Friday, August 10, 2007

Friday Quote Day

I dwell in possibility …
Emily Dickinson

Thank you all for your comments yesterday. It still makes me smile thinking of that guy handing me that cold bottle of water. He even took the empty on my way back!

Isn't today's quote terrific? It seems gentler than the "consider the possibilities" tagline in that old Visa credit card commercial, but still leaves you thinking the world is your oyster.

I was certainly dwelling in possibility when, last December, I got the crazy idea to run a half-marathon last spring. I'd never done anything like that before. Challenging myself physically was, in fact, completely off my radar.

And I knew, even before I crossed the finish line, that I would do it again.

The training challenges this time around are as different from the last regimen as they can be. Instead of snow and
ice and freezing temperatures, I'm dealing with thick, oppressive, moist air that you can practically see and touch. When I registered for the next two runs, one in October and one in November, I knew I'd be training in August, but I had no idea how brutal it would be.

The heat absolutely zaps my energy. I'd gotten to the point earlier in the summer where I could run four or five miles in the morning and then mow the lawn, tidy up the house and do a couple loads of laundry. Now? Not so much.

I'm just not acclimated to a 90/90 heat/humidity combo, and you can't really get acclimated because, at least this time, it happened rather suddenly. A couple weeks ago the high temperature was in the mid-70s.

I still don't know how you deep-south runners manage it. I know your homes, cars, offices and stores are all air-conditioned, just as ours are. But you do seem to get used to transitioning between cool indoors and steamy outdoors better than we wimps up north do. That must be why we get heat-index warnings and Florida doesn't.

Every morning I dwell in the possibility that today will be the day the heat wave breaks.

Judging from today's first quick trip outdoors with the dogs, I don't think so.

But I'm ready to run, and I will run, because it's part of the schedule and because, when I'm done, I know I'll feel good and because it won't be possible to run eight or 10 or 13.1 miles this fall if I don't do five or six or seven now.

Possibility doesn't become reality without footwork.

5 comments:

Mary Gee said...

I love running early, early, early on these hot summer mornings. It feels so nice. Anything over 70 is too hot for me.

365 Dresses said...

I've lived in Cincinnati, Washington DC, and Miami. I'm not certain of the reason, but the summer humidity is far, far more oppressive in Cinci and Washington. Miami never felt oppressive, and I was there for 10 years. Of course, I lived in Colorado, too. But we won't compare its weather to the others. That would not be fair.
This summer is the worst we've had in several years, I agree.

M@rla said...

I don't think anyone does get used to it. I've lived in this wretched summer climate for 17 years now, and it's always horrible. Always.

I can "handle" it when I'm able to dress in shorts and tank tops, but wearing work clothes is unendurable. And makeup? My face never gets dry enough to put on makeup for the entire summer. Even in the air conditioning, somehow the heat sneaks in anyway, it's like you can still feel it underneath that layer of cool air.


I used to live in Colorado too; although I miss it during the hot months, I sure don't miss it during the winter!

ws said...

I could have used that quote yesterday. I'd like to "dwell in [the] possibility" that anything is achievable. Your commitment to training for and finishing the country music half was certainly proof of that...I hope you had a great run today.

mehitabel said...

I think I will etch that quote onto my hand--I've been needing to be reminded lately that "possibility" does exist, and that there are ways to make it a reality.
And kudos for keeping on with the training in spite of the brutal weather. Cold and rain you can dress for; but heat and humidity, well, there's only so much you can take off, and then it's still uncomfortable!