Summer Heat

There’s something about the beach in May that catches people off guard. They see a decent morning, drive to one of the beach access points on the north end, step onto the sand — and immediately start slogging. Loose, soft sand grabbing at every step, calves burning after half a mile, pace two minutes slower than expected. By mile two they’re questioning whether beach running is worth the trouble. It usually isn’t, if you get the timing wrong. ...

Something shifts in the third week of April here. Not dramatically — it doesn’t happen overnight — but you notice it. The 6 AM temperature that was 58 degrees in mid-March is 68 now, sometimes 70. The dew point that held steady in the low 50s starts edging up toward 60, then 65. The sweat on your shirt at the end of a 10-miler isn’t quite the same as it was a month ago. Florida summer is announcing itself, and if you’re paying attention, you can feel exactly when the season starts its slow takeover. ...