Ozone
In a modest concession to the heat, I postponed my usual Thursday BN workout until tomorrow, and instead did an 11 mile Strawberry Mansion loop. 92:46.
Again, nothing but the usual to say. The heat probably peaked yesterday afternoon, so the aftereffects lingered this morning but the expectation is that tomorrow will be cooler. I woke up at about 3 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, which I'll blame on the heat. Then my mind this morning was like a wet towel was draped over it. All I could do to crank out 8:15s. In a nod to Clifton Chenier, who was on my iPod this morning, I ran at the pace of a zydeco waltz with the accordian and saxophone slow dancing in three-four time.
And a thought to ponder. When people ask me about my running, I will often tell them that its not about the fitness but for something more primal (don't worry, this won't be a "why do I run" navelgazing exercise). To underscore this, I say that if studies came out tomorrow showing that running causes cancer, I'd probably still be out there the next morning, getting in my ten miles.
Of course this was always nice and metaphorical. Now I was talking to my mom last night and, as she is prone to doing, expressed her worries about some aspect or other of my running. These days it is, not surprisingly, running in the heat. That doesn't worry me but then she mentioned the air quality (or lack thereof) that accompanies these muggy dog days and I had to concede that she had a point. An hour and a half of breathing in this air, especially in Philadelphia, probably negates any fitness gained from the endeavor and leads me to wonder what damage breathing this shit in, in Sam's Club-sized quantities, does to me in the long run.
But come tomorrow, I'll be out there doing my ten miles.
Again, nothing but the usual to say. The heat probably peaked yesterday afternoon, so the aftereffects lingered this morning but the expectation is that tomorrow will be cooler. I woke up at about 3 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, which I'll blame on the heat. Then my mind this morning was like a wet towel was draped over it. All I could do to crank out 8:15s. In a nod to Clifton Chenier, who was on my iPod this morning, I ran at the pace of a zydeco waltz with the accordian and saxophone slow dancing in three-four time.
And a thought to ponder. When people ask me about my running, I will often tell them that its not about the fitness but for something more primal (don't worry, this won't be a "why do I run" navelgazing exercise). To underscore this, I say that if studies came out tomorrow showing that running causes cancer, I'd probably still be out there the next morning, getting in my ten miles.
Of course this was always nice and metaphorical. Now I was talking to my mom last night and, as she is prone to doing, expressed her worries about some aspect or other of my running. These days it is, not surprisingly, running in the heat. That doesn't worry me but then she mentioned the air quality (or lack thereof) that accompanies these muggy dog days and I had to concede that she had a point. An hour and a half of breathing in this air, especially in Philadelphia, probably negates any fitness gained from the endeavor and leads me to wonder what damage breathing this shit in, in Sam's Club-sized quantities, does to me in the long run.
But come tomorrow, I'll be out there doing my ten miles.
posted by seebo | 9:17 AM
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