Fifteen miles before 7:15 a.m.? Now I'd say that's an accomplishment. To be fair, the only reason I would do such a thing is because the temperature is expected to reach into the 100s today. The longer I waited to get on the road the more I would suffer. As soon as I started my run, I knew I had done the right thing to start so early; the heat was not intense at all, and there was no sun.
Everything about today's run felt good - my legs, lungs, and heart all propelled me to a strong run. Of course the heavy air was a bit of a nuisance, but I had a lot of motivation to keep on going strong. It wouldn't be long before I would reach air conditioning.
When there is no sun out, the running landscape transforms drastically. Unless there were street lights out, it was pitch black. I had to pay more attention to each footstrike to ensure I was running on stable ground. The street lights were flashing yellow, and the only cars on the road were a few cabs. There were some critters out, like squirrels and rabbits, but in the dark each animal might as well have been a raccoon or skunk. I was much more aware of my surroundings, because I felt as if I had partial loss of one of my senses.
During the late evening and early morning, I learned that Reagan National Airport has this large, white "X" that flashes on the approach to the runway. I know this because on the way south down the Mount Vernon Trail, back toward the airport, it flashed at me. It had the same visual effect as the auditory effect you would hear from a loud, blaring fire alarm. It told pilots STOP, GET OUT, STAY AWAY. I tried to avoid staring at the "X", because each time I did, it would burn an image of itself into my vision.
After about 40 minutes of running, I finally saw my first fellow human being. Given the extreme weather, I was surprised that more marathoners-in-training were not on the trail as early as I was. Perhaps they took the smart way out and stuck to their treadmills this week - or perhaps they are currently getting heat stroke on the trails.
When the sun is not a factor, the coolest and warmest parts of the trail also change. For instance, parts of the trail that would normally offer shade, such as under bridges and in forests, are the most humid part - and therefore the most extreme climate-wise in the pre-dawn part of the day. Areas that do not have shade and would normally be hot under the sun are comfortable, as they can allow a gentle breeze to come through. The absolute best areas to run before the sun comes out are across low bridges, where there is water (lake or river). These parts have consistently cool breezes that comfort hot runners.
Before I conclude, I want to mention two recurring things that happened to both occur this week. For whatever reason, I do not think I had mentioned them before. One makes me annoyed, and the other makes me very jealous:
1. Annoyed - The trails that I run aren't too wide - maybe only five feet across. That being said, I have had runners that pass me, cut in front of me, and then slow down - drastically. When I pass other runners or walkers, I make sure that there is enough distance between me and them before getting directly in front of them. Today, that happened with some dude with a black GEICO shirt on. Since there weren't too many people on the trail, there was no need for him to file back in line so quickly. As a result of his rudeness, I promptly speeded up and then passed him. He never caught back up with me, although I heard him panting behind me and trying to catch back up with me.
2. Jealous - There are some runners who have friends, family members, or coaches that bike right next to them for their entire runs. I would kill to have someone bike by me, keep me on pace, and chat with me during a run. The only problem is that I would probably run too slow for them, and they would get bored by my pace. Perhaps this would be a good task for my casual cycling friends. Any takers?
Next week will be 16 miles. According to the 10-day forecast, the weather next weekend shouldn't be much cooler than today. Yuck. It may be another super early morning next weekend, too. On the plus side, I do have a good sense of accomplishment - so now I can relax and enjoy this toasty weekend!
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