Weather or Not?

Mother Nature! Damn!

Here in the South the weather in August is in the upper 90s and when you go outside Mother Nature wraps a warm and wet blanket around you called humidity. It makes running tough; it makes breathing tough. A key to running in this weather is getting yourself used to it and keeping at it (duh! Guess I just described running).

Most runners seem to get up early to run and get it in before the worst heat and humidity sets in.  I cannot get up early and run except on race day.  I have tried. This schedule will work for about three days and that is all I can stand.  I must train myself to tough it out in the middle of the day, before the 4pm peak of the day, or in the evening. Usually in the evening; however I prefer late morning.  Sometimes those runs are very forced and not so much fun.  Actually, while doing a lot of the runs in the heat and humidity I tell myself that I am not having fun.  It is OK after the run has finished and I can take a cool shower.

Well guess what? The past few days here, in mid-August, the weather has been in the middle 60s and rainy. No way, oh yea!  This is a double edge sword.  The first run in this was great.  I was light and fast. Since then I have been drenched in rain (better than sweat?). So, I do not like to run in the rain because of blisters, glasses getting speckled, and electronic gadgets getting wet. 

It also comes down to the runner’s brain thing again. I am accustomed to the August heat and what I do to prepare.  To keep myself prepared.  But now what do I wear, when do I hit the road, what technical devices can I use?  Can those cars out there see me? Will I wilt when the weather goes back to South Summer Sweltering? I worry. I keep running.

What do you think?

Zippy