The Heat Is On

Just Another Runner’s Perspective August 2023 Written by Gale Fischer

The Heat Is On

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

—- Kelly Clarkson

8/24/2023: The alarm on my phone sounded at five thirty AM sharp, waking me from a deep sleep. I reached over my head, grabbed my phone, and pressed the cancel button to silence it.  Immediately I opened up the weather app and pinched myself in disbelief as I glanced at the numbers that appeared on my screen. Here it was five thirty in the morning with a temperature holding strong at eighty-two degrees. The dew point hovered in the low seventies creating oppressive conditions to start the day. We were in the midst of the hottest two-day stretch for the summer of 2023. I was expecting conditions to be a bit more uncomfortable than usual for my morning run as I climbed into bed eight hours earlier and looked at the weather forecast, which was predicting temperatures to fall to the low seventies. 

Runners in West Michigan had trudged through uncomfortable conditions all summer with many morning runs starting with high humidity and temperatures in the upper sixties, but today’s readings brought the gross index to an all-new level. Had I been completing this run solo I may have rolled back over and gone to sleep but I find that I am capable of running in most any weather conditions when running with others. As they say: misery loves company. 

As we started our run thirty minutes later it seemed as if we were trapped in a sauna trying to break through a wall of heat. The first two miles were sustainable but not long after that conditions began to deteriorate. My legs grew heavier with each stride and I began struggling mightily with my breathing. Moments later walking two-tenths of a mile up a hill became an easy decision. Limping into the parking lot to end our run five miles after we began, my energy stores seemed to be at an all-time low. My body and clothes were drenched in sweat and my shoes and socks squished out perspiration with each step. 

The effort for this five-mile run was as tough as any run I had completed all summer including two eighteen-mile runs and one twenty-miler. I had ventured out for five miles the night before with some of the cross-country runners that I coach with the thermostat reading ninety-two degrees. I was planning on a somewhat more comfortable run eleven hours later in the early morning darkness, but ten degrees cooler seemed more of a chore than the previous evening. Perhaps part of the issue was that I had not fully recovered from the run in the sun the night before. Running or performing most any activity outdoors in summer’s worst conditions can pose health risks associated with heat stroke. Even the fittest of athletes are not immune to this. It seems that oftentimes the need to get in a daily run supersedes all logic.

There are many among us who show characteristics of what an avid runner looks like. For this population, there is a passion for the sport. Discomfort associated with running as a result of injury, illness, and extreme weather conditions is common but for those who share this addiction to the sport of running, it becomes easier to deal with the pain than to try and give in and skip a daily run. There is an abundance of scientific research that supports the ideology that running promotes mental, physical, and emotional health. With all of the positive benefits and bi-products that come from running, there are instances when our sport can cause the opposite effect and be detrimental to one’s health. Avid runners are aware of this but stubbornness often prevails. Many in the running community make ill-advised decisions now and then. Like anything in life, we roll the dice from time to time and hope for an acceptable outcome. 

Fortunately, there are many opportunities to run in weather conditions that don’t put a strain on the body and its organs. Many of us have run through injury and survived but generally speaking more of our miles are run out of the zone of injury. Even when enjoying our passion in perfect conditions, each run comes with a calculated risk. A portion of my miles is put in each week with a group of die-hards who start early in the morning as darkness covers the earth. At this hour in the morning, there is much less auto traffic to deal with than the remainder of the day, but there is always a threat when running the roads, of encountering a driver who is distracted. There is always a chance of having an encounter with a rabid dog or any animal when running. Stepping in a pothole, on a walnut or a misplaced stride off of a curb can be all it takes to sprain or break an ankle or foot. These are all scenarios that runners try not to analyze and think about but still, we must learn to be focused and observant at all times.

Running has the potential to transform lives. It can prevent debilitating health conditions. If a health condition becomes unavoidable running has the potential to treat it as well as any prescription medication. Running can provide a daily dose of stress relief, sharpen the brain’s capacity to learn and think, and give one a sense of confidence that can trickle into all facets of life. Eventually, it becomes a routine and an activity that seems impossible to go without. We all must make decisions with our running, hope for the best, and enjoy the positive consequences while also living with the negative outcomes. If we are lucky the risks will always be worth the rewards. 

Until next time, this has been just another runner’s perspective.