I constantly remind myself that it is much harder to train in hot weather than cool weather. Currently, I only run outside once a week on my training plan. This is my short run of 40 to 45 minutes. However, thanks to the relentless heat and wind that does not cool the air, my short run has become more challenging than usual. In fact, I am starting to hate Fridays because of this. In addition to the heat, blowing sand is a constant annoyance that irritates my eyes and sticks to my face. By the time I return home from running, I am completely drenched in sweat and I need about an hour to recover!
I hope my suffering on runs in the Omani desert will pay dividends and make running in Canada seem easy. Perhaps, I should say more comfortable because long runs are never easy for me. Although, for the most part, I have been doing my long runs on the treadmill at the gym, it is still hot. Even with 5 air conditioners working as hard as me, the indoor temperature hovers around 30 °C (86 °F). Yet, this is considerably cooler than 45 °C (113 °F) or more outdoor temperature.
Rural Route Runner 