The three oppressive months in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex are June, July, and August. May and September can be hot as well, but usually there is variation in the weather during those months. We're more than halfway through August, so the worst of 2009 is almost behind us. I do my first footrace of the fall on Labor Day, which is three weeks from today. I'm looking forward to the fall racing season. When the bike-rally season is over in November (after the Denton Turkey Roll), I put the bike away for the winter and focus on footracing. By dividing things up this way, I avoid burnout.
A few minutes ago, I ran two miles in 95.9º heat. You can't possibly go as fast in hot, humid conditions as in cold conditions, so you may as well accept it. I view summertime running as toughening running. It toughens me up, both physically and mentally. When the temperature falls, I feel strong, which allows me to go fast. If I took the summer off, it would take weeks or even months to get up to speed. How many of you are runners? It's a great sport. It requires little in the way of technology and you can do it anywhere, even while on a business trip or on vacation. Running is for all races, all sexes (some people say there are more than two), and all ages.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 