One of the benefits from running so early in the mornings is that I not only have the road to myself, especially when I run at 5 AM, but I also escape the truly hot/humid weather. I typically don’t mind running in hot weather but when the humidity gets to the point where it feels like you are running is pea soup, that gets a little tougher to handle.
That was the case this morning. It started out ok but about 20 minutes into my run I could really feel the humidity and at times I had a difficult time catching my breath.
Reducing my speed didn’t seem to help too much so I had to just do the best I could and I tried not to think about it too much. About three-quarters into my run, I felt some rain and that helped for a brief minute but by the time I finished I was soaked and it wasn’t from the rain.
As soon as a runner has difficult time getting oxygen flowing properly it’s all over. There have been countless articles written about proper running “cadence” with regards to breathing but it’s actually something that I’ve never had a problem with. Sometimes you can think too much about something and that can throw your natural rhythm off. When new runners ask me what to do I always tell them to keep their mouths open at all times and try to find a pace that allows them to breathe comfortably. Whenever my breathing becomes labored, it is always a sign that I’ve gone out too fast. Today, however, the poor air quality made it difficult to get a proper breath in.
I’m sure that my next two runs on Thursday and Friday, since they will be at 5 AM, will be much better with regards to air quality.
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