Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke
I have developed a new appreciation for our recently installed air conditioner. Summer has not even fully arrived, yet the humidity has already launched an aggressive campaign against the entire neighborhood, and our AC unit is bravely defending the home front.
We keep the house around 77°F. Since having a brain stroke, my body has become somewhat unreliable when it comes to regulating temperature. Large swings between hot and cold do not agree with me. Fortunately, this new air conditioner seems particularly talented at keeping humidity under control. The result is a remarkably comfortable house and one less thing for me to negotiate with each day.
Outside, however, is an entirely different story.
Humidity hovers close to 90%, and the air feels less like air and more like a warm, damp blanket. The temperature itself is not particularly high yet, but humidity has a way of turning ordinary weather into something resembling a steam room with birds.
As usual, I headed out for my scheduled 10-kilometer run. Humidity and I have an ongoing disagreement. It insists on making every activity more difficult, and I insist on pretending not to notice.
Needless to say, by the time I returned home, I was completely soaked. I had to change my shirt immediately before beginning my household chores. Vacuuming is considerably easier when one is not dripping across the floor like a malfunctioning garden sprinkler.
My wife and I previously lived in Canada and Oregon, so adjusting to Nashville’s climate required a period of negotiation. Oregon summers are pleasantly dry and comfortable, and the winters are relatively mild. We eventually moved to Nashville to be closer to family because my wife worried about my health.
Ironically, I think I have become healthier since the move.
We eat reasonably well, sleep properly, and exercise consistently. Gradually, my body has improved. I still have anemia, and I am currently receiving treatment for it, but overall, I feel much better than I did in the past.
If only Nashville’s humidity would cooperate.
Running and yard work would certainly be more enjoyable if the atmosphere did not resemble soup. Until then, I will continue my daily negotiations with the weather, while our heroic air conditioner quietly keeps civilization intact indoors.
Some heroes wear capes.
Others hum gently in the background and lower the humidity.