• Day 16/90 – Running in the Sun

    Day 16 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I went running!

    Photo courtesy of Jeff Moriarty
    Photo courtesy of Jeff Moriarty

    I’ve decided it’s time to get back in shape. I want to increase my stamina and get some more muscle tone in my quads, back, and arms. Plus, I feel better when I work out on a regular basis.

    Here’s my challenge: I live in Phoenix. It’s freakin’ hot here. It’s coolest in the morning, but that’s also when I am most productive in terms of writing and professional work. I don’t want to give that up, so I either have to get up even earlier than my current 5:15am alarm, or suck it up and run in the evening.

    So today I took myself for a run at about 5pm. I set out to do a 3-mile run. Working out in the summer is not new to me, but it was a little brutal to go from barely working out to running in 110-degree heat. I had my sunblock, clothes made out wicking fabric, and I was hydrated, but it was still hard.

    I didn’t realize until I was out there that my regular route is mostly in the sun. Did I mention I overheat easily if I’m in the sun too long? I ended up running 1.5 miles and walking 1.5 miles home. I was so hot when I got back that I grabbed my water bottle from the fridge and dumped it over my head.

    I think running will become a regular part of my life again, but I will be relegated to running at sunrise, sunset, or running in the shade. I also want to work on my tone and flexibility with push-ups and stretching.

    In case you missed it: Day 15 of the 90 Days of Awesome – Rockin’ my Fake British Accent!