Tips for Running in the Heat

I ran again the other day in the heat.  I waited until pretty late in the evening and although I started off on the road, I headed into the forest as soon as I could in order to beat the heat.  It was 7:00 p.m. and I was as hot as anything.  It was unbelievable.  I was able to get through my 14K run, but I was much slower than usual as I had to take many walking breaks.  This time I had brought quite a large bottle of water with me, but I drained it all by 9K and wished I had more.  I had even hydrated really well that day, I thought.  It didn't seem to be enough. 

So I was very happy to read this article in The Hamilton Spectator with some really good tips about ways to keep cool while running in the heat.  There were some things I hadn't thought about, such as having a cool shower prior to running, keeping your hair wet, and bringing a spray bottle to spray your face, neck and underarms in order to cool you down.  Another great idea was to freeze a water bottle before you go so you can roll it over your face and hands.  I love it!  I need to be able to train in this weather so now I feel like I can better handle the hot weather.  Bring it on, heat!  But be gentle.

http://www.thespec.com/living/healthfitness/article/752520--keeping-your-cool-in-the-heat

Staying Cool (and a Hydrating Salad)

As Jen pointed out in her last post, it is hot here. Temperatures in the thirties and humidity do not mix well. Add in exercise and I come out looking like I'm running in slow-motion. This weather wipes me right out and leaves me feeling (and looking) like a wet rag.

I had similar experience to Jen when I ran yesterday. I went out in the morning and even though was well-rested and feeling great, I soon felt like I was running in hot soup. I tried to speed up, but the wall of air stopped me.

It is like this here for most of the summer. So unless we want to give up on running for the next four months, we have to find a way to make it through this heat.

We are lucky where we live because we have a number of waterfalls close by. Cooling off under the spray feels amazing. Last summer we planned many of our running routes according to local waterfalls.

Also, I find hydration works wonders. I’m sipping water as I write this and am already thinking of ways to make it taste better. I get bored of plain water. I also try to eat a lot of foods with high water content. A bonus is that they make me feel full longer which helps keep calories down.

Here is a recipe for a very basic salad that I made for lunch today. I saw something similar in a magazine a while back but as I didn’t keep it I am trying my hand at replicating it. I love adding fruit to main meals, which is probably why I remember seeing this recipe in the first place.





Spinach Watermelon Feta Salad

1 cup Spinach
1 slice Watermelon cut into pieces
30 g Light Feta Cheese
¼ of a Lemon
Almonds, Walnuts or Sesame Seeds

Lay a bed of spinach in a bowl and layer on the watermelon, feta and nuts. Squeeze a ¼ of a lemon over the ingredients and mix it up. Simple! And full of hydrating melon.

TIP: I like to squeeze lemon over my watermelon slices. It makes them taste a bit like sour candies.

(Note: The photo shows the salad without the nuts as I thought of them after I took the shot.)

Worst. Pace. Ever. (Or: The Heat is not my Friend)

It felt like 35 degrees in Hamilton, Ontario today.  I waited until 5:00 p.m. to run, thinking that would be okay.  It wasn't.

I was running in the forest so I figured it wouldn't be so bad.  It was.

When I ran down some steep hills into the valley, I could feel tendrils of cool air but they quickly dissipated, and they weren't enough.

I don't know if it would have been a hard day anyway, or if it was solely the heat and humidity, but I felt like a complete train wreck.

It was soooo hot.  I thought longingly of running in the winter.  I wished for the smallest whisper of breeze, but nothing.  I would have given anything for a freezie.

At one point I thought of turning back, but I was determined to do the distance (about 13K) even if there was absolutely no speed involved whatsoever.  Which, if it's not already obvious, there wasn't.

I had many walking breaks.  I walked up even the smallest incline, because even those I considered 'hills' today.

I've heard that your body needs to adjust to things like altitude, so I'm thinking maybe it's the same for heat.  Hopefully my body will get better as the summer goes on.

Or I could start running at midnight!