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Hot Conditions |  |
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See the Index for more topics, information, hints and tips.
Summer is a time for building your base by putting in lots of slow miles.
Training in the heat has a LOT of benefits in addition for preparing you for a race in hot conditions. Studies have actually found that its benefits are similar to those obtained by training at higher altitudes. Heat training will improve your VO2 max, your lactic threshold, and performance comparable to altitude training.
The first and most important thing to do is slow down. Your body has a limited amount of blood. It uses it to take oxygen and nutrients to your working muscles. Blood also helps cool your body down and helps with digestion. In hot weather you are really taxing your system. Slow down so your body has a chance to cope with the challenges. And if you find yourself in trouble during a hot event, just slowing down may help you get out of trouble.
Drink plenty of water, but not too much. More people over hydrate than under hydrate and that causes problems, too. If your stomach starts feeling bad it could be that you are dehydrated or it may be that your stomach is not about to digest what you put into it. It could also mean that you are low on electrolytes. You sweat out more salts and you need to replace them. There are a number of products on the market.
Run in the cooler parts of the day: just before dawn or just before sunset. Stay in the shade whenever possible. Slow down your pace and take a short break every few miles.
If you are going to be out while the sun is up, then be sure to apply sunscreen.
Wear light colored technical (non-cotton) clothing.
In hot weather your body has to put a lot of blood near your skin to cool you down so it has less to digest food. Eat 3 to 4 hours before a workout and don’t eat anything an hour before or during. However, if your run lasts more than an hour you may need to take in some nutrition. See what works best for you among the many options described in the section on Nutrition. Glucose tablets or gel are easier to digest so they may be an option.
You have to be a little more careful taking nutrition during a hot run. Your body moves blood to near the skin to cool you off better which means it has less for digestion. This could lead to GI distress.
Take a water bottle or bladder for hydration. Fill it with ice and top it off with water. Or fill it about three quarters full and put it in the freezer the day before. Top it off with cold water and it should be ready when you need it. If you forgot to put it in the freezer the day before then put in some ice cubes to speed up the freezing.
If you sweat a lot, use a headband or bandana to keep sweat out of your eyes because it stings. They make headbands with gutters to channel the sweat away from your eyes. I like the BondiBand because they soak up a lot of sweat and are easy to wring out and put back on.
You also might consider taking a small cloth or piece of sponge along to wipe your face. I use a small piece of one of those camp towels that absorb a lot and can be easily wrung out.
A beach towel over your car seat will protect it and a hand towel is convenient for wiping off your face. They also make towel car seat covers. Another idea is to use a hooded sweatshirt size extra-large or maybe larger. You may find one with a zipper easier to install. Put the hood over the head rest to help hold it in place and zip it up behind the seat. You might be able to pick up an inexpensive one in a thrift store. Use a beach towel folded in half to protect the bench.
Take along a towel to wipe down with after your run and a set of clothes to change into. Include a plastic bag to hold all of your wet gear.
Have a cooler with ice and a refreshing beverage for when you finish. Those gel packs that you freeze can serve a double purpose - they can keep a drink or protein bar cold while you run and feel wonderful applied to your neck after your run.
Some ultra-runners wear white arm sleeves in the summer. You can wet them or put ice cubes in them to cool you off and they offer some protection from the sun.
Remember to replace the electrolytes that you lose through sweat. See Nutrition.
Because you sweat more, chaffing can be more of a problem. Apply Body Glide or whatever you use early and before you start feeling a burn.
Pay attention if your ring or watch or clothes get tight. This means that you are retaining water, drinking too much water. Take an salt or an electrolyte. Hold it in your mouth. If it tastes real good then that's what you need. Too much water is more deadly than too little.
If you are training for a race and it is going to be warmer than you are used to then you can put on some extra layers of clothes to simulate the warmer temperatures. Another method that has been proven to help your body adapt to heat is immediately after a workout to take a bath for about 20 minutes in water that is about 104 degrees. Repeat this for about six days.
