Summer in St Pete is hot. Each morning brings a delicate, balanced race from the front door to my truck for the ride to work, with the precious goal of crossing the driveway, climbing into my Tacoma, and getting the air conditioning fired up before I sweat through my shirt. It’s a tougher race than you think. Not an Ironman by any stretch, but it still requires a delicate strategy; move too fast and I break a sweat, too slow and the heat and humidity starts pulling my bodily fluids through my pores, transforming my crisp ironed shirt into a limp, wrinkled rag. Once in the frigid a.c. blasts through the vents, bringing a shiver from my sweat-clammy skin, I grit my teeth and slide my sunglasses onto my nose, hoping that the plastic doesn’t sear to my face.
Running in the summer is tough. Each degree above 80 degrees takes about 5 seconds off my pace in a 10-mile run. Years of struggling to get good workouts in the summer heat has led me to create this list of hot weather tips.
Hydration is the key, and you can’t do it two hours before you run. You only absorb about a quart an hour; the rest just turns your pee clear and waters someone’s yard on your route. Sip water the night before you run, and during the day after you run. It’s easier to stay hydrated than to get hydrated.
Drink early and often. I carry a Nathan belt (http://www.nathansports.com/) I find that it is more secure than the Fuelbelt models, which tend to bounce around on my waist. I drink a few ounces each mile. It’s better to be hydrated early, even if I run out of water in the last mile or two. If I try to stretch my water, then I dehydrate, bonk, and all that’s left is a long walk back to the house.
Stage water: on long runs, I hide a water bottle, or two, on a small bridge in the Bay. I drop off the bottles on the way out, and retrieve them on the return leg, replenishing my supply while avoiding carrying the weight.
If I’m in a race, and they hand out wet towels, then I run with the towel on my head or on the back of my neck. The body loses a great deal of heat in these areas, making them the prime cooling zones.
Dump the heart-rate monitoring strap unless you need it. On long summer runs, I leave the strap for my heart-rate monitor at home unless I am on a specific workout that requires the monitor. The strap’s plastic body holds a lot of heat. If you don’t believe me, take it off while running on a hot day. It’ll feel like a cold breeze shot up your shirt.
I also have some cool down tricks that I use to get my body back to normal temperatures. I discovered these techniques after years of showering, cooling down, and then feeling my body warm up during the post-run hour, resulting in another soaked, wrinkled shirt and several miserable, uncomfortable hours at work.
Ice: I use sandwich bags of ice under my armpits when I have to cool down in a hurry. Not pleasant, but extremely effective.
Frozen grapes: I keep sandwich bags of frozen grapes in the freezer. Pop a few in your mouth and they serve as a cooling, healthy snack.
It’s tough to get a solid workout in the heat. Hopefully, these tips help you. I’ll be using these and more in 17 days, when I run a half-Ironman in the blistering misery of central Florida. Should be fun, at least until I vomit the first time.
Running in the summer is tough. Each degree above 80 degrees takes about 5 seconds off my pace in a 10-mile run. Years of struggling to get good workouts in the summer heat has led me to create this list of hot weather tips.
Hydration is the key, and you can’t do it two hours before you run. You only absorb about a quart an hour; the rest just turns your pee clear and waters someone’s yard on your route. Sip water the night before you run, and during the day after you run. It’s easier to stay hydrated than to get hydrated.
Drink early and often. I carry a Nathan belt (http://www.nathansports.com/) I find that it is more secure than the Fuelbelt models, which tend to bounce around on my waist. I drink a few ounces each mile. It’s better to be hydrated early, even if I run out of water in the last mile or two. If I try to stretch my water, then I dehydrate, bonk, and all that’s left is a long walk back to the house.
Stage water: on long runs, I hide a water bottle, or two, on a small bridge in the Bay. I drop off the bottles on the way out, and retrieve them on the return leg, replenishing my supply while avoiding carrying the weight.
If I’m in a race, and they hand out wet towels, then I run with the towel on my head or on the back of my neck. The body loses a great deal of heat in these areas, making them the prime cooling zones.
Dump the heart-rate monitoring strap unless you need it. On long summer runs, I leave the strap for my heart-rate monitor at home unless I am on a specific workout that requires the monitor. The strap’s plastic body holds a lot of heat. If you don’t believe me, take it off while running on a hot day. It’ll feel like a cold breeze shot up your shirt.
I also have some cool down tricks that I use to get my body back to normal temperatures. I discovered these techniques after years of showering, cooling down, and then feeling my body warm up during the post-run hour, resulting in another soaked, wrinkled shirt and several miserable, uncomfortable hours at work.
Ice: I use sandwich bags of ice under my armpits when I have to cool down in a hurry. Not pleasant, but extremely effective.
Frozen grapes: I keep sandwich bags of frozen grapes in the freezer. Pop a few in your mouth and they serve as a cooling, healthy snack.
It’s tough to get a solid workout in the heat. Hopefully, these tips help you. I’ll be using these and more in 17 days, when I run a half-Ironman in the blistering misery of central Florida. Should be fun, at least until I vomit the first time.
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