I couldn't shake the feeling, even though it was actually the first of August, so I got up and went downstairs. I stuck my head out the door and...it was true.
A giddy check of the weather revealed 80F with 60% humidity: dryness we haven't experienced since February or March. Just because I JUST wrote about it being incredibly hot.
I threw on my shorts and bra and, just for fun, did a before picture so I could see how not-sweaty I was at the finish. Normally I'm drenched...not this time!
 |
| Barely a sheen of sweat! Can't even tell before from after! |
I've been running shorter, on my little running break, but how could I resist these temperatures? I sailed through ten miles, running effortlessly. I forgot how much of a ball and chain the humidity is!
In hotter weather, this run would have been terrible. When I got to the levee, I found a miles of it shut down for major electrical work. That left me no choice but to run along the train tracks on huge gravel for about a mile. You know the kind I mean: big chunks of rock near train tracks. I finally reached The Fly and headed cheerfully over to my 4.5 mile water stop - only to find the restrooms and fountain closed and under renovations. No problem - the next fountain was at mile 6.5 - but if it had been warmer out I would probably have been miserable!
Instead, I was enjoying every single step. This is my inspiration to tough it out now to earn those easy autumn runs.
Posts
You look fantastic!! And yay for working hips and blissful runs! (how tall are you??). This put a smile on my face.
ReplyDeleteI think the picture rail gives the impression that I am taller. I'm only 5'7".
DeleteYou're still a lot taller than me. ;-)
DeleteI got to run in 80 degrees today too! We still had plenty of humidity, but with temps 15* cooler than our recent normal, I was thrilled. I'm looking forward to fall running and how much more fun it is.
ReplyDeleteI went to CA over the weekend and a few people complained about the "heat" it was 78 degrees.... I joked that your daytime high is my morning low....
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for the temps to cool off!!
You look great BTW
It's amazing how much difference a little break in temps/humidity can make. And perspective, too: a start temp of 80 is still stinking hot around here!
ReplyDeleteI'd still be soaked after 10 miles at 80/60. We also had a break this weekend -- I heard it was mid-70s on Sunday morning. But I was sore and hungover, so I had already decided to skip the long run, so I missed out. It's been brutal this week so far to hear so many people say it was their best run of the summer.
ReplyDeleteWOO HOO! BTW I totally want your shorts.
ReplyDeleteThey are from Coeur Sports and are my absolute favorites. The pattern on the top is called Fleet Foxes and it's made up of little foxes nose to tail!
DeleteI love that first run of Autumn. It's the pay-off for all those horrible Summer runs.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read the title, and saw that you included a picture of yourself, I thought, "Man, she's really being self deprecating ... I mean, we all know she's an attractive young lady" - but you were actually talking about "hot" outside. Now I get it! And side note - as Ririnette eluded, yes, you always look about 6'8" in your photos. Glad you got to enjoy a nice cool day. That was a good break for you guys. But be careful on those big rocks, that's an ankle problem waiting to happen.
ReplyDeleteYes, we had that morning, too! It was magnificent! I guess we will feel that again around November. Hah.
ReplyDeleteI love it when 80 degrees with only 60% humidity is "not that hot"! I remember running in New Orleans in the summer and it was a beast! I couldn't really do it on my lunch break, as I was too red and sweaty afterward.
ReplyDeleteI also think it is funny that 80F and 60% humidity is 'not that hot' to you! ;) Heat and humidity are definitely relative concepts as I would be grumbling about that (although we've had higher levels of humidity lately so it's been legitimately humid here). This week has been less humid, though, and boy does it make a world of difference. But even with lower humidity, I am still a hot sweaty mess at the end of my run.
ReplyDeleteAhh, the humidity makes an enormous difference! Thank goodness for nicer weather. (It's all relative.) And I used to run on a disused railway trail with the ties removed - i remember that ankle-busting gravel stuff. Ouch.
ReplyDeleteI love how a break in temperature/humidity can make you feel like you're FLYING. Hence why fall races are so great of slugging through the summer.
ReplyDelete