Today, I give myself a break. I allow myself to sleep past 5. The break from a super early wake up has a caveat, however. I am skipping the run at dawn and opting instead to force myself to get through a day of work in my non-airconditioned room on one of the hottest, stickiest days we have had all summer.
It’s an exhausting day, though. By the time I get home, not only am I sticky and sloppy with my sweat*, I’m just exhausted. I tell myself it’s still too humid to run. Once the sun gets lower, I’ll be in better condition to go. Instead of running, I nap for close to an hour.
Once I wake up, I need to continue waking up. You wouldn’t know it if you never did it, but teaching is an exhausting job. Some days you literally do not get a chance to sit. And, while it’s true I “only” have 12 students, they are, as I say, “12 students going in 12 different directions.” I’m done with the soapbox spiel.
Now the issue becomes that I need to eat dinner, but not before I run. I’m also waiting to time my run so that it’s mostly dark by the time I get home. Dusk this time, rather than dawn.
Before I know it, I look out the window and it’s already getting dark. There are no more 8:30 sunsets this year. Chasing daylight, I hurriedly pull on my tank top, get my iPod, ID, and light, and head downstairs.
A gentle breeze greets me once I step outside. Ah, so I’ve timed it perfectly. It’s cooled off considerably. Well played, runner. Well played.
Only not quite. By the time I hit .15 miles, I realize I’m wrong. Though it’s almost dark, it’s still pretty darn humid. I hum along briskly enough, though, trying of course not to overdo it. By the time I get to 1.2 miles, I’m really slogging through. I’m starting to drip sweat (as I’m known to do). Two miles doesn’t seem to be coming as soon as I’d like. At least I pass a few other runners on the way out. That feels good. The sweat does, too. By my turn around, I’m doing nicely. I’ve loosened up the old cranky muscles and I’ll coast home from here.
Of course, I make that familiar trail of sweat drops through the lobby, into the elevator, down the hall, and into the kitchen, and eventually bathroom. My white tank top is now see-through. (Thankfully, I encounter no one to offend and am able to ride up alone). A shower is necessary, and immediately. A day’s worth of sweat goes down the drain.
After that, dinner, Mets game on the radio, and this post. Another run in the books, and I’ve got the miles I needed.
*I am a prodigious sweater. It really doesn’t take much at all. The amount of sweat I excrete is legendary in my family. When particularly drenched with sweat, family members have been known to say, “I’m sweating like Matthew!”
Distance: 4.06 miles
Time: 37 minutes, 33 seconds
Splits: 
Looking ahead: Tomorrow – rest day. Or I’ll do an easy, slow 3 miles. Sunday – race day at the Putnam County Fall Classic 5K. Last year’s was one of the fastest races I’ve run and I’m hoping to improve this year.
Make It Happen 