Running in a Bowl of Soup

Raise your hands if you have ever ran through a pool filled with creamy, thick soup. Anyone? Me neither. But after the 4-miles today, I think I have a pretty darn good idea of what it is like.

5:30 this morning was no more comfortable than mid-afternoon on a normal summer day in Eastern PA. The temperature was in the high 70s, but the heat index is what truly mattered. Any "good" run was thrown out the window, and I chalked just getting out the door and completing the run as a "good" run, regardless of the time.

It got me thinking about missing winter running. As humans, I don't think we are ever truly happy. We want, we want, we want, then we get. But once we get it, we want something else. All winter I dreamt of summer running--now that it's summer running (albeit atypical), I think about cooler temperatures and brisker air. Mentally, I began to determine what the benefits of each are:

1) Breathing. I need to breath. I don't smoke, I am not elderly, I do not have asthma, nor do I have any other upper respiratory condition that would hinder my breathing ability on poor air quality days. Regardless, breathing in hot, humid conditions to me is a challenge. I start breathing through my mouth almost immediately, and wheezing soon after. I chug along, but for whatever reason, my lungs cannot open up enough to get the air they need (although it feels the problem is not my lungs, but one of the little breathing tunnels). Winter breathing is great. Once I get through the first few minutes of shock the initial cold air blast brings, I'm fine. Winter=1. Summer=0.

2) Company. Winter running can be very lonely. Hardly does one see a fellow runner at 5:30 in the morning in February. And I am not one for running in the afternoons where you do see people. Today at 5:30, more people were out than I have ever seen. And they were all walking around, looking like zombies. I figure most houses in my neighborhood are not equipped with central air, therefore, at 5:30 this morning, it was almost worthless to try and fight the temperature any longer. Passing people at 5:30 in the morning, regardless of the weather, is inspiring. You know the other person is out for a reason, and instantly feel a bond with them--Hey! We are both crazy!
Winter=1. Summer=1.

3) Clothing. When I get ready to run, I usually have a window of 5-10 minutes where if I don't get out the door, I won't go. Summer this isn't a problem...with four pieces of clothing to pull on, plus socks and shoes, I'm up and out the door before I realize it. Winter is a different story. I get up, battle the usually-chilly hallway and try to forget about the warm and cozy bed I'm leaving behind, turn on the bathroom light, and battle to put on clothing. It takes the 5-10 minutes to pull the layers on, and I am notorious for putting on too many layers. I read somewhere that if you are warm when you leave the house, you will overheat during the run, and that is true (as I have found, plus half of the town that finds my de-clothed items hidden behind bushes and trees as I heat up). And then there is just the weight of three layers of clothing as compared to shorts and a top.
Winter=1. Summer=2.

4) The Feel of the Body during and post run. I have often told Ted, the feeling I have before I run is not why I run--it's the feeling AFTER I run. The tingle in the legs, the pulsing of the heart, the sheer sense of accomplishment. During the winter, when I get back, I feel good. Tired, maybe in some pain depending on how far or how hard I went, but good. Summer can be a different story, especially today. I start out fine. With a mile to go, my legs become stiff, and I have feel my muscles and whatever acid they burn struggling. I don't get that stiffness in the winter, and can generally have a great run in most weather.
Winter=2. Summer=2.

5) Lighting. The only thing more depressing than having to leave a nice, warm bed to run in sub-freezing temperatures is having to do it in the dark. And have it still be dark when you get back.
Winter=2. Summer=3.

6) Accomplishments. Typically, anyone can get out and run in the summer. Besides the occasionally hot and sticky days, spring and summer can make anyone take the pledge to be a runner and be fit. The true test comes the first time the mercury drops below 40.
Winter=3. Summer=3.

So now I have reached a tie...and I have typically nothing to break it with. The other items I enjoy about running are year-long, or can be argued for both seasons. I guess I'm lucky to live somewhere I can experience both extremes...I know what it is like to run in hot, sticky, humid weather, and I know what it is like to run in snow and wind. And come March and August, I can truly appreciate the upcoming season change and welcome it with open arms.

But when it comes down to it, running aside, I would take an extreme heat wave over a snowstorm anyway. All seasons have their ups and downs...except I'd rather experience those ups and downs without a snow shovel.

Stay cool, everyone!!!!