This morning I needed only to walk out the door to find that the weather forecasters weren't kidding when they predicted high heat and humidity. Yet the purpose of getting an early start, I had believed, was to beat the heat. Given that it was hotter than hell in the afternoon, then it was probably as hot as hell in the morning. But at 7:30 AM?
I began my run intending to follow the same route as Friday. Yet after about 15 minutes on the orange trail, a pebble that had gotten into my right shoe was bothering me so much that I had to stop and get it out. At that moment, I realized how hot I was, how much I was sweating, and how motion was helping to keep me cool. I decided, then, to cut my run back to five instead of six miles. I would get onto a path to take me to the first bridge over the Wissahickon after Lincoln Drive (travelling in the direction of Valley Green). Now all I had to do was to find the path.
I took a fork onto a path that I thought was the correct one, but I was wrong. Instead, the path took me back to the orange trail. Fortunately, I was close to the point where the orange trail empties out into Rittenhouse Town, so I resumed my normal course.
The remainder of my run on Forbidden Drive was physically and psychologically easier. Yet I realized that, even with what I had thought was a conservative strategy--that is, staying on a familiar path--was not sufficient for a comfortable run in weather as hot as this morning's. No, I probably would have been better off if I'd limited my run to four miles. Sometimes, less is more.
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