heat haze heat

Today might be my hottest day in North America ever.  Almost 10:00 am and it's already 35C.

I woke up around 6:00 and after frittering the usual early morning half hour away (drinking water, doing Sudoku in the bathroom, finding clothes and music, eating something, etc), I got on the treadmill.    6.10 miles in 70 min.   Then I did clamshells, rows, and deadlifts.

This run started off stiff, but eventually I loosened up and had a nice run.  It was more satisfying than my past few 60 minute runs have been; in the past, my favourite runs were in the 8-10 mile range.  Without the wonky calibration of my treadmill, this would have been close to eight miles in RL.  Something about that sort of distance strikes the right balance between adequate endorphin release and fatigue.

I'm so grateful that I have a treadmill (and that it was free!).  Without it, I'm not sure how much I'd be running, if at all.  I ran almost every day during five months in Virginia, which was hotter on average--not counting this crazy week--but the hills in Virginia were considerably less strenuous.  And on a day such as today, I wouldn't be running outside at all, anywhere, no matter how flat.

My right shoulder, which has been an issue recently, was fine.  I think the weights help with this, specifically rows or whatever the exercise is really called.  I'm not sure, but it exercises my shoulder muscles.

My left hip, which has been an issue for months, was also fine.  I think all the x-training helps with this, but I don't know exactly what is going on because it's still a physiological mystery.  My guess is that there is a tendon or ligament which, without proper muscular support, is strained.

The true test today, however, will be getting to work.  Yesterday, though I walked my bike uphill, was taxing enough (I had a headache for a few hours after about ten minutes outside), and it's going to be hotter today.  However, it also looks to be less humid than yesterday, and also the worst day of the heat wave.  Fingers crossed that temps drop back down!

Incidentally, there were three stat C-sections on Tuesday.  I was told that, for this small hospital in a small town, 3 births in a day is unusual enough.  Apparently, the heat was enough to cause fetal distress.  It doesn't help that the air is bad too.  The weather forecast included an advisory to reduce pollution by avoiding gasoline consumption.   I don't think that's going to happen.

Although, the neat thing is, until the heat jacked up, I started seeing another bike parked at work.  Hopefully it will return!