100 miles in 90+ degrees is different than running balls-to-the-wall for 26.2 miles in temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

If in fact the temperature is 57 at the start, my estimation is that by the time I cross the finish line, which hopefully will be around 9:50 a.m., the temperature will be in the low 70s. That's still a tad warm but it's doable.

Weather can often throw us for a loop. We just have to make the best of the situation, stick with our goals and then adjust those goals as circumstances warrant.

This will be my last post until after the marathon. I'll try to chime in on Saturday afternoon with a quick update on my result and will write a full report on Sunday or Monday.