Mid-Heat Wave Running

It’s not for everyone

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

Is it for me?

Some of you will laugh when I tell you they define a heat wave in our area as three consecutive days of high temperatures above 90 degrees. For those of us who live in south-central Pennsylvania, that’s oppressive.

This week we’ll top 100 twice with nighttime lows in the mid-70s. The humidity and dew point are in what the weather dude calls the “sweltering” range. I run at 4 a.m.; it’s the “coolest” part of the day. I ran on Tuesday at the beginning of this heat bubble. It was 73, but the humidity was still reasonable with a slight breeze that didn’t resemble the devil’s breath.

This morning, the low was 78 with a “feels like” temperature of 81. The dew point is 75, which, according to learnmetrics.com, is on the border between oppressive and miserable, with the latter being the highest category of misery. The National Weather Service posted an excessive heat warning for our area.

Everyone is to drink extra fluids, stay out of the sun as much as possible, and take advantage of air-conditioned spaces. These orders are especially necessary for the elderly and those with medical conditions. I’m 69.

Trying to become age-appropriate

Here’s the approach I took. As usual, I ran at 4 a.m., well before sunrise. I told myself that any running was a win, and if I decided to walk along the way, that was fine. I also set a 30-minute cap on my run, regardless of how well I felt.

Walking wasn’t necessary, but I didn’t break any speed limits along the way either. Even though I monitored myself more than usual, it was all good, and the time passed quickly. I finished my workout with another 30 minutes on a stationary bike in an air-conditioned gym.

Ten years ago, I viewed weather like this as a conditioning challenge. There were mornings I packed a few plastic bags with ice to take along. Unfortunately, they were reduced to warm water before the first mile was completed. My goal was to keep my pace consistent with how I ran during more pleasant conditions. When that didn’t happen, and it never did, I scolded myself and felt defeated.

Now I can see that competing with the abilities of others or even with my own unrealistic expectations is a fool’s game. Staying alive, healthy, and out of the hospital needs to take precedence over everything else. Even competing against where I was when I was younger must be surrendered.

Every run is a good run. Getting out and giving it a go is a win. Another important lesson I’ve learned over time is that some days are better than others. Sometimes the weather makes the difference, and sometimes it’s the way my body feels on that particular morning.

This lesson hit home this morning as I talked to an 84-year-old friend on the stationary bike next to mine. Last week, he told me he could only do 16 minutes on the elliptical machine and needed to accept that, at his age, that’s all he’ll be able to do. This morning, he did over 30 on that same machine before hitting the bike.

When I reminded him of what he said last week, he said, “What can I say? I’m feeling better.” He went on to tell me that he’s outlived all his old friends except one. He credits his lifelong commitment to exercise for his longevity. He was a runner until his mid-60s, then switched to using machines after having both knees replaced.

He reminds me almost every time I see him to be thankful for the progress they’ve made with running shoes. “All they had when I ran was Keds,” he says.

I’ve always been thankful for good running shoes, not the price, but the shoes.

Adjustments never end

This may not sound groundbreaking to you, but coming to peace with the aging process is hard on my ego. It makes the difference between enjoying the journey and letting it crush me from the inside out.

If you are thinking about quitting because conditions have changed, consider changing your expectations instead. You might be able to find a new happy place, or should I say, happy pace.

Happy running!