In Which Jenn Does NOT Bless The Sands Down In Africa

Desert sands

A view of the mountains from my balcony. They’re there, okay? Just trust me.

Today I did not run because of the weather. Was it stormy? No. Aggressively windy? No. Hail? Hurricane? Flood? Extreme heat? All logical for Puerto Rico, but no.

It was sand. In the air. FROM THE SAHARA DESERT.

Look, The Washington Post even published an article on it yesterday. They’re saying it’s a record amount.

A record amount of sand, yes, but not an unusual phenomenon: we get Saharan sand over here every year in the summer in the form of the Saharan Air Layer. NOAA can explain it to you in more detail, but basically the SAL kicks up over the desert and then crosses the freakin’ Atlantic to hang out in the atmosphere over here.

As I understand it, this phenomenon is useful in mitigating the intensity of potential hurricanes, so that’s good. But it’s not fabulous for air quality. When the SAL shows up, especially in the levels we’re currently seeing, it’s recommended you stay inside and not breathe too much of the sand air. Particularly if you have asthma or anything else that causes difficulty in breathing.

I myself have some exciting allergies to dust, and while I had planned to go for a run this morning Pat was VERY dubious about the wisdom of this choice; he asked me like eighteen times if I was sure I wanted to go for a run. So I did my arms/shoulders workout instead. BUT I DIDN’T LIKE IT. (Not that I ever really do, but that’s not the point.)

Pat assures me the levels are supposed to go down tomorrow, so I intend to knock those missed miles out then. Hear that, Sahara Desert? You ain’t ever gonna keep me down! (Ain’t never? I can’t remember how good Chumbawamba is about grammar.)

What’s the weirdest weather you couldn’t run in? Or heck, the weirdest weather you could?

Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Twitter @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.comSee ya real soon!

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