Katy Trail Joggers Brave Blistering 103° Heat For Some Reason

Monday, August 10, was one of the hottest days of the year. Government thermometers recorded a high temperature of 107 degrees. It was stupid, eyeball-searing heat any half-sentient creature — whose ancestors, after all, had the wherewithal to pass their genes along to subsequent generations — would presumably have the self-preserving instinct to avoid. And yet at 3 p.m., with temperatures rapidly climbing toward their peak, people were on the Katy Trail, and not just standing on the trail or huddling in the shade. There were multiple people running on the trail, apparently unaware of the National Weather Service's all-caps heat advisory: "OVEREXERTION WILL LEAD TO DEHYDRATION ... WHICH COULD RESULT IN HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT STROKE."

The Observer hit the pavement that afternoon to investigate. What the hell are these people thinking? Don't they know that gyms have air-conditioning? We did this by taking a video camera and accosting random joggers. (Thanks for not punching me, guys!) Apologies in advance for the gratuitous torso shots, which are purely the result of a sub-competent camera person trying to shoot film while running and blinking sweat out of his eyes and not because he is a pervert. Honest. (Also, full disclosure, I routinely take lunchtime runs on the Katy Trail, but I usually knock them out before 1 p.m., when it's usually not in the triple digits ... just close.)