Yep, it's all what you're acclimatized to. I used to live in Utah where the temps were a lot more extreme...into the hundreds in the summer, well below freezing in winter. At that time those temps never bothered me because I was used to it. But I've been in the PNW for over 8 years now and my body just doesn't remember how to deal with either extreme cold or extreme heat.

Aggie_Ama...no, the vast majority of homes up here (at least around the Seattle area) do not have AC. The cost of installation & maintenance isn't worth it considering that there's usually only one week out of the year that you actually need it. DH and I did buy a single-room portable AC unit though. If we set it up and then set up some fans to blow the cooler air around we can keep the dogs from being quite so miserable. If it was up to them, we'd live in the arctic year-round!

Salsabike - good luck during your tri. I hope the heat isn't too bad for you either, esp. since Portland is often a few degrees warmer than Seattle. Hopefully the swim leg at least will be enjoyable.