What’s harder: walking on hot coals or a 10-mile run in 85-degree temps with 85% humidity? I’d vote the latter.
A post from July of 2011, which is oh-so relevant today.
You have to love all the it’s-hot-out-there headlines. Like no duh…I read my minivan’s thermometer. What the headlines don’t tell you: how to stay cool if you’ve got to run because you’ve got a marathon in October, because you’re addicted to endorphins, because, by the end of July, you’re ready to drop your kids off at a lemonade stand in Nebraska and never look back.
So I’m going to give you my best ways to beat the heat. Notice I said beat the heat. I have no interest in trying to join it, to acclimate to 99-degree temps. If you’re more inclined to scorch yourself, there’s this race called Badwater you might want to check out…
1. Get up early. Wow: that’s an innovative one, Dimity. Haven’t thought of that. But seriously, get your glutes out of bed before the sun rises. My biggest motivational trick these days as I’m contemplating bailing: instead of thinking how much I don’t want to get up, get dressed, get out there, I picture myself coming in from the run, on my last stretch of road. How good I feel, how glad it’s done. (That said, I understand the humidity is worst in the early a.m. hours, so I’m not sure if it’s better to run at night when it’s not as damp but more hot? Southerners: can you enlighten me?)
2. Trade cool-ish temps for visual excitement. If there’s a shaded stretch of road for one mile, and I have a four-mile run on tap, I may crank the tunes and run that sucker four times. Boring? Absolutely. Will I avoid wilting? Absolutely.
3. Plan your route wisely. Think about where the shade is and where the tough hills are. Hit the latter first, and aim for the former toward the end of your run. (Kind of like how, if I must choose, I always head into the wind first: makes coming home just a little bit easier.) If you’re carrying a water bottle and will empty it during your run, plan a loop where you can refill either at a friend’s house or at a 7-11 or a Starbuck’s. I won’t lecture you about heat and hydration; just know it’s ultra-important to drink up.
4. Freeze a bottle with nuun-laced water or sports drink–leave about an inch at the top for expansion–and either carry that on your run (alternate which hand holds it, as it’s a little hefty) or plant it somewhere on your route, pre-run, so you can enjoy a cool beverage for your later miles.
5. Similarly, if you seed your long run with water, put ice cubes in a cooler or Thermos, and hide it. Then, when you get to it, stuff your bra or your hat (or anywhere else you’d like) with the ice and pour what has melted over your head. (You can also grab ice from a 7-11: come in all red faced and sweaty and say you need a few piece of ice, and I promise, they won’t care.)
The ice vest that might have helped Deena Kastor win the bronze in the 2004 Olympic marathon. (from wired.com)
6. Take a cold shower before you head out. Disclaimer: I have never done this, but the idea sounds good. I cribbed it from the ice vests the marathoners in Athens wore before their Olympic race. The vests were designed to lower their core body temperature so that it took them longer to feel hot. A cool-ish shower may have a similar effect (again, just guessing…anybody done this by chance?).
7. Run to a pool or lake, jump in and cool off (or do a swim workout for a duathlon), then run home. If you’re feeling bold, just swim in your sports bra and shorts.
8. Don’t run. Ride your bike isntead. Not a cruise-along-to-get-a-coffee ride, but a ride that mimics the intensity of a run: your heart is pumping, you can hear your breath, you’re working. I just did a 90-minute ride today, and felt great…until I stopped to eat a GU. I stopped, and so did my A/C, a.k.a. the self-created breeze. I felt uncomfortable immediately. Don’t have a bike? Rent a road bike from your local bike store for a week. We’re coming up on the end of the season (read: good deals will be starting soon) and if you talk nice, you might be able to get a sweet deal on a fast ride.
9. Hit the gym. The treadmill isn’t so bad when you do speedwork (like one minute easy, one minute hard) or when you’ve got a good show to watch. Or, better yet, mix it up with the strength/treadmill combo workout that is on page 113 of Run Like a Mother. Because there are burpees involved, I still haven’t done it, but I’ve heard from regulars that it’s a tough mother.
