I laced up my Mizunos, in my air conditioned home, planning on a solid 8 or 9 miles at a decent clip. A few steps into my run, I knew I would have to modify my expectations for the outing. Ugh, was it humid and hot. Not even the slightest of breezes to wiggle a lose leaf hanging limp on the trees above.
Like many of you I am thick in training for longer goal events in the fall. While we can fondly look forward to anticipated cooler temps on race day, we have to put in the miles during the heat and humidity that the mid Atlantic has gifted us with.
Below are some tips to avoid overheating during your muggy miles and show up on race day fit and happy.
As you continue to go out and run in the heat, your body will acclimatize, and be better able to handle the demands of high heat training. This usually takes a couple weeks of consistent outside running.
Hydrate properly. That means drinking enough, but not too much. Figure out your sweat rate: Weigh yourself before and after an hour run in the heat in which you did not take in any fluids. Each pound lost equates to about 16 oz of fluids lost. Most agree that trying to replace all lost fluids during long runs (i.e. runs over 1 ½ hours) is impossible and not necessarily desirable. You should however strive to minimize weight loss due to dehydration. As little as a 2% drop in weight can affect your performance. One sip is about an ounce. Sip every few minutes to avoid a slushy stomach from downing a bottle all at once. (I’ll discuss fluid carrying options in an upcoming post).
The night before an anticipated hot run, eat some salty foods which will help you retain water. Also, drink a glass or two of water before going to bed.
Check your urine. It should be light yellow color, not completely clear (a sign of over hydration).
Sleep in an air conditioned room. This will help you sleep better and be better rested for the morning’s run.
Drink an ice cold beverage (save the beer for later) before you start. A recent study has shown that drinking an ice cold sweet drink lowers your core temperature.
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Stay in the shade as much as possible. Avoid direct sunlight and do the obvious, like sunscreen, hat, glasses and moisture wicking clothing to protect yourself.
If you are racing, add 10-15% to your goal time to allow for the slow down caused by the heat and humidity. Although often hard to implement, running slower will produce less heat. If you are just doing a normal run, keep the pace slower than normal.
Post run jump into a pool or cool tub of water to bring your core temperature back down. It is normal for your core temp to go from a normal 99 upwards to 102 degrees. Beyond that and you can be in trouble.
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Know the symptoms of heat distress and pull out of the race or shorten your run if you show any symptoms. Warning signs can include cramps, overwhelming fatigue, irritability, nausea or dizziness.
Above all don’t beat yourself up about running slower or having a harder time in the heat. Once fall rolls around, humidity drops and temperatures get into a comfortable zone, all this hot training will be rewarded with a stellar race.
Happy Running!
