Well, Mother Nature hasn’t made up her mind because the weather has been crazy these past couple of weeks. Or has it been months? It was a long and cold winter. Then Spring came along and it was still cold. Then it rained almost every single day in May. Now we occasionally have a warm/hot day but then sometimes it rains the next day. Will Summer be here soon?
You know I enjoy running in the morning. It is tough waking up early but I like to have my run done and then have the rest of the day to do other things that I need to do. Now I am loving that it isn’t as dark at 5 am. I don’t have to wear my reflective vest (which I still love) nor my headlamp.
Maybe Summer will be here soon or maybe it won’t. Who knows? However, here are some Summer running tips that work for me.
• Run when it isn’t hot. I know, pretty obvious whether it is running early in the morning or in the evening once it has cooled down. I used to run in the evening and loved feeling the cooler weather and seeing the sunset. I remember during marathon training in the summer our runs would start at 6:30 am in order to be done before it got too hot. If you cannot make it in the morning or in the evening, then run on the treadmill. I’ve done numerous runs on the treadmill because I would wake up “late” and by then it would be too hot to run outside.
• Hydrate. Normally I don’t carry water with me on a run less than 5-6 miles unless it is very hot or I am thirsty. Two weeks ago I did a 6 mile run and took a water bottle with me because it was warm and I drank the whole thing! I have a Nathan Hydration Pack and for my runs at The Arboretum, I fill half the hydration bladder with water and leave it overnight in the freezer. The next morning I add more water to it. Throughout my run the ice melts and I always have cold water to drink.
• Listen to your body. Running in the heat will make you run slower. Nothing wrong with that. If you start to feel awful and need to stop then do so. If you need to walk then walk. I remember one run in which I was shivering (despite the heat) and was feeling a bit delusional. I took a long break and drank water with Nuun. Eventually I felt better and ended up walking back to my car (about 2 miles away).
• Wear a visor or hat. I have a couple from Headsweats and love them. They block the sun from your eyes while at the same time allow the heat to rise from your head (visors).
• The less you wear the better. I love running in shorts and always look forward to when it is warm enough (after winter) to wear them. I also wear a tank or short sleeve top. My favorites are the Oiselle flyout tops. They’re light, comfortable and sweat wicking – perfect for the hot summer days! The best part is that they don’t stink with all of the sweat.
This week’s Tuesday Topic: What are your Summer running tips? You can write about this topic, or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!
It’s been crazy, hasn’t it? I don’t mind the cooler temps, but it sure doesn’t feel like summer!
At the rate we are going we will have summer in September and then maybe go straight to Fall. Maybe we will even skip that and go straight to Winter. 🤷🏻♀️
It seems like we had about 2 days of spring. We went right from summer to winter. I like to wear the least amount of clothing possible for summer running too. My friend just wears shorts and a sports bra, but I am not quite that bold. I need a tank top over my bra.
I am not that brave to just wear a sports bra. I am too self conscious and need that extra layer.
I have to wear a hat (not a visor) because my scalp will get sunburned — but a hat is hot, so I try to run early before it’s too sunny.
Sometimes one cannot win with a hat, right? I like hats because I am afraid my scalp will burn too. It hasn’t happened and hope it never does.
I definitely live for the time when I can run in just a tank & skirt — it’s so freeing!
I absolutely don’t get the people who don’t drink on the run. I do it even in winter! So I’m always carrying water with me. I will bring my own even for a 5k (not much, but I just have to have my water).
When I was training for my 18 mile race last summer, yes, I was out there at 6:30 for long runs. Which is why I had to do them alone, no one else wanted to get out there that early.
Tank and skirt is wonderful! I hate wearing so many layers during the winter.
Totally with you on the layers. I feel like I can’t move in them!
Yes, Spring 2019 was a total bust.I love summer running, so I’m glad we have the summer weather now (well, most days LOL). I love those early morning runs (and walks) when it’s daylight before 5:00 😉
I think you are the only person I know that loves summer running. 🙂 I like it but sometimes I hate. I do love that it is daylight before 5am though.
I love the frozen water. What I love less is it rubbing against me in a belt when I’m headed to the start
I read the frozen water tip somewhere and think it is the greatest when it comes to long runs in the hot weather.
Summer is my least favorite season to run in. Heat and humidity are just not my friends. We will make it through though
I agree with you. Fall is my favorite. At the rate we are going here, Summer might be a short one here.
I’m definitely a big fan of listening to your body, especially for summer running. I think that runners are sometimes shocked when their pace slows down in the summer but it’s to be expected!
I was surprised too and couldn’t really understand why. Now I do. 🙂
I’m so not a fan of summer running but it is a necessary evil to get to all of those great fall races, right?!
I agree with you!
These are all great tips. Running in the evening is nice when it’s just not feasible to run before daybreak! I really need to get a new hydration system…my old one just isn’t working and I know I need to carry water on me. Hopefully we’ll actually get some summer weather and less rain soon!
I agree with you! I am tired (again) of this weather. 🙂
It’s summer almost all the time here. All the time. We are just so used to constantly regulating for the high heat and humidity but things definitely do slow down and become less appealing 🙂
I want some warmer weather. I mean it is already June.
Listening to your body is SO important… I definitely felt the heat on my last run and felt a little dizzy upon my return home. Luckily, it didn’t last long, I kept hydrating and cooling down…. but yeah, I totally should have walked and not pushed through at the end.
Oh no! Glad to hear it didn’t last long. The heat is just as bad (or worse?) as the cold weather.
Nice article! The tips that you shared will surely help for running in the summer. I also carry cool towels with me as they help immensely!
Thank you!
You nailed it with this article Zenaida. Run when it is NOT hot. Perfectly said. It is so much more difficult to try to do a tempo run or track interval workout in the heat. A lot of runners think doing a treadmill workout in the place of running in the heat is somehow less than running outside, it isn’t. That being said, your point of running at the right times of day is vital for proper training and adaptation to eventually take place. GREAT article.