10. Keep some skin covered. In Colorado, I feel like the sun just penetrates my skin, torching cells, and creating havoc. I don’t run in long sleeves, but I wear a T-shirt more often than a tank: Not only do I suck at getting sunscreen on my back/shoulders, but I like the tiny draft I feel like I get with a shirt, instead of having a tank cling to me.
I’m sure I’ve missed some…other ideas? How do you keep your cool while getting your run on? (Besides, um, moving to Portland or Seattle.)
I have an sheer-ish long sleeve white shirt that I wear. It keeps the rays off me directly and the sweat from evaporating too fast. Cold wet face cloths on the back of the neck are fabulous. Running your wrists under cold water is another trick I use to cool off (good place to put an ice cube too).
I run w/ a camelbak hydration system on – when I come to water fountain or a water aid station (during a race) I just dump the cold water on my head and keep on running. If I need water (I usually put nuun tabs and ice in my camelback) I just drink from what I am carrying with me. The water on my head totally hits my “refresh” button and sometimes totally changes my focus – taking me from the, “it’s too hot, I can’t keep this up” to the, “Hell yeah, watch out here I come!”
Great tips. I’m a northern gal living in HOTLANTA and I think the morning time beats the heat later in the day – hands down. It’s also so pretty when the sun is coming up and a brand new day is starting. Way cooler than later in the day.
Winks & Smiles,
Wifey
My hubby and his little sister are training for a half in October and I’ve been running with them just to keep my fitness up. Yesterday we made the poor choice to run outside later in the day instead of running inside on an indoor track. (One big loop sounded better than 66 loops to get the 6 miles in.) We ran later in the day but it was still in the upper 90s and now both of them are frustrated and disappointed because we walked several stretches. We still finished the whole distance and ran more than we walked, including running all the uphills and saving our walking for flats and downhills (my hubby’s idea). We ran with water bottles and planned it so most of our uphills were at the beginning. Now if I could just convince them that they still did a great job yesterday just finishing and that there is no shame in walking, especially when its that hot!
maybe they’d be convinced if you signed up for the race, too! :) (Seriously, they did great. In this heat, you need to ignore the clock and pace and just get it done!)
I so agree. I opted out of this race because I wanted to show my hubby the same support he’s shown me for my races and cheer him on from the sideline. I don’t think he really understands how much that meant to me. Thinking though that I might try to find a race close to the time of theirs so I have more motivation to train with them and help encourage them. Hopefully they’ll see how great their accomplishment was next week when they go for 7 indoors and hit it easily. ;)
Good tips. Saturday a.m. In New England was as humid as I’ve ever run. Planned 8 miles with 2- 4 mile loops, back at my car at the halfway point to refill my handheld with Nuun in a cooler and it was great. Just that little pick me up really helped (note to self: if you freeze Nuun, do NOT expect it to defrost in a cooler!) Luckily I had an extra bottle of it, and ice cold chocolate milk for after. A little planning goes a long way.
Great tips, Dim. My main way to stay cool (mentally) is to ignore the watch and pace during the heat. Just get out there and do as close to your plan as possible. And, assume you are building character as you suffer!
Running Chicago during the 2 very hot years, I have learned that training in the heat is mandatory. You never know what race day will bring so training in all types if weather is important. When it is hot, I get out early, run the shady path, freeze my waterbottles, and…time/pace is not important! Forward is a pace is my motto!
Some great tips here! I’ve had the good fortune to run in GA, CO and MN this summer – none have been cool, but I can absolutely confirm that the early morning, smart dressing thing is crucial.
Tip #4 (freeze a bottle and alternate hands) begs some discussion. While I totally agree with you on keeping liquid at the ready, holding a heavy bottle will throw off your gait and could have consequences for your knees, back and hips. You’d be better off freezing two small bottles and holding them both so you are balanced. Plus side is that cooling the palms of your hands can have real benefits for cooling your whole body.
