Discretion is the Better Part of Valor

My intention today was to head out on an early morning five miler.  Nothing too tough.  Just a few miles to wake up then off to the market.  According to the weatherman we are in the last day of a heat wave; the high today is to be in the mid 90's; I was running at 8:00am.  About mile two I started to feel the heat.  I brought water with me in one of those bottles you can strap to your hand.  I was a third of the way through it, and very thirsty, at half way; I normally don't touch it until half, then have about a third left over when I am done.  Things were not boding well and I was preparing for a tough last couple of miles.  By mile three, I was seriously considering bagging it; I bagged it at four miles.

I often see people running in the heat and wonder why.  Maybe it is schedules, maybe it is something else.  In the countless others I have encountered while out there, I have never seen anyone that could be counted in a class other than amateur athlete.  When you weigh what you are gaining in that single run against what you are risking I can't figure out why I see a runner in the midday heat pounding around.

Brought me into thinking about people running through injury.  I will grant that in certain cases, motion assists in the healing process.  I still have found no substitute for rest and ice.  Going out when you have persistent soreness is not a great idea, and is certainly out of the question if you have acute pain.  Stay home.  What are you gaining?

Do I feel down on myself for bagging it today?  Not really.  I do wish I had started a little earlier.  Van Buren is ebbing closer.