Hot Weather Running

The heat is really starting to creep up now, day by day. A week ago the daily high was in the mid to upper eighties. Now it's beginning to nudge 90. And yet it is cooler than normal for a historical perspective. Global warming? I don't think so.

Not that they call it that anymore. Now it's "climate change". I guess even an egghead like Al Gore knows how to hedge his bets to keep the money tap open on the lecture circuit. Now that's a convenient truth.

The trick is to adjust the old running schedule and locale to minimize the pain. It's a good thing to have some heat so as to become acclimated and not crash and burn at a weekend race. But not too much, eh?

During the week I have to run in the late afternoon and I've got a good spot nailed down. A couple of years ago, the powers-that-tax put in the Armand Bayou Hike n' Bike trail along Red Bluff. It's a crushed granite trail so it's easy on the body, but the really good thing is that it's shaded, folks. Shade is your friend.

Actually, I prefer the Seabrook Trails, but shade is a wee bit lacking there. But for early morning on the weekends, it can't be beat.

Funny thing is, both of these routes are extremely under-utilized, unlike Memorial Park up in Houston proper. I can't understand why, but hey, I can't complain.

The bottom line is: pick your route carefully, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.