And I thought Washington was hot …

I’m visiting my parents in Florida, which means this recent DC transplant is getting a reminder of what real heat

feels like.

It’s not that it doesn’t get hot in DC, just that the heat in Florida in August is a different kind of relentless. My friend Sarah, whose own Florida stint overlapped with mine (a year in Gainesville, three in Jacksonville), once described training for a marathon in Florida like “trying to breathe into a hot, wet washcloth.” And not that this is a factor this trip, but Floridians have no reason to expect a break from the hot, wet washcloth until October, or even November.

After my experience with a heat-exhaustion-induced funk last week, one would think I’d learned my lesson about running in the mid-day heat. But then, after getting back from a morning on the boat with my parents yesterday, the skies had clouded up to the point that I had goosebumps. My perfect opportunity to steal an afternoon training session!

Too bad the clouds only lasted until exactly the moment I walked out the door. I ran a moderate 40 minutes anyway, promising myself that if I felt at all dizzy or funky, I would stop and walk. It went pretty well, leaving me feeling energized and relaxed rather than drained.

Today, we’re planning on another boat day, which means I can plan on a workout a little more conducive to my surroundings: a nice open-water swim in the Gulf. Wish me luck!