Who needs a headlamp when you have fireflies?

Today's run (street): 2.42 miles at 9:23 per mile

One benefit of high humidity

There's no relief from the heat and humidity this week, even at 4:00 AM. On occasion I'll catch a break when a slight wind pushes the mist from a lawn sprinkler towards the road. This is akin to walking along the streets of NYC on a hot day and feeling the cold blast of conditioned air from an open door. Most of the time it's just hot and humid and you appreciate that there's no sun to add to the misery. Running and discomfort go together like politics and blame so runners suffer through the tough parts and enjoy the good. Or as Haruki Murakami says about running: "Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional."


Despite the weather, I was pleased with how I ran this morning. I still cannot understand how running the same way on different days yields such different results. I definitely did not slack off during my workout this morning and I consciously focused on my cadence. I may have moved the needle a little in terms of overall pace but not by much. At one point in the run I was traveling down a dimly lit street and noticed something shining back at me. I first thought it was a cat or small animal whose eyes reflected light from my Petzl headlamp. I then discovered that my lamp was off so it couldn't be that. I've been having trouble with the unit switching itself off for no apparent reason and I'm wondering if a replacement is needed. The light wasn't a reflection after all, it turned out to be fireflies. I soon saw a bunch more and also noticed the air was fragrant with the smells of honeysuckle and dogwoods. I forgot the heat and the discomfort for a few minutes and focused only on the scene before me.  Soon I was back to the job at hand, finishing my run and starting my work day. It would have been nice to experience cooler conditions this morning but overall it was darn good run.