With 30 days of 100 plus degree weather over the last two months my daily run in the park might have appeared to be more like an exercise in masochism than a practice of physical improvement. My run in the park today was made so much better by the beautiful 71 degree noon time temp. Today I was able to double my average summer mileage, by the simple reduction in temperature. I don't know how simple it is or isn't, but I was loving it none the less.

The worst part of training during the summer months is the heat. I don't get tired so much as hot. And after about 15 minutes of running in 106° heat my head is pounding and I start to see double. My clothes are literally dripping with sweat as am I. My mouth is so dry from breathing that I dare not try to swallow for fear of choking on the tissue as it sticks to itself in the back of my throat. By the time I get back to work from my hour long jaunt outside I'm little more than a specter of the person I was before I left.

I'm often warned about being outside in the brutal Oklahoma summers, by both my wife and coworkers. But the regularity of workouts is without rhythm. For instance, yesterday Katie called me at 11:00am and asked if we could meet for lunch, which I was more than happy to do. But afterwards I wondered if I am putting my ability to climb Denali and my life at risk by not having gone running. After all the number of days I have to train for this climb are finite. And as far as I know there is no prohibition on sushi in the works for Oklahoma. That said it was a good lunch and I always enjoy time with Katie.

So this brings me to the decision I've made. I will do some form of training every day in between now and the time I get on the plane for Alaska. Today I ran at lunch. Tomorrow I will drag my tire around the park (more about this later). And then a trip to the gym. And so on and so forth. Until I am climbing up into the thin air of North America's highest mountain.