There is a common misperception shared by many non-Minnesotans that Minnesota is a fairly cool state, temperature-wise, throughout the year.
However, while it may be true that our winters can be bone-breakingly cold our, summers, alternatively, can feature high temps that rival anything the other 49 states can achieve.
The following week, for example, has been a hell-house of hot temperatures, tipping up into the 90s for a couple of days. But, as any good Minnesotan will tell you, it's not the heat, it's the humidity. Yes, once you throw the humidity into the mix, you have some pretty unbearable weather.
And, it just so happens that I'm now enrolled in a Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu program that features workouts I haven't experience since my days of high school wrestling. These workouts are seriously intense: two hours of muscle-straining hell. Granted, I'll no doubt become acclimated to the workouts the more I attend, but for now I struggle through minute by dragging minute.
And I sweat. Holy crow do I sweat. It certainly doesn't help that there's no air conditioning, but I'm a natural-born sweater to begin with, going back as far as I can remember. The combination of no air conditioning mixed with workouts I'm not used to quite yet, results in a display of personal waterworks I can scarcely believe.
I mean, last night, sweat just poured off me. I literally looked like I was fresh out of a shower for the entire two hours. I was sweating so incredibly much, I was actually starting to wonder if maybe something was wrong with me. I spent every free moment practically making love to the water fountain, trying to maintain my rapidly-depleting fluid levels. I can't, in my memory, recall sweating anywhere near as much as I sweated last night. It was almost horrifying.
I really hope this is only a temporary affliction, because if I were someone else, and I had to grapple with me, I'd be pretty well disgusted.
Posted by Ryan at July 12, 2005 11:06 AM | TrackBackYeah, it has been not so fun running this last week. I'm usually soaked all the way through before I finish my first mile and then for the remainder of the run I feel like I'm carrying an extra 10 lbs of water weight on me since none of the sweat evaporates since it's so damn humid. Yeah, I sweat a lot too.
Posted by: Rick at July 12, 2005 11:51 AMYou'd fit right in at jiu-jitsu, Rick. *hint, hint*
Although, at $90 a month, it's pretty spendy. Hell of a workout though.
Posted by: Ryan at July 12, 2005 12:47 PMI'll think about it. Remember that I have absolutely zero martial arts experience. To complicate matters I am also horribly inflexible and have bad balance. So if they have a completely nubian program that I could start out in... maybe. How many days a month is it? Better be a bunch for 90 dollars.
Posted by: Rick at July 12, 2005 03:26 PMWell, this is a pretty hardcore crew, Rick. They ain't small men, and most of them do have martial arts training background, so if you were to give it a try, there's really no newbie program. It's trial by fire, I won't sugar-coat it. I get destroyed regularly, and I have about 10 years of martial arts experience. This is beyond anything I've ever trained in though. First class is free. Class times are M-W-F, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., and the $90 buys you full access to the boxing facility and boxing training, if you want that. I've been too sore lately to look into the boxing program. Again, it's intense, and definitely not for everyone, but if you ever want to poke your head in and see what it's all about, it won't cost you anything but the gas to get you there.
Posted by: Ryan at July 12, 2005 03:55 PMon the plus side, it's really, REALLY good for you to sweat like that. be sure to drink a lot of mineral water.
i almost never sweat. sometimes i wish i would. it feels good, doesn't it?
Posted by: leblanc at July 12, 2005 04:21 PMOh yeah, the idea of grappling with a natural born sweater is appealling. I'd just give you my wallet and a towel.
leblanc, even with our current heatwave? I go out for bike rides on my lunch break and come back pretty well drenched and I'm not even pedalling very hard. Luckily I've learned and now have cycling clothes in addition my work clothes because there's nothing less fun than squishing when you sit down for a meeting.
Posted by: Johnny Huh? at July 12, 2005 05:18 PMI would perfer to stay inside in the A/C.
Posted by: Mike Wills at July 13, 2005 09:31 AMI bike to and from work every day and I have to change all my clothes in the morning. I keep a file drawer full of work clothes in my office so all I have to bring in my bike bag is a fresh t-shirt.
When I work out at the gym I have to bring 3 extra shirts because I do two cardio workouts. So I get there, and do 30 minutes on the stationary bike. Then I change my shirt. Then I do 60 minutes of weights. Then I change my shirt. Then I do another 30 minutes on the bike. Then I change my shirt and bike home.
Everywhere I go I have t-shirts hung out to dry.
It's gross. I hate it.
Posted by: Joshua at July 13, 2005 01:43 PMWhen I was a kid and would play sports or workout I would also get the sweat skid mark on my sweat pants, that sucked badly.
Joshua, you have my sympathies, man, what a serious drag.
Posted by: Johnny Huh? at July 14, 2005 01:14 PM
Stumble It!
