Straight, pointy
things that don’t hurt from a wallop, or so it would appear to see the
pint-sized warriors in action.
They pepper the
trails in clusters of privilege, public paths that they swarm in league with
untutored “counselors,” who encourage the land seizure so that literally as I
run along I must dodge past them, often to avoid being struck by these
“swords,” as one does a gauntlet during some lame male rite of passage.
Oh, youth, is that
your sting?
Doctors will tell
you not to over-exert yourself in searing heat and high humidity.
Better to
exercise, race your heartbeat to aerobic health in the comfort of an
air-conditioned gym.
Don’t hot-run,
though, whatever you do. You’ll be sorry.
Sounds reasonable,
and for most runners it’s the way to go.
But for me, summer
running is a joy, a personal triumph. I run outside in all kinds of weather in
part so that I will be in the kind of shape to be able to handle running when
the temps and humidity spike.
A badge of pride, if
you’ll excuse it.
Next: Running for Your Life: Artists Talk
