The First Days of Summer

The first days of summer in San Diego have been HOT! Upper nineties to triple digits hot! I knew that I wanted to get back to Miramar Lake this weekend, it is so nice to walk outside versus the treadmill. I did eight miles at the gym Friday night, so by the time I got my weekend chores done and my walking shoes on Saturday morning, it was already HOT. I started at 8:45 and thought that I should take the dirt path around the lake instead of the paved route, since there are more trees and bushes that shade the dirt path. I was worried about getting sunburned. I was on serious antibiotics a number of times last year that cause sun sensitivity. And all these months later, I am finding that I still burn quite easily. I slathered on the 45 SPF and it was enough (with the partial shade) to keep me from getting PINK. But SPF couldn't do anything about the heat.


Wow, did I get hot! The paved path is about a five mile loop, and dirt path goes about three miles of it before just becoming a tangled mess. I had planned to go in four miles, then walk back. But after I got off the dirt path into the direct sun between mile three and four, I realized it was just too hot to do a long walk. At the four mile mark where I had planned to turn around, I opted to just keep going on the five mile loop to get back to the parking lot. The four mile mark has the coolest purple flowers. I tucked my camera in my walking bag and snapped a shot. But I didn't stop to admire them this time. All I could think about was getting to my car!I am a stickler about stretching after exercise, but this time I just didn't care. I got in the car and headed home. Whew! I am going to make sure that I start my weekend walks as early as I can. If I want to get out of the gym (with its blessed air conditioning), I'm going to have to walk with the sunrise to beat the heat this summer!

--Jenn