I was dying, experiencing a complete meltdown. I could not breathe and was sweating like a pig. It was a hot summer day back in June 2018. I was out for my normal evening run. The heat index was over 100 degrees. I was still a mile from home and suffering badly. I thought – it cannot get any worse than this today. At least I was almost done – just ten more minutes.
Running into someone at the wrong time
I took a short walking break, a feeble attempt to cool down a bit. A car I knew well turned the corner and rolled towards me. It was my old girlfriend. You have got to be kidding me – not now. She was kind enough to smile and wave. I waved back. Of all the times to run into her – why now? I bet she was thinking what dumbass goes for a run in this weather. This dumbass – that’s who.
Why I wrote this billboard
I am a runner. It is my exercise of choice. Every summer I have to run in the sultry weather to stay in shape and maintain a reasonable weight. There are probably better ways to exercise in the heat, but I am stubborn and stick to running. The good news for me is that acclimating my body to the summer heat does not take long – just a few hard runs. I call these runs – summer death runs. Why? because I feel like dying during and after them.
The first “summer death run” is particularly painful
My first summer death run usually happens in June. The weather gets into the 90s, and it is hot as hell by the early evening. Perfect conditions for a summer death run. The first one is always particularly painful. Always! There is no effective way to avoid the misery. It is hot, and my body is not calibrated to deal with the high temperatures yet.
You must prepare for the pain
I do three things to prepare for a summer death run. First, I drink a lot of water beforehand. Starting a summer death run dehydrated is both dangerous and stupid. If I am not sweating heavily during a summer death run it usually means I did not hydrate enough and will pay the price. The second thing I do is slow my pace down. The goal is to simply finish. Speed does not matter. The last thing I do is to take walking breaks every mile.
You must be willing to get ugly
All my summer death runs are ugly. I become a hot sweaty mess after just a mile. It only gets worse from there. Several of my routine running routes are around five miles. If I complete a summer death run at that distance then it gets ugly. Sometimes really ugly. If you are going to complete a summer death run – you must be willing to get ugly. Is it worth it? Yes.
The most important actions are never comfortable.
Tim Ferriss
It is amazing how fast your body adjusts
My body calibrates to the summer heat after only a few summer death runs. Sure – they suck. But, they get better with each one and prepare me for summer racing. The hardest part comes afterward. I start rehydrating right away, soak my feet in an ice bath, take a cold shower, and hunker down. I feel drained and my energy level is low, so I plan accordingly.
How I incorporated this billboard into my life
Several writers I respect recommend getting out of your comfort zone on a regular basis. Tim Ferriss, Ryan Holiday, and Marie Forleo to name a few. They say to do something that makes you uncomfortable. It helps you grow. For me, nothing is more embarrassing than a total meltdown in public. Nowadays, I finish all my summer death runs in Reston Town Center which has a fountain square full of my neighbors. I know that none of them want to see me at the end of a summer death run, but I bet they are used to it by now.
Just because your mind tells you that something is awful or evil or unplanned or otherwise negative doesn’t mean you have to agree.
Ryan Holiday
What about you?
Are you doing things that make you uncomfortable? Are you willing to get ugly if it accelerates your growth? If the answer is yes – good for you. Keep it up. If not, then think about safe ways you can leverage this lesson to your advantage.
Ugly gets you to the finish line. It is a rare thing to have a beautiful run.
Dad
More resources
This article provides more dealing with the summer heat. This runner’s world article is helpful. The video below also offers many tips for summer running. One last thing – dudes over 50 years old like me should never take your shirt off when running unless you are experiencing heat exhaustion or something worse. No one wants to see my dad body.