Why I Don't Run in the Summer

I like to run. I've been running pretty regularly (but not really consistently) since 2005. It's a time for me to be by myself, to tune the world out, and usually I'm also writing blog posts in my head (seriously).

Running in Louisiana (which is where I started running) is a bit challenging because you have a time period between late April until late October where running outside is just miserable. Awful, really. And unless you're one of those get-up-at-4:30-am-of-which-I-am-so-not then you have two options: a) take your runs to the treadmill, or b) stop running. Maryland has been much better in that department; at most you have to sit out July and August (well sometimes you need to take runs indoors when it snows or is icy).

I love to sweat when I run. I like pushing myself to go faster. I like finishing a run and feeling like I went all out. I tend to gauge the effectiveness of most of my workouts by the amount of sweat I produce (swimming has been a challenge) and when I run there is usually a ton of sweat. My dislike for running outside when it's hot does not stem from the sweat factor, but instead it's the whole I'm-not-in-control factor. On a typical run, if I'm really tired or I'm huffing and puffing it's my fault because either I am out of shape, pushing myself too hard, not paying attention to my heart rate monitor, not resting enough between workouts, or decided to take the hilly route. But when you throw heat into the mix, suddenly something that I have no control over is slowing me down and causing fatigue.

Not cool.

No one gets between me and my workouts. (Do you hear that pushy personal trainers at my gym?).

I've come to embrace the fact that I won't be running outside for a couple months each year, and this has made my cross training more varied and interesting—this year I've been swimming once a week instead of my outdoor runs. In the past I've just brought my runs indoors and it's been no big deal, but this year I've pretty much given up on the treadmill. I've just stopped running. Period.

Until yesterday. I don't know what possessed me, but when lunchtime rolled around and I was getting ready to head to the gym I decided that I would run outside. It was high 80's and about 50% humidity, so I thought, why not? Ugh. Five minutes in I remembered why not. And as I mentally battled the heat that was making me so tired, I wrote this blog post in my head. And then I came back and typed it. Perhaps some future summer day, I'll be thinking, "why don't I run outside today even though it's hot?" and I'll come read this. And then I'll go jump in the pool. As I should have done yesterday.