Running in the Afternoon Sun on the Hottest Day of the Year

Bad idea. Colossally so.

My legs feel leaden, my skin's dripping like I've just stepped from of a shower, and my brain's trying to prevent itself from wondering what the hell kind of inferno a 7 p.m. race on July 30 will feel like.

Perhaps if all of Grumdom wishes hard enough we can will July 30 into an unseasonably cool day.

Ready? Repeat after me:

We DO believe in cold fronts...
We DO believe in cold fronts...

Catherine Elcik is running her first marathon to raise money for a scholarship fund for Grub Street, Inc, and independent writing center in Boston, MA. Sponsor the run at www.firstgiving.com/runforgrub.