Running when it's hot
This morning, when it was nice and cool, the AQI here was the worst in the world. I checked after each hourly update early this morning in hopes that the AQI would drop to a more reasonable level and I could go for a run while it was a cool 80 degrees outside. The air got worse instead of better.
Around 4pm the air (while still the worst in the world) had dropped to a number in about the middle of the Unhealthy range--a level where most races in the US would be cancelled. I figured it was not going to get much better than that today so I decided to go for a short run. I got ready, drank some water and set my water bottle outside. Because of the pandemic I wore what is sometimes called a neck gaiter as a mask. It is still hot and it makes it harder to breathe but it is more comfortable and breathable than a mask. I planned on running in an area where I would go past people's yards and thought it would be more neighborly of me to have a type of mask on.
When I got to the road it felt like running into an oven. I could feel the heat on my eyes and my contact lenses drying out. I made one loop of 2.75 miles and stopped at our house. I poured a little water on my head, drank some water, and headed out for a second lap. The drink of water and the bit of water on my head helped so much.
Also, I slowed my pace down because of the mask and the heat.
I ran another lap and when I got home poured a little more water on my head and Chrissy sprayed me with the hose (she was watering the grass). I drank a bit of water and then headed for the shower. The shower has an electric water heater on the wall that heats the water right before it sprays out of the shower head. I turned the hot water heater to 0 so I could have the water as cool as possible. The water is stored in a big tank at the back of our yard so it can be warm or even hot on days like this even with the water heater off. Thankfully we had used enough of the water out of the lines that the shower was fairly cool and felt wonderful.
When I checked my Garmin it showed I had run 5.24 miles and that it had been 102 degrees outside.
Around 4pm the air (while still the worst in the world) had dropped to a number in about the middle of the Unhealthy range--a level where most races in the US would be cancelled. I figured it was not going to get much better than that today so I decided to go for a short run. I got ready, drank some water and set my water bottle outside. Because of the pandemic I wore what is sometimes called a neck gaiter as a mask. It is still hot and it makes it harder to breathe but it is more comfortable and breathable than a mask. I planned on running in an area where I would go past people's yards and thought it would be more neighborly of me to have a type of mask on.
When I got to the road it felt like running into an oven. I could feel the heat on my eyes and my contact lenses drying out. I made one loop of 2.75 miles and stopped at our house. I poured a little water on my head, drank some water, and headed out for a second lap. The drink of water and the bit of water on my head helped so much.
Also, I slowed my pace down because of the mask and the heat.
I ran another lap and when I got home poured a little more water on my head and Chrissy sprayed me with the hose (she was watering the grass). I drank a bit of water and then headed for the shower. The shower has an electric water heater on the wall that heats the water right before it sprays out of the shower head. I turned the hot water heater to 0 so I could have the water as cool as possible. The water is stored in a big tank at the back of our yard so it can be warm or even hot on days like this even with the water heater off. Thankfully we had used enough of the water out of the lines that the shower was fairly cool and felt wonderful.
When I checked my Garmin it showed I had run 5.24 miles and that it had been 102 degrees outside.
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