2022-09-04 at 8:18am
13.13 miles (08:06/mile)
Orlando, Florida

TL/DR…ran a run, got hot…

Wanted to get some miles in before the sun came up...perhaps could have improved on that score...as events delayed the start until 8am (...ish). Heat and humidity were the equal of North Carolina. Florida heat (93° feels like 102° with a dew point of 73°) edged out the home state (86° feels like 90° with a dewpoint of 67°). In short, felt like it was in North Carolina several weeks back.

Was glad to take the recommendation of the hotel staff and headed out on Pointe Plaza, from there Universal Boulevard, then Destination Parkway. Beautiful roads and scenery, great to traverse. All good that far...

...then things turned sideways. Was planning on returning along the same route, but the heat and boredom (who wants to do the same roads twice...?) drove me to deviate from the plan. At first, it all appeared to be going swimmingly (humidity pun intended), as taking the Shingle Creek Trail put me on a tree-lined and well-shaded one mile course that reminds one of the American Tobacco Trail. Then the trail ended at West Sand Lake Road.

Knew that West Sand Lake was not going to be the most beautiful road in the world, as I had walked on a portion the day before. What was not known was that the sidewalk, which had been ever-present throughout the route up that point, abruptly ended at a turn into the West Sand Lake business district. From that point until nearly Universal Boulevard, the run was performed on the shoulder of the equivalent of a moderately busy four lane divided highway. Full sun, full humidity, rapidly decreasing water supply.

Fortunately, just before starting off on the grand highway adventure, had picked up a bottle of water...good thing, as the sun was beating down something fierce.

All in all, a pleasure, a challenge, and a steambath all in one. Glad there was time to run the distance casually.