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Sunday, August 12, 2007

Forecast for Today

I mentioned yesterday that I check weather.com before heading out for a run, but why do I do it? I honestly don't know, but I actually check the weather several times a day -- mostly out of habit, partially out of curiosity, but largely because I wonder if it ever changes. This is Florida, so predicting the weather is a job for a trained monkey; everyday, it is hot, humid, and there is a chance of rain. It gets a little more interesting in the winter: less hot, less humid, fewer chances of rain. But for a meteorologist in FL (seriously, we must get all the ones that graduated at the bottom of their class here -- and the news stations just accept it: "eh, hire the guy -- sure he has a 2.0 GPA, but hell, this is FL, what kind of forecasting do you think he has to do?"), the only exciting time must be hurricane season when there is the possibility of severe weather.

In the case of an actual hurricane, they get to do one of two very exciting things: one, stand in front of a green screen and talk about the storm moving towards us and try to think of something innovative to say since this will be broadcast for the next 3 days straight and, really, it's just the same spiel each time; or, two, stand out by a blowing palm tree (or with the ocean as background -- that's classic as well) and talk about how no one should be out in this weather.

However, as of late, the heat has dramatically spiked, and as I have mentioned, it's like running in the inner circles of hell, and weather people are all lathered up and excited at the change: heat records, heat advisories to post, and lists of things you should not do in the heat (ie, be out in it). This would be an excellent time of year to have a gym membership -- and I'm sure membership sales soar during August, but alas, I have no membership so that means I have to hit the outdoors on a near daily basis. Hopefully it has its payoff for a fall marathon in a northern state, but it has also had me questioning a fall race again. Running 3-5 miles is do-able in this weather (at either dusk or dawn), but now that my mileage is getting up there, every run seems like a task assigned by the devil, and I have to question my sanity for repetitively getting out there and doing it.

Thankfully, today is a rest day, so it's nothing but central air for me: however, tomorrow I go back out and greet the heat. Yay.

12 comments:

Alison said...

The funniest forecast I ever saw was when I was in San Diego last year. Their weather is perfect all the time, but they were predicting rain the next day. The forecasters on the local news made such a big deal about the upcoming rain (there were even specials on "how to drive in the rain without getting into an accident" and interviews with tow-truck drivers who would surely be "busy" in the inclement weather) that I anticipated a hurricane. The next day, it rained for 20 minutes and the sun came out again! So maybe those 2.0 graduates have to fight between FL and southern California.

Marcy said...

What are the temps like at 3am? :P I think if you can run down there you can run ANYWHERE! That weather is just insane.

Actually it was pretty chilly yesterday morning. High 50's/low 60's, so it was perfect running weather :P But when you guys have "nice" weather I'll be battling snow LOL

Yeah, my husband doesn't know how to work a camera. Do they know how to do anything? :P

ws said...

my comment should be "no comment" but I'm not that succinct. Northern California isn't unlike Southern California - everyday is the same and since very little happens there really is no weather. It's a crap job here - like I need to hear again about triple digit heat index. The dumbest thing about the hurricanes is they have so much coverage, but the people in the hurricane don't actually see any of it. During Wilma my mom called my cell phone and said something like "it looks like the hurricane is near that lake now." That was shortly after I watched the guardrail of the parking deck blowoff.

I tell myself it isn't really that hot. I'm not very convincing, but at least it gives me a slight break from thinking about how friggin hot it really is...

and, for Marcy, it is still in the 80's at 3am...never cools down. never.

L*I*S*A said...

Let's not forget the near hysteria that forms when weather forecasters get to talk about 'millibars' in regard to hurricanes. It's almost mythical.

I'll be there with ya in the heat tomorrow.

Debbi said...

I'm also thinking training in summer for a fall race is kind of crazy, and I'm way up in the mid-Atlantic! We got a bit of a break today, though, which felt good. You could always move ... I could use a running partner!

Anonymous said...

Doesn't sound like fun at all. Maybe you can break up your mileage on the super hot days and run a little at dawn and the rest at dusk! Good luck either way.

MNFirefly said...

I am the same way. I hate the heat myself. You are so brave!

Wes said...

I started my training program last year in the oppressive Georgia heat. It hasn't been anything like that this year until recently. Ya know... I think its better to just not be spoiled. Get out there, get what you can done, and that's good enough for now.

J~Mom said...

It never cools down here either. I am opposite, I never check the weather before hand but I always look after I get home and see what I just ran in. One time I had gone out and ran in a heat advisory...oopsie. LOL

Nelly can be my good friend sometimes. :>) You don't want to meet Wicked Witch though, she is just nasty.

BTW, I have no idea how I added that distance. I personally suspect the course was a little long. Either that or I weaved back and forth on the road? I don't know but either way it brought Nelly out. :>P

Lori said...

The weather is brutal. I'm with Marcy though and if you can press through with that heat, a marathon in October up here will be a walk in the park. Great job getting your runs in!

Iron Jayhawk said...

I'm with Marcy...if you can run through that nastiness, you can handle running anywhere! :)

We were tinkering with trying to run in Miami on Saturday afternoon for our 90-minute jaunt...although I really doubt that's going to happen after reading your tales on horrible Florida heat.

At least it'll feel SO NICE when you're running up here in October.

miss petite america said...

i have no idea HOW you do it! i can't even stand to sit outside in that weather much less RUN in it!