Elscorcho run: I've got work to do

Friday, I signed up for the El Scorcho Run, a 25k race scheduled for July 20 in Fort Worth's Trinity Park.

The race starts at midnight.

In Texas, or as we say Tek-Ses, the temperature around midnight in July is still in the mid 80s. So today, I went out for a 15k run (OK, it was supposed to be a 10-miler, but I didn't make it that far) just to test my long-running ability in the heat.

It was 76 degrees and 75 percent humidity.

I tried to run a slow pace so I'd have something left at the end. Five of my first six miles were in 8:40 or worse. But no matter how slow I ran, my heart rate kept climbing, 80 percent of maximum by mile 2 and 86 percent of maximum by mile 6.

By mile 7, I was screaming uncle. I managed a 10 minute mile, felt better on mile 8 (9:25) but worse at mile 9 (10:12).

It was an out and back course, so I had no choice but to keep going. But it wouldn't be running. I walked about half a mile before I jogged the final 1/2 mile to the car.

My final time: 9.65 miles in 1:29:53, a 9:19 pace.

I didn't drink anything during the run. (Big mistake), and I had two glasses of Gnarly Head Zinfandel the night before (Another big mistake. It wasn't even all that good).

So I got two months to train for El Scorcho. And though I didn't feel too good about today's run, it did put the wraps on a 30-mile week, the most miles I've run in a week since I ran 41 miles the week of Feb. 4.