Cool run on a very hot day

Seconds off the line

Today's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles

I'm not sure how high the temperature got today, but the weather report predicted that we would reach 103° by afternoon. I had trouble getting outside early this morning, which was my plan to beat the heat. Not that 80° at 6:30 AM was that much better. By the time I was ready to go outside, the idea of a neighborhood or Bethpage run had lost all appeal.

I decided to go the weather-controlled route by doing a treadmill run. Between the air conditioning, floor fan and shelter from the sun, I knew I'd be more comfortable inside. In fact, it was a pretty good experience and I got to watch Meet the Press while I ran. I only did about three miles today, but that got me to my weekly target of 20. Later in the day we kept ourselves cool in the pool. It was the only thing that would get me outside today.

It's been a week since I ran the Marcie Mazzola 5K. A fellow runner/blogger, The Petite Pacer, has been battling some calf issues that are interfering with her usually active race schedule. On Sunday, she attended the race, not as a participant, but as a photographer. She took some great shots of the start and the end, capturing virtually every runner who finished under 60 minutes. Check out her post with the link to her pictures. The one at the top shows me and the pack about to take the right onto Woodhull Rd. With a half mile of hill to climb, I'm glad it wasn't 103 degrees that day!

Running is great when you have fans

Fan-tastic

Yesterday's run (treadmill): 25 minutes
Today's run (street): 3.6 miles

Yesterday was the longest "work day" that I've experienced since leaving my company in February. It was a grind, especially due to the oppressive humidity and 80 degree temperatures. I covered a lot of miles on foot, wearing a wool suit and carrying a backpack. By my last meeting, I was a wet noodle. It's hard to believe that, not so long ago, I was doing that on a daily basis.

Prior to yesterday's trip into the city, I ran for 25 minutes on the treadmill. I knew I'd be covering a lot of ground during the day, but there's a difference between running and walking and I wanted that aerobic workout. I used the powerful floor fan that I positioned directly in front of the treadmill and set to the maximum speed. That machine makes a big difference on hot days, and it provides much greater cooling than the fans that are built into the treadmill itself.

This morning I was determined to run outside and I prepared for the high heat and humidity. I wore my Craft running shirt that does a great job wicking and channeling sweat. I tried to be strategic about which roads to follow, preferring those with large areas of tree shade. I ended up covering more distance than I thought I would, because I'd planned to keep it to around three miles due to the heat. In the end I was pretty boiled, but I was happy to be running outside again. However, I did miss my fan.

Chillin' with my biggest fan

May the force be with you

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I decided to run on the treadmill this morning because I knew it would be humid and I wasn't too keen on gearing up for an outside run. In the past, a day like today would have been the reason to run outdoors. Things changed when we bought a stand up fan at Target and put it in front of the treadmill.

The treadmill itself has been a problem, with an ongoing issue with tread belt slippage. Although that's annoying, the machine comes in handy on days like today. I put the new fan on its highest setting, turned on the treadmill's small fans and started my run. Due to the slipping/jerking of the tread, I generally keep my speed at 6.5 MPH and below. I ran fairly slow today and set the grade to 2%, since elevation seems to minimize the slipping.

Although it was hot, I didn't really start to sweat until I'd covered a mile. In fact, the force of the air coming off the fan was almost too strong and I'd wished I'd chosen the middle speed. Fans are cheap and they can do so much to improve the indoor experience on hot days like today.

The treadmill repair guy is supposed to come next week and (hopefully) we'll get the tread issue resolved. In the meantime, we've been waiting months for parts for our elliptical. If you are thinking about getting a treadmill or an elliptical machine I would avoid buying anything made by Sole or BH Fitness.