It burns, burns, burns. The run of fire

You, too, may have flocked to the sea yesterday. And while I'm only regurgitating information you already know, I must at any rate remark that it was (and still is) ridiculously hot. A thick, spreadable kind of hot.

So yesterday I met up with a friend of mine in Saco to bike to the beach (you know, cross training...plus I'd rather save the 5-$15 it costs to park and get a drink or two instead. It's called having priorities).

So we bike in and grab some grub on a restaurant deck and eventually meander over to the sand. Here I put on the almighty sunblock to protect my pale skin from the sun's late-morning lashings. Because that's what you do at the beach.

But - for the record - you can still get a wildly painful burn while on a bicycle - even if you're nowhere near the beach. So I just discovered anyway. All the sunscreen in the Americas couldn't save me by the time I was at the water. It was too late.

Stupidity ruled the day - I should have known better. I've been walking around in this easily burned skin for nearly 30 years. Yet each spring I fall victim to the same start-of-the-season flesh fry.

But I have been aptly punished. As a mark of my shame, I have been emblazoned with the mark of the devilish sun.

This morning I was treated to another learning: sunburn + sports bra = pure agony.

I've been slacking on my between-Thursday runs, so I was determined to get up early this morning and jog it out a bit.

I took the heavy humidity as penance for my procrastination and got dressed - well, started getting dressed. Soon into the endeavor I met with a screaming reminder of yesterday's burn. My skin was pissed. It was cranky. It was not happy to be burdened with the strap of a sports bra.

But when you're already awake, near dressed and determined to run...you run. Angry flesh or not. And that pleasant post-run feeling is my prize for the effort.

Life is full of punishments and rewards. Here's hoping my punishment doesn't linger more than a few days - and my reward lasts a lifetime...er, at least through the rest of the day.