Running In The Heat: 7 Tips To Beat The Hot Summer Weather
Does the heat and humidity prevent you from running? Do your race goals suffer if you have a hot weather day? In this article we’re going to be covering 7 tips to help beat the heat and actually go for your run even when the weather is hot and humid!
In excessively hot weather, like we had with our heat wave in July, we want to think about the strategies that set us up for success as runners! This article will be helpful for you if you’re not sure how to beat the heat because we all now that there can be some hot and humid races even into September and early October.
If you are more of the visual and auditory learner just click the YouTube video below outlining everything that is in this article!
Let’s talk about strategies and products to use to help you get through your runs when the heat is intense!
Tip 1: Start from the bottom up!
You have to take care of your feet! When running in the heat, you need to prevent blisters. How do you prevent blisters? You can use body glide! This is a product you can utilize to help lubricate your feet so you don’t get blisters and calluses. Not only is it a great product to use during the summer, but year round! The second part of taking care of your feet, is proper socks. A thicker type of sock will help to prevent blisters and excessive callusing.
Tip 2: Bandaids!
Why bandaids? They help to prevent chaffing in the nipple area. During a run when you’re soaked in sweat and your shirt is literally clinging to your body, you can chaffe in the nipple area and that’s just no fun. A big bandaid will help prevent this from happening and keep you from suffering later. On a hot day when your tank top is going to be stuck your body, your skin is going to get irritated and break down! No body wants that. Use a bandaid and prevent this from happening to you!
Tip 3: Hydration!
Fuel Belt To Carry Hydration During Your Run
You need to hydrate not only during a run, but the morning before and not only the morning before, but the night before! You want to be hydrating at least a day in advance before you’re going on a run, especially if you know it’s going to be a hot day. You can have 3 glasses of water the night before, 3 glasses before your run and then during your run! When it’s excessively hot and humid, you can utilize a hydration belt. You need to be drinking water while you run. Hydration is key!
Tip 4: Fuel!
How are you going to fuel? You need to make sure that you’re replenishing your electrolytes because when you sweat, you’re losing electrolytes. You can use a product called “you can hydrate”. Mix it in with your water! You can have it the night before in your water and then even mix it in with the water you’re drinking during your run. If it’s going to be a longer run, around 10 miles, you can utilize energy gels as well, such as carb boom. Carb boom is more a natural product with no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners that has real fuel and a little caffeine in it! Make sure you are fueling during your run!
Tip 5: The head and face area!
First of all, sunglasses are KEY! These are important so that the sun is not pounding down on your eyes. You can get legit running sunglasses, ones that don’t fog and are anti-glare. They’re good for sun, humidity, snow, ice, and rain. They are well worth the investment but they last for a long time and are great for every season! Another thing you can do is wear a hat! A hat can help to absorb sweat and keep all of the sweat of our eyes. You can pour some water on your hat and help to cool you down as well. If you feel like you’re overheating and you just dump water on your head, it’s going to run down your body and not help to cool you down! However, with a hat, it will help to hold onto the water and keep you cooler!
Tip 6: Get out and run early!
If you can get out and run early when the sun isn’t as hot in the sky, that’s really going to help you out. Try to get out there at 6am or 7am, even 5 am! You want to get out there early before it gets really hot. You don’t want to be running during the hours of 10am to 2pm. That’s going to cause you to fry and it’s not healthy! Make sure you’re getting enough rest as that is extremely important as well, but really strive to get those runs in early during the summer season.
Tip 7: You have to go slow.
All your expectations in terms of your pace need to be adjusted based upon the heat. Understand that because of the heat, your body is going to take longer to recover than normal. You don’t want to run too fast on your long runs. That’s going to set your recovery window back weeks because of the heat. If you want to be at your peak ability for a race, you need to adjust your pace and expectations. The heat is going to have a greater impact on your muscles and your body! Even when you’ve been running pretty consistently for a few weeks, you need to go slower and make sure that you feel good after your run! You don’t want to tax yourself to the point where you won’t be able to run for your race later.
Be SMART! If you don’t feel good and you don’t feel right, or you’re not used to run in the heat, just stick to the treadmill for the day or follow the tips to run in the heat. Make sure you’re putting your health first and not pushing yourself to a point where you’re getting sick and setting yourself back just because you want to get a run in.
We hope these 7 tips will assist you in getting your run in during the summer season when it’s toasty!
Are you a runner struggling with pain, unable to run a few miles without pain, or unable to speed train like you used to? Check out my 5 Tips for Healthy Running Article by Clicking THIS LINK
Are you a runner looking for a community that is dedicated to helping you stay happy and healthy doing what you love?
You could be an active adult starting out with a couch to 5k program or you may be an experienced marathoner!
The FREE Healthy Runner CT facebook group is your answer!
Our specialty here is prehab, rehab, recovery, and performance for all types of runners!
CLICK HERE to join our community http://bit.ly/HealthyRunnerGroup
Are you a runner that is trying to stay healthy but can’t train because pain is stopping you from meeting your goals?
Are you worried that an injury will limit you from doing what you love like working out and training?
Have you wondered what it will cost you in the long run if you continue to train through pain?
Have you seen other medical providers in the past that just tell you to stop your activity?
We have a unique treatment approach that focuses on solving these problems with our clients. We combine manual hands-on techniques with guided supervised exercises to help you get stronger, pain-free and perform at your peak level to get you back on the road doing what you love. Our goal is to help keep you active and on the road, while recovering from injury by guiding you in ways to modify your training, rather than eliminating running!
The SPARK Physical Therapy Commitment
No long waits or multiple trips to providers’ offices every week. We see you either onsite at a partnering gym or in the comfort of your home when it is convenient with your schedule.
One on one for a full hour with your doctor of physical therapy, every visit. We provide you with a customized plan specifically designed for you, based off your unique injury and goals.
Full transparency in what you pay. You will never get a bill from us a couple of months after your visit.
Access and availability to you! Have a question about your pain or exercise program? Get an answer from your therapist directly.
If you’re in the greater Hamden, CT area and are a runner that has been dealing with injuries we can help. We’d love to chat for a few minutes and see if you are a good fit for what we do. Fill in this CONTACT REQUEST LINK and we’ll set up a free-minute phone consultation with a doctor of physical therapy
Thank you for taking the time to read,
– Duane Scotti, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS
A special thanks goes out to Allie Eldridge, SPT for her contributions to this article
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