Just Another Stupid Thing I Realized
So I’m driving back to my parents’ place from picking Julie up from preschool, and I look over to the side of the road and see this middle-aged guy with brown curls running for his life and drenched in a thick layer of sweat. Not an unusual sight, mind you, but still one that I happened to notice because of the expression of sheer agony on his tomato-red face.
I touched the window and it nearly singed the palm of my hand, and all of a sudden I had to resist the urge to swing the car over to the lack-thereof bike lane, come to a screeching halt, and scream on the top of my lungs…
…”Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?!”
The sun is melting the asphalt, it’s a million degrees out there, and it’s just after noon. Why on earth would anyone risk heatstroke and dehydration to be out in that kind of hell running? We should ALL be sitting on our asses in an air-conditioned room drinking a glass of iced tea.
And then, in a moment of pure barf-inducing deja vu, I suddenly remember my days back in high school on the cross country team.
We used to run 5K races in 110-degree heat. I remember nearly passing out at the end of practice and watching the world grow pale and fuzzy while nearing the finish line. I sucked at running for more reasons than one, including the fact that I’m an absolutely pussy when I’m trying to run, but the heat really didn’t help.
What was I thinking? Did I really hate myself THAT MUCH to force my legs to carry me through that sort of heat in true Forrest Gump style?
I’ve done some really stupid things, but holy hell, I think running in this kind of weather is a contender for the top.
Oh yeah, and just so you know, even though the beginning of September marks true relief from the heat in most places in the USA, the good ol’ Sonoran Desert will have highs near 100 degrees clear into November some years.
Dude, what was I thinking running out in that sort of heat like that dumb guy who looked like he was going to double over and die? Ugh, retarded. I’m disgusted with myself.
*shakes head*
Current Mood:
Alarmed
September 1st, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I always wonder about those idiots running at noon on 100 degree days…dude run in the morning, or late at night when its at least a little bit cooler.
I was always amazed by high school runners…you can’t get a teenager to do ANYTHING, but you can get them to run in 100 degree temps? How?
September 1st, 2009 at 8:45 pm
LOL Amy! That’s a really good point.
I’d die if I had to run, period! Running in that heat is not for me.
September 1st, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Yeah, they’re just stupid. Don’t tell my dad I said that… he’s a really smart guy, but he ran in the heat after work for years until he wised up and started running in the morning.
You know what it is about the teenagers? CO-ED TEAMS… um, er… I mean, that’s not why *I* joined and attempted to run but looked like a pansy-ass instead. *blush*
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:07 am
True…for the guys at my school it must have been Liz Moran and her DDs that inspired them to run.