Hills, Heat and Humidity!! 3 killers!

Aaahhh! As you may know, I've been running now for a few months. Now, I would NOT consider myself a "runner." If asked if I like to run, I usually answer, "Not really. But it's a quick, easy way to get in a workout." ("easy" being a relative term there!!) The fact is, I can walk out my front door, step onto my personal workout space and go. The time it takes for me to run 3-4 miles (between 30-40 minutes) is the time of my workout. No time spent in the car getting to the gym. No expensive workout equipment. So there ya go. It has become my exercise mode of choice. It's been a relatively nice experience--time alone, listening to whatever music I like, watching spring bloom in Knoxville for the first time, and very recently having my nose tickled by delicious scents of jasmine and honeysuckle. I haven't really even minded the hills too much. Every now and then I drive up to a track if Jon is home or we take all the kids to the park there while I run. But usually I hit the hills in my neighborhood. They haven't been too extremely bad....until this week.

This week has added a new element to my running experience--heat and humidity!! Oh man! Now, I'm not complaining too badly because I know it's not Naples!! But Naples doesn't have hills! :) The combination is killing me. Wednesday I started my run too late in the day--around 10:30. I'm not a morning person. Anyone who knows me well knows that!! So morning running is killer for me. I would much prefer running in the evening, but that doesn't always work with a family. It's been relatively easy to get up, get our day going, get the older kids started on their schoolwork, work some with Shepley and then head out the door. With the nice weather, that's been great. But now May is here with a vengeance. After Wednesday's run, I knew I couldn't do that again.

Today I headed out around 9 am thinking that would be good enough. I guess it was "good enough" but I'm thinking this summer running is gonna kill me. I may have to start running in the middle of the night or something.

I have never planned to do any "race" running--maybe a 5K or even work up to 10K. But that's about it. Two of my best friends in the world just ran in the Nashville half marathon. I was very proud of them but kept telling them there was no way I would ever do one. I have no desire!! But one of them was talking to me about she and her husband wanting to do the New Orleans half. I said I would interested in joining them for the fun afterward but not the race. Now Jon wants to go (next March) and run, and he wants me to run as well. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually entertaining this idea. Whenever I'm not actually running I think, "I've got time. I can do this." But when I'm in the act itself I think, "No way am I doing that!" :) We'll see what happens.....