Hot Running

I managed our 3 and a half mile loop at 4:30pm. Needless to say it was positively scorching and I felt like I was (barely) running through thick, swampy air. A dark blue cloud hovered over us, tempting us with a storm that frankly wouldn't have been unwelcome, except I had two kids in a stroller and getting drenched probably would've annoyed them, thus annoying me.

Heath periodically piped up, Looks like it's going to storm. Probably some lightening is coming, too.

But the clouds never exploded on us. And I was glad to have made it. My goal is to be completely acclimated to burning temps when I'm scaling up mountain rock at my next race, a 10k in Laurel Springs at the end of August. It promises a challenging course, and a 10am ladies start time. The men start at 9. So much for ladies first. The difference between 9am and 10am in the mountains can mean the difference between 55 and 85; it rises and falls that drastically. I am prepared to be beaten by faster, stronger, more experienced folks, but I refuse to not feel good about my running because it's a little too warm. I will be ready.

Besides, the early morning running slot was out of the question today. We had our Monday morning playdate at Colonel Francis Beatty Park in Matthews. Or was it Weddington. We made it by 10, wherever it was, and the sun was already baking all the playground equipment. We did take a nice shaded stroll to a lake and watched some ducks and a lone kayaker paddle in the murky water. The kids (and moms) were completely sweaty-headed and red-faced after our lake-walk and trail-path finding, so we spent the rest of our park time at a picnic table drinking cool Limeade and eating fruit. Shortly after noon, we headed home for lunch and naps. My car said it was 108, and I don't think it was exaggerating.