H-H-H-H-H-HOT ! ! ! ! ! ! !

I am not a hot and humid type of runner. Usually when it gets very hot, my times suffer, especially when it is humid. Well, yesterday’s run was hot and humid. By far the hottest day we have had this year in Wisconsin. I waited to run until 6:45PM but it was still 93F out and very humid. Good practice weather!

I don’t usually take water with me on a short 5 miler but I decided to based on the heat. I took my fuel belt 16 oz water with me and filled it with 8 or 9 large ice cubes and the cold water. I figured I would drink every mile and that is what I did. My hand was actually quite cold the first half mile and I needed to switch hands because of that. By about 2 ¼ miles into the run though, all the ice was gone and only water left. By the end of the run, the water was warm but thankfully still wet. Surprise, surprise, my time was not nearly as slow as I thought it would be. I averaged 8:36 pace but my shirt was completely soaked and I could have ringed it out when I was done. It took me a good 45 minutes in the air conditioned house with a fan blowing on me to cool myself enough to stop sweating. My man stink must have been at epic proportions. It was a good run though. I plan on doing another 5 this evening as well and it is in the 90’s again today. I will bring the water again!

I did run 7 on Monday but that was in the morning before I went to the charity golf outing I play in every year. It is a best ball format so my team did not too bad. We shot -9 for 18 holes. I had a lot of crappy shots and a few I pulled out of no where to save the hole. I even put in $5 to play “Beat the Pro” on a 170 yard par 3. He shot first and put it 15 feet from the cup. Oh great, not shot for me now. But somehow I had the shot of the day for me and put my ball 4 or 5 feet from the hole to beat him. I won a $15 gift card for a local grocery store so all is good!

I know there is heat all over the country recently. Keep running everyone but keep it safe and know the signs as to when to slow down. Take these days to slow down and enjoy the scenery.