Trust me, when the weather starts cranking out temperatures in the upper 80’s/low 90’s, you’re not going to catch me on a jiggity-jig run home from work. The 59th Street Bridge is no place to be running, even at 7 PM, when it’s that hot. Nothing to it: it’s now officialy Morning Run Season.
And let me tell you, babe, it was still freaking hot. Not that scorching hot that makes you dizzy and burns your face, but that heavy kind of heat that makes you sweat the second you walk out your front door. The kind of heat that tends to follow you into the shade. For example: this morning it was 81 degrees during my run, which I started at 5:40 and finished at 6:35 AM.
I ran the same 5-mile over-the-bridge-and-back route yesterday and today, chasing my shadow on the Queensborough Bridge as the sun rose behind me. Amazingly enough, I’m a very consistent runner when in that half-awake running daze: both days I ran to the turn around point in exactly 27 minutes. Okay not a flash time for 2.5 miles, but given the heat and fact that I’d just woken up 30 minutes earlier, totally acceptable.
My goal is to always blast through the second half of my run, even though the last half-mile or so is uphill. I like to believe that negative-split workouts will result in negtive split races. On my morning runs, negative splits are practically a given, since the first half is the wake up/warm up phase. By Mile 3 my body snaps to. Yesterday, the whole run took me 53 minutes (26 minutes for the last half) and today the corresponding were 52:37 and 25:37.
I can’t actually say these runs felt good. It was too hot to even run with my ipod; the ear buds made me hotter. Sweat was pouring off me by the time I got home, my face was prickling, and I ran my wrists under cool water the second I got inside to bring my body temp down. I did my stretches smack in front of the fan, drank about three huge glasses of water, and ate cold pineapple chunks (straight out of the fridge!) with my fingers for breakfast. But man, am I glad I’ve got those miles logged.
Tomorrow is a double, with my Media Challenge Race #2 after work. I sure hope it cools off for that 7 PM special. I’ll be up again at 5:15 AM, to get in an easy four, too.
Pigtails Flying 
I overheard some lady at the gym this morning call it “air you can wear.” That sounds about right to me!
Relief is on the way: it’s only supposed to hit 78 degrees here today.
Good luck in the media challenge!
You’re going to have my morning run today by tomorrow I reckon ;-). Sheer euphoria! Hope you like it as much as I did!
Saturday’s heated morning go at it was enough to literally short out my Sennheisers. That miserable + no moooosak = one grumpy chiarunner 😛
Good luck pigtailsflying in the media challenge!
There’s nothing quite as divine as cold pineapple after a run.
Also, good luck on your run tonight. Don’t start off to fast and keep an eye out for that little blond sprite. Make sure she’s staring at your backside as you cross the finish line.