Summer Running
The days are longer, more people are out and about, the world just seems a little brighter, but then comes in the serious heat and humidity trying to throw you off your game. I don’t know about you but I love running in the serious heat (inclement weather is my thing) yet it doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Summer can bring extreme heat, thick humidity, and can throw a serious roadblock into your training. Whether you use summer to train for a fall marathon or just love the nicer weather to get out and run more, I’m sharing my tips for how to keep running even on the hottest of days.
Wake-up Early
Beat the heat of the day and wake up earlier. The hottest part of the day is typically between 12-2pm so avoid running during those times. On the hottest days or when you have a hard workout set your alarm and get out before the heat really hits.
Slow Down
Do not push your body hard on really hot or humid days. Doing so can be really harmful and you likely won’t hit your speed goals so just slow things down and do yourself a favor.
If you have a hard workout planned but it’s going to be in the 90’s push that workout. Go for an easy run instead and save that workout for a cooler day.
Water and Electrolytes
Bring water with you or know where the water fountains are along your route. You will be sweating a ton so you need to replace the fluid you are losing. With intense heat leading to intense sweating it isn’t enough to just drink water you need to also be consuming electrolytes. To read more on the importance of electrolytes check out this article.
Protect Yourself from the Sun
In the summer we all want to get a nice tan but spending so much time in the sun, without protection, can do more harm than good. I hope that you reading this are very aware of the dangers of direct sun for prolonged periods of time; it can lead to skin cancer, wrinkles, premature aging…protect yourself from these dangers. Don’t worry even with strong sunscreen on you will still get color.
Wear a UV hat, lather up with sunscreen, and utilize a UV shirt for the days when the sun is very strong.
A note on sunscreen, anything less than 30 SPF you might as well not have any on, go for 30 or stronger and give it time to set before going out to run.
Go Inside
Trust me this isn’t my favorite one either, but some days it might be the safest. In the Midwest we always seem to get one week of the summer where we have an extreme heat wave and it is really unsafe to be out pushing it. On those really dangerously hot and humid days think about taking your workout inside instead.
Go For a Swim
One of my favorite ways to beat the heat! When I used to live in Chicago I would plan my run along the lakefront on really hot days and every 6 miles or so I would simply jump into the lake to cool off. If you live near the ocean or a lake think about planning your run to jump in half way. It will feel so incredible!
Listen to Your Body
No matter the time of year it is always important to listen to what your body is saying. When your body says it’s too hot, needs a break, can’t push it, LISTEN. Do not push it so hard that you hurt yourself, push back your training, or end up in a bad situation. Be prepared, be cautious, and anticipate the run just might turn out different than you hoped.
Summer is such a special time to be out running, these tips will help you to make the most of these beautiful hot days!
