Hot Runs and Hot Tub

It has been hot this past week. That's to be expected. After all, it is August, and it is Kansas. But the heat coupled with the (oft reviled) humidity made being outside a bit... how shall I put this... oh yes, unpleasant. For runners, or at least for those with brains, it made for some really early mornings.

On Saturday, I met my friend Eric at 7:30 for another trail run. 7:30 is about an hour later than I normally hit the road, but the trails we run are pretty well shaded. We set off at a good pace, Eric in the lead. I don't know why I haven't learned to leave some room between myself and a runner ahead of me on a trail. A few weeks ago I almost bit it on a root that I didn't see because I was following too closely. And on Saturday, I did bite it. I tripped over a little tree stump and went tumbling down a ravine. I was unhurt. Eric pulled me out, and we spent a few moments making sure that I hadn't rolled through a patch of poison ivy before setting out again. One good thing about taking a tumble is that it keeps you much more alert to the possibility in the future. Much like having a fender bender when you're in high school. One minor accident can teach you a lesson about avoiding future ones.

So Sunday came around, and I, back in road-running mode, thought why not try a new route. It was pretty hot at 6:45, so I sat down and planned a 5 miler through town, rather than out in the country. It also involved some serious hills. I don't have too much to say about the run other than it was hot and hard - not good characteristics in this context. I did find it interesting that in shifting the course of my run to a different direction, I did not pass a single other runner that I regularly see. In the other three directions that I run habitually, I always see pretty much the same people in most on the various routes. I think, though, because there is a major road I had to cross at the beginning, that the road creates a division in most people's runs. You either run to the North or the South of it, but rarely cross it.

Now a movie plug. My friend Mark Robison, who with his wife, Diane, runs the farm animal sanctuary Cockadoodlemoo.org, was in town over the weekend. On Friday afternoon, the two of us sat down to watch Hot Tub Time Machine. I know it doesn't sound much like something I'd watch, but I had heard a story about it on NPR which said it was a seriously funny movie. Honestly, there were parts that were hysterical. If you're looking for laughs, this is the flick for you. While it's not for little kiddies, it isn't a completely gross-out movie like so many that have come out recently. Highly recommended.