The Requisite Weather Complaint

No big surprises here, it's now August and that means it's hot in Dallas.  Very hot.

So, we're on a roll in Dallas right now.  31 days in a row in the triple digits.  Yesterday morning when we started to work out at 5:30 a.m., it was 87 degrees.  Yes, 87 at 5:15 in the morning.  I get fun little email warnings and FB messages like this: 

Fellow Dallas-area runners...we know morning runs this summer have been pretty miserable, right? Found this little gem from the folks at US National Weather Service Fort Worth Texas - "SO FAR AT DFW IN 2011 WE HAVE HAD 24 MORNING LOWS THAT ARE 80 DEGREES OR ABOVE. ASSUMING NO STORMS AFFECT THE AIRPORT THIS AFTERNOON THIS MORNINGS LOW OF 82 WILL BRING US TO 25 DAYS ABOVE 80 DEGREES FOR LOW TEMPERATURES THIS YEAR. THE 25 DAYS WILL BRING US UP TO THIRD ALL TIME AT DFW WHICH IS A SIGN OF HOW LITTLE RELIEF RESIDENTS OF THE METROPLEX ARE GETTING FROM THE HEAT IN GENERAL. THE TOP TWO YEARS FOR 80 DEGREE AND ABOVE LOW TEMPERATURES ARE 1998 WITH 39 AND 2008 WITH 27. UNFORTUNATELY NO SIGNIFICANT PATTERN CHANGE IS EXPECTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE."

That warning of course was more than a week ago, and nothing has changed.  Currently, we're on the second-longest streak of days at 100 degrees or higher.  Summer 1980 had the longest streak, 42 days.  Right now, we're at second (31 days counting Monday).  Third was 29 days in 1998 (I was here for a little bit of it), fourth was 25 days in 1952, and fifth was 24 days in 1999 (I was here for a couple weeks of this one).  This week, we're supposed to have highs several days over 105, so no risk of the streak ending any time soon. 

All of this heat based conditioning should make for some fast marathon times this fall when the cooler weather arrives!  At least, so I hope. 

I am trying to remind myself that it's probably just a few more miserable weeks.  I try to remind myself of the things I like about summer running -- there's never any question of what to wear, and no one is in a hurry to split right after a run to warm up in their cars, instead you can hang out and leisurely talk, stretch and walk.  There's less risk of injuring a cold muscle.  The wind is a treasure instead of pure evil.  It's light so much longer.  My garmin works better if I'm not wearing gloves.  I have more variety in my summer running clothing.  I try to remind myself how much I truly despise running in sub-freezing temps -- not just running really, doing anything outside.  But the problem is, this year I feel like I've gotten screwed on both ends.  We had a major ice storm and really cold weather for the week before the Super Bowl.  And now we're on the second longest 100 or over streak ever. 

I try to think about how almost everywhere in the country has a miserable month or two (except those lucky Californians and Hawaiians).  It just so happens our miserable month is summer, and not winter.  But this year it really seems like we've gotten a raw deal to have had such a cold winter in addition to a hot summer.  I heard somewhere that climate change or global warming is really just higher highs and lower lows, rather than actual warming, but I have no idea.  But if that's true, then this year in Dallas, it feels like that's really happening. 

Generally speaking, I'd take the heat over the cold.  My ideal running temp is about 50, +/- 5 degrees.  But I'd take 70 over 35.  I'd take 75 over 35 probably.  But what happens when my choices are 85 of 25?  I can't decide which is worse.  I guess it would depend on whether the sun is out -- 85 and dark or overcast sounds better than 25 and dark or overcast.  But 25 and sunny beats 85 and sunny.  But I think when it gets to be anything over 85, the lower temps start to win out without any contest. 

But for just living, I'd rather have a day with a high of 90 than a day with a high of 35.  I'm definitely a warm weather person.  I hate being cold.  It's just the running temps where I'd like it a bit cooler.  Still not cold though.