Warming Up! Dusting Down...

Back in March there were a few days where it broke 100°F here, then it cooled back down to reasonable 85-90°F days for a week or so. Last week it got hot, just over the 100°F mark, but there was a qualitative difference in the air that let you know this heat was significantly more serious than the slight brushes with triple digit temps last month--those were nothing! So, I had meant a couple days ago to post about this abrupt, but not unexpected, mercury motion. When, out of nowhere comes a major dust storm--a finer dust than we had at Al Asad, it is actually easier to breath... which must be a bad thing. Last Weds was hot and relatively clear. Thursday morning was my run with the Army guys--I got up, got dressed and went outside--the dust was thick! But, as I said, deceptively easy to breathe--it didn't seem that bad. So, I went and met the guys. One of the guys shows up--remember, it is 0530--and says, "I just came to tell you that I am not running--it is too dusty." The rest of us chastised him and went on our way. During the run all seemed fine, but afterwards, it was clear that discretion really is the better part of valor and our compatriot that refused to run was much more discreet and valorous than we... the wet (sweaty) bits of my shorts and shirt were covered with a pleasant mud, as were the corners of my mouth--as I found out. I can only imagine the coating of mud in my trachea, bronchioles, and alveoli--this is pretty fine dust!
But, the point I was trying to make wasn't what kind of idiot will go running in crazy air conditions--ask my buddy Dave who ran through the smoke of the 2003 San Diego fires--the point was that the dust does a great job of blocking the sun and keeping the heat down to a reasonable level. So, for the last 4 days there has been enough intermittent dust that the temps have stayed below the triple digits. Although, I have a feeling that this week will be either hot and dusty or just hot....