On Unfamiliar Ground

Just a quick post from Cleveland, where I'm parked all weekend for a work conference. I'm currently in the hotel business center catching up on some things.

And I'm also waiting for a call from a local running store. You see, I'm supposed to do an 18-miler tomorrow and I want some advice on where to do it (and where is safe!) and possibly also on whether there are any other crazies around here who might be doing it with a group I could join.

It is HUMID here. No more will I complain of the "heat" in Colorado. I've been for two runs since arriving early yesterday afternoon. I did one on the hotel treadmill (boring!) and this morning's on the sidewalks and roads bordering Lake Erie. The latter was certainly more interesting (Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame! Coast Guard outpost! small lakefront airport!), but despite a constant breeze I felt like I was running under a washcloth wet with warm water. I think Jim of 50after40 is right: training in humidity is sort of like training at altitude; all of my advantage from the latter is currently wiped out by the former.

My goal for tomorrow is just to finish the damn thing and get to my conference's morning sessions on time. If the humidity drives me back inside to finish it on the treadmill, so be it (I hope that won't happen, though, due to the boredom factor).

By the way, it's not too late to ask me questions as part of the viral Q&A (see my last post--apologies that I don't have the link in here; my ability to have multiple tabs and windows open is hampered by the hotel's business center Internet security). I'll be posting answers to these early next week, when I'm back (and dry) in Colorado. I love the questions I've gotten so far! Writing those posts will be fun.

Send good-running-in-humid-conditions vibes toward my wimpy self!