I was dying, experiencing a complete meltdown. I could not breathe and was sweating like a pig. It was a hot summer day back in June 2018. I was out for my usual evening run. The heat index was over 100 degrees. I was still a mile from home and suffering badly. I thought it could not get any worse than this today. At least I was almost done – just ten more minutes. Then things got more uncomfortable.
Running into someone at the wrong time is uncomfortable.
I took a short walking break, a feeble attempt to cool down. A car I knew well turned the corner and rolled towards me. It was my old girlfriend. You have got to be kidding me – not now. She was kind enough to smile and wave. I waved back. Of all the times to run into her – why now? I bet she was thinking, what dumbass goes for a run in this weather. This dumbass – that’s who.
Why I wrote this billboard
I am a runner. It is my exercise of choice. Every summer, I have to run in the sultry weather to stay in shape and maintain a reasonable weight. There are probably better ways to exercise in the heat, but I am stubborn and stick to running. The good news for me is that acclimating my body to the summer heat does not take long – just a few hard runs. I call these runs – summer death runs. Why? Because I feel like dying during and after them. They are incredibly uncomfortable.
The first “summer death run” is particularly painful and uncomfortable.
My first summer death run usually happens in June. The weather gets into the 90s, and it is hot by the early evening—perfect conditions for a summer death run. The first one is always particularly painful and highly uncomfortable—always! There is no practical way to avoid the misery. It is hot, and my body is not yet calibrated to deal with the high temperatures.
You must prepare for the pain and to be uncomfortable.
I do three things to prepare for a summer death run. First, I drink a lot of water beforehand. Starting a summer death run dehydrated is both dangerous and stupid. If I am not sweating heavily during a summer death run, it usually means I did not hydrate enough and will pay the price. The second thing I do is slow my pace down. The goal is to finish. Speed does not matter. The last thing I do is take walking breaks every mile.
You must be willing to get ugly and uncomfortable.
All my summer death runs are ugly and uncomfortable. I become a hot, sweaty mess after just a mile. It only gets worse from there. Several of my routine running routes are around five miles. If I complete a summer death run at that distance, it gets ugly. Sometimes, it’s really ugly. If you are going to complete a summer death run – you must be willing to get ugly. Is it worth it? Yes.
The most important actions are never comfortable.
Tim Ferriss
It is incredible how fast your body adjusts.
After only a few summer death runs, my body calibrates to the summer heat. Sure – they suck. But they get better with each one and prepare me for summer racing. The hardest part comes afterward. I start rehydrating immediately, soak my feet in an ice bath, take a cold shower, and hunker down. I feel drained and have low energy, so I plan accordingly.
How I incorporated this billboard into my life
Several writers I respect recommend getting out of your comfort zone regularly. Tim Ferriss, Ryan Holiday, and Marie Forleo, to name a few. They say to do something that makes you uncomfortable. It helps you grow. For me, nothing is more embarrassing than a total meltdown in public. Nowadays, I finish all my summer death runs in Reston Town Center, which has a fountain square full of my neighbors. I know that none of them want to see me at the end of a summer death run, but I bet they are used to it by now.
Just because your mind tells you that something is awful or evil or unplanned or otherwise negative doesn’t mean you have to agree.
Ryan Holiday
What about you?
Are you doing things that make you uncomfortable? Are you willing to get ugly if it accelerates your growth? If the answer is yes, that would be good for you. Keep it up. If not, think about safe ways to leverage this lesson to your advantage.
Ugly gets you to the finish line. It is a rare thing to have a beautiful run.
Dad
More resources
This article provides more information on dealing with the summer heat. This Runner’s World article is helpful. The video below also offers many tips for summer running. One last thing—dudes over 50 years old, like me, should never take their shirt off when running unless they are experiencing heat exhaustion or something worse. No one wants to see this dad’s body.
I am Doug Keating, and this is my letter to my sons.