the trot zone

There is a perfect temperature for running.  I was first aware of it over a year ago, when my dad came to visit while I was training for a half-marathon.  I can't tell you the actual number of degrees, because it varies according to other weather conditions, terrain, and honestly, your clothing.

Which makes a certain kind of sense.

I can tell you how to determine this temperature, and it's an easy test.  There are only two qualifications.  If you are running during the Perfect Temperature for running, your vision will be impeded by two things:

1. Sweat in your eyes
2. A pulsating cloud of your own breath hanging in front of you.

There doesn't have to be much of either, but both have to happen.  I guess it's more accurate to say that there is a Perfect Range of Temperatures for running, but that lacks a certain flair.

The downside, of course, is that you don't hit that perfect range very often.  It's usually in the fall or spring, or on the occasional warm winter afternoon or unusually cold summer morning.  If you find the opportunity to run during that range, take it.  The air is crisp, but not so cold that your throat burns with coughing fits for hours afterward.  It's still warm enough that you can feel the sheen of sweat on your skin, but you can comfortably wear long sleeves, which makes wiping that sweat out of your eyes a little easier.  Hat and gloves are optional, but I'm usually ok without either after just a few minutes.

To be honest, I think the best reason for running during this ideal temperature range is that it makes me laugh every time I realize I've found it.  In my mind, most runners--especially marathon runners--are a little bit crazy.  And they're proud of that particular brand of crazy.  I may not be a real runner, but I can do crazy.  I can tell, because I love it when I have to wipe the sweat out of my eyes to see my foggy breath as I chug up a long hill early in the spring time.