It's only a three mile run to work, it'll be easy. That my friends, is what the Wandering Men call the voice of "pre-hike man." That cocky son of a gun thinks hiking 13 miles a day with 1000 foot elevation changes while wearing a pack sounds fun. He commits me, but then skimps out and leaves me holding his gear.
A three mile run on sidewalk IS easy. The distance to work is three miles, ONE WAY, but only a third of the distance has a sidewalk. And while the temperature was comfortable at 6:10 am, the heat index in the afternoon was 94 degrees plus with all the asphalt I was running/trundling next to. Oh, and don't forget the 20 pound pack I toted so I could go to work presentable - food, shoes, clothes, towel, etc.
The three miles to work was manageable. Yes, the pack and the iffy running surfaces made it challenging, but I was still pretty chipper. Until I turned on the shower at work.
Hace frio! Why, in an office building where the hot water in the restrooms can scald your skin, was there no hot water in the showers? The water temperature never rose above ambient. Curse you fickle thermetic gods! Curse you!
I went about my day pretty proud that I'd saved $0.75 cents at the pump and I was in shape enough to do it. However, as the day wore on, I thought more about the return trip. I tried brush it off, there was nothing I could do to avoid it, but the thought nibbled at the back of my mind - for a good reason.
The return trip was grueling. The heat sapped my will, and the fact that the morning run had taxed me more than I expected didn't help my determination. Sweat poured from my body. I couldn't run more than a mile and I walked the remaining distance home.
A good experience, but I learned my lesson.
Will I run to work again? Probably not. I do have a bike though, and three miles on a bike is really easy...
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