It's Hot !!!

And I hate it !!!

I don't like summer. I don't like being hot. I don't like running in the heat. For a little over a week it has been in the 90's with high humidity. Nothing out of the ordinary for NC this time of year but I still hate it. I was born and raised in it and this will be my 55th summer in it and I still hate it.

For many years I would hardly run in the summer. Almost never more than 3 or 4 miles and usually in the morning or early evening hours. I hardly ever did a long run and probably never more than 10 miles and hardly ever a race over 5k. (funny thing though my 5k pr was set on July 4th)

With that said you are probably wondering why I now run 5 or 6 days a week, sometimes 12-13 miles a couple of times a week during the mid afternoon heat? And why am I running as much as 4 hours or more on Saturday mornings. And why in the world am I getting ready to run a 50 mile race AGAIN that is known for high heat and humidity ? Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again. I guess I'm just not too bright, or maybe I killed off too many brain cells when I was younger. (Shhhh, don't tell anyone , I'm really from another galaxy).

Well, back in 2002 I ran my first ultra. I didn't go long again until the next year and started meeting some really cool people and finding out about a lot of really cool events but in order to be prepared for doing extra long distances in the Fall I would need to train in the summer. So,it was my desire to push beyond my self-imposed limitations and try to succeed at longer and more difficult ultra's that made me make the decision that I would embrace the conditions, whatever they may be to prepare myself for anything a course could throw at me. One of my favorite lines in a song called "Bottom" by Tool is spoken by Henry Rollins. "I've gone to great lengths to expand my threshold of pain" I think of that line often when it's 97F, 90& humidity, the sun is beating down on me and I've got miles and miles to go.

No ! I have no desire to do Badwater !!! Noooooo !!!!! Is it almost October ?