Thursday, August 09, 2007

A nice thing happened …

on my four-miler yesterday.

First, I'm glad I was even able to do four miles yesterday. It's too hot – really – for that kind of exertion! According to national news reports I should be dead.

Obviously I'm not.

As I started yesterday's run I noticed a large orange road-work sign, and I hadn't gone too far – maybe three-quarters of a mile – when I saw a flagman. I asked him if it was safe to continue and he advised me not to get run over.

I said I'd try not to run over them. Heh. I crack myself up.

Apparently he radioed ahead to warn the workers that a pedestrian was on the loose, because one of them offered me a water bottle.

The only time I've had a water stop on one of my country-road runs was when I planted bottles along the route ahead of time.

Next time I start to have dark thoughts about road crews and tax dollars and standing around and such, I'm going to remember that nice man with that cold bottle of water. They were all nice, actually. One of them said he bet I'd make it all the way to the end of the road. I didn't tell him that road is my easy run.

He won the bet.

That run was making up for Tuesday. Today I'm supposed to do five miles, but I'm postponing it until tomorrow. It's 80 degrees and 87 percent humidity, and while I know you Florida runners deal with that regularly, this West Virginia one doesn't.

I'll be glad when summer's over.

7 comments:

ws said...

love the story. road crews are generally very nice to me as a runner, not so friendly to me as a cyclist unless it is during light traffic. I've never been given a bottle of water though, I guess I'll need to work on the feminine charm or just bike in a sports bra and shorts...

I've been wondering why they are posting heat advisory warnings in the northeast when the weather conditions are just a typical day here, do they not care if we drop dead in the streets?

Jack Sprat said...

FWIW, I cannot bear running in the kind of conditions you mentioned. I whine a lot about how cold it is here in San Francisco, but if I've got to deal with 80% humidity, I'd rather the temp was 55 than 85 !!!

I'm glad you lived to tell the tale.

-J

Laura N said...

Oh, that is so sweet of him to offer you water. Good for you running in the heat anyway. I had to laugh at your "I should be dead" comment. You crack me up.

The heat--- sucks. It's 101 today, with 115 heat index. Unfreakinglivable. I cannot wait for October.

mehitabel said...

Nice story! Heat + humidity is a killer combination. People "say" our heat out here is supposed to be a "dry" heat but the humidity levels have been way up, adding to the discomfort. Summer saps every last ounce of energy I have--too hot to knit, to read, to think. I sit in front of the fan and veg. And how many calories does THAT burn??

Grumpy Chair said...

Now that the rain has stopped, we are seeing temperatures in the high 90's with a heat index of 117 degrees.

Needless to say, I'm walking on the treadmill these days.

That was very nice of the road crew to offer you water.

Jack Sprat said...

Okay, I can't resist, one of my favorite sayings about summer that I learned when I went to college in the south .... "Its not the heat, its the STUPIDITY." Exactly how I always felt!

Lori G. said...

That's so nice that the road crew guys were so good to you. It's pretty impressive that you were able to run in this humidity and heat.

You are really dedicated and that's pretty good and I hope you remember that!