The Heat

I went for a lunch hour run yesterday. From the office (well, the gym), I headed south to see if I could scope out the finish line for this weekend's NY Half. I remembered that it was at Rector Street near Battery Park, but if there was a street sign, I didn't spot it. When I reached Battery Park, I turned around and headed back.

About that time, the heat started to get to me. I probably should have slowed down, but for some reason my instincts told me to keep pushing so that I could get out of the heat sooner.

As I passed a slower runner, he asked the time. Then he asked what pace I was going, and decided to pick it up to run with me for a while. I was more than happy for the company. He said he was training for a relay in New Hampshire. "Reach the Beach?", I asked? I felt like a real runner - setting the pace, and knowing about the cool races. He had done the Hood to Coast relay in Oregon, and said it was great. Unfortunately, one of his teammates from that run had passed away, and the rest of the team was running Reach the Beach in his honor.

After a while he dropped back to a slower pace again, and I finished my run alone. When I got back to the gym I was really feeling the heat. Doing my post run stretches, I felt light headed when I stood up from a "head down" stretch. I'm thinking that if I have to run at midday in this heat, I may just stay inside on the treadmill (yuck).

The NY Half on Sunday will start early (7AM), so hopefully it won't be too hot. Right now, the prediction is for an overnight low of 72, with a high of 87. I imagine we'll be feeling the effects of the heat even in the morning. Hopefully it will be closer to 72 than 87...