I continue to struggle with my daily run, fighting temperatures and humidity that feel like 100-degrees. I can’t seem to get out any earlier than 8 a.m., missing many of the regulars that have already finished. My times have badly deteriorated, often stumbling at a ridiculously slow pace of over 18 minutes the final mile. I don’t know what to do after shorting the length to 2.1 miles since the beginning of the month. My weight has even dropped to 185 (10 pounds lost) after my wife cut back on buying cookies and other sweet snacks. I can barely stand up after finishing, feeling drained and light-headed. I get in the pool to cool off and strain to get my laps in, breathing hard at each turn. There is something wrong. I’m tired and beginning to feel my age. 

I called my cardiologist yesterday but couldn’t get through. I’m supposed to see the surgeon about my aortic aneurysm, even though it has not grown in size. It’s been there for years, carefully monitored. Perhaps, it’s starting to cause fatigue and loss of balance, that has been plaguing me of late. If the recent scans had shown enlargement that would have immediately put me on the table. Oddly, my biggest concern is the interruption of “The Streak” that stands at 5,339 consecutive days as of this morning. 

I sat in dark, air-conditioned overload, trying to get through yesterday’s Barbie movie, only to step outside in the grueling heat. I’m drinking lots of fluids in hope that it cools off soon! Not just here in Florida, all over the country we’re seeing record temperatures. Even Portland, Oregon where I ran last month in comfortable conditions is expected to be in the hundreds over the next few days. Fires are destroying beautiful Maui. We need some drizzle to fizzle the sizzle!