It’s that time of year and I am traveling for work once again. In 2015, I started a tradition of running in every city I visit. Although there are some repeat cities each summer/fall (and winter), there are always new spots on the itinerary. I have only missed two cities, Detroit in 2015 and Denver in 2016, and only because of the flu. I’ll be able to add several new cities this year.
I am no stranger to running in weather, especially heat. I prefer temperatures between 55-65 degrees, but I have run in the mid-90s and the low teens. Running in the summer where I live in California usually means higher temperatures unless I get up very early. And that’s usually a non-starter.
This past weekend, my occupation took me to Phoenix, Arizona, where temperatures are consistently in the triple digits during the day this time of year. The forecast told me that mid-80s were the overnight lows and early morning norm. So, I figured I’d get up early and get three miles in before heat stroke conditions kicked in.
I got up a little later than I wanted to, but I still headed out early enough, 8:00 a.m. PT or so. I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going. My hotel was near Camelback Mountain, which was visible on the other side of the Camelback Mall. I decided to head east on E. Camelback Road and see where it went. Just over a mile in to the run I decided to take a left and break toward the mountains. I headed north on N. 32nd until I edged past the 1.5-mile mark. I know better than try to run more than three miles or so in that kind of heat. I also know better than to try to set any new land speed records. My Nike Run Club app says it was 83 degrees during my run. Lies, all lies!
Cloud cover had shielded me from the harsh rays of the morning sun during the first mile or so. After running into the sunrise on my way out, the angry yellow nuclear reactor at the center of our solar system was at my back.
This happens to be the time of year in Phoenix when it gets a little humid. Thunderstorms are common as well. Although the temperatures in Phoenix are akin to June in my backyard, there’s something different about the heat there. Maybe it’s the proximity to the equator. But I basically ran through a blast furnace during the second half.
I like getting out for these runs so I can explore the local environs. Sometimes, though, I do them just to do them, just to say I did it. This run was a bit of both. My route wasn’t particularly exciting, it looks like an “L” on the map. But there was some scenery.
As I was trotting along, I had a good view of the mountains, there was a man-made pond of some variety, and I crossed a short bridge over a canal. Had I planned a bit better, running along the canal might have been the better option, but it also looked hot and dusty, kind of like my aqueduct runs here in California. On second thought, the canal probably would have been a bad idea.
This was my first run in Arizona. All things considered it wasn’t bad at all. I would have liked to have been a bit more adventurous. But I tend to be cautious when running in a new place unless I can find some established, well-worn running trails near my accommodations. The next travel run will be in Dallas and that will be a new one for me as well.
Funny, I was just looking at an old blog post about my goals for 2017. I wrote that I would blog more. Whups. I still have five months. Time to get cracking. I did finish my first novel, so accomplishing those goals wasn’t exactly a pipe dream.
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The train left the station back in March and it continues to roll on toward the release of my debut novel, The Dark Truth. Approximately three weeks ago, my publisher (Trifecta Publishing House) informed me that they were going to move my release date up from February 2018 to November of this year. Of course I was thrilled. Earlier this evening, I was given the official release and pre-sale dates.
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