Mid 60s to around 80F, clear. Endurance run, club run and Leg Builder Hill (mi 13.8-15.8). It was a great run until it got hot. At the club meeting, there were just a few of us: me and two other guys plus the teenage son of one of them. I said it looked like I'd be running alone so I was taking off rather than wait around and they said "we'll run with you!" Knowing what my morning was going to look like (miles + heat) I explained that I wasn't running very fast, probably around 10:30. "No problem!" So off we went and the pace soon crept up to 9:30, over and over again. I kept encouraging them to go on ahead but they were so nice and very gracious about claiming they didn't want to go faster than 10:30. My Garmin splits show 4 miles at around 10:00, so that was our average. But I really did enjoy having company for a few miles. By the time I finished the LB Hill, there was no escaping the heat. My entire focus changed to: The Search For Shade and Sprinklers. You folks who acclimate to 90's every summer have my complete admiration. My running that last hour was just pathetic, which of course keeps one out there in the heat longer! At around mile 20 my cell phone rang and it was a friend whom I will be meeting later today. I was in a particularly sunny street, close to home, when she called and I told her I was "done!"-- that I couldn't handle it anymore. But then I didn't go straight home! I am so proud of myself - I can hardly even believe I finished, and slightly exceeded, my mileage goal for today. It wasn't pretty and there was some extra walking when I felt my face go too hot, but I did it!! | 