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!