Great post! I’m training for the Wildwood, NJ Half which is in 5 weeks and I only hope the weather is as delightful as it was on today’s run… 94% humidity with temp of 74 degrees. This past weekend, the heat index at 7am was over 90 degrees so I skipped my running mileage and did laps in the pool along with Jillian Michaels workouts. Anyone try the Trail Blazer Tee Coldback shirt or the Zoot Sports Ultra IceFil Cap? Both are listed in the August RW issue- http://runnersworld.coverleaf.com/runnersworld/201108/?pg=67&pm=1&u1=friend#pg67 . The shirt wouldn’t work for me bc I like a low crew or vneck in summer. But, I wondered if I could wear that Desert looking kind of hat and forego looking cool with my ARM sweaty band for the race? My brother wore one of these hats at the Nice Ironman last yr and he looked funny but kept cool in the 90+ temps. Thanks Dimity for the tips!
Last week we went camping in the Appalachian mountains. I went for a run around noon and jumped int the cold Davidson river, running clothes still on, immediately after. It felt sooooo good.
All of these are great tips – I try to wake up before the sun, definitely – find that the end of the day, the heat seems to be more “trapped”, especially if you live in the city… also tuck extra money into my ipod holder so that I can stop for some gatorade or water (if it’s a long run), and suck in some extra air conditioning. When it’s really hot, I’ve dunked my running hat in cold water before leaving the house, and then look for public restrooms and sprinklers to continually dunk it throughout the run. sure sometimes the water drips a bit, but it really cools me down!
Thanks for the tips. Keeping a cooler with an icy wash cloth half way through long runs has been a lifesaver.
I listened to your podcasts this a.m. on my solo run and really appreciated it. I hope you are able to keep it up. It was like running with two buddies who know a lot about running and who are really encouraging. Thanks!
Your suggestion for #6 reminds me of a Runner’s World suggestion in their last issue about heat. They suggested drinking a slushy before running because it will cool you down. That is internal. The vests are external. I bet the cold shower would work!
All of the above….I don’t think I have anything new, but agree with Phoebe, you have to make peace with a slower pace and walk breaks. On a really humid long run last month I didn’t and I ended up with chills and feeling pukey and light headed and still 2 miles from home. Now I go much slower, walk up a few hills and daydream about my cold MN winter runs where I couldn’t feel my fingers the first mile.
Thank you for this post, we feel like we are running in the depths of a blast furnace some days! We have been placing water along the way which definitely helps. Another idea that has worked for us is running through sprinklers in the evening time, so far no one has come out of their house yelling at us, darn, just jinxed us I bet. Also, we run past friends houses and tell them when we’ll be by so they can spray us with their hoses or squirt guns, we even post what time we are running on FB. Everyone knows and anyone who wants to squirt us gets a free shot with no repercussions!
That’s so funny! I almost asked an older gentleman who was watering his garden to spray me but decided not to since my run was almost done and I didn’t want to be absolutely drenched getting back into the car.
I am in the heat most of the year and It is a struggle..
wear light colored clothes….no black hat or top…
sunblock…lots and lots
roll ice cubes in a scarf and wear scarf aroumd your neck. one of my blog follower does that and it works.
salt tablets.
and the last one is slowing down…even if it sucks
Having moved from Colorado to south Florida, I have finally found my holy grail to runnin in humidity. I soak my Buff in ice water prior to run. I have one handheld bottle filled with crushed ice. My hydration bottles I fill with Elixar tablet mixed water. Everything else gave me extreme stomach cramps. I run either at 6 or 9 pm.
In Runner’s World, they suggest eating a popsicle before a run to lower your core temp, too. I keep meaning to do this but I run in the morning so my brain doesn’t work that well. lol
moving to seattle was my suggestion. i arranged for a baby sitter for my run today. i cancelled when the rain was coming down so violently, i think it may have bruised me had i tried running in it. this weather SUCKS!
We just moved from Seattle to Scottsdale, AZ. Talk about a HUGE temp change since Seattle is the only place in the world that summer is struggling to happen. We are used to running whenever it fits with our schedules. Not here. We left later than we wanted to yesterday morning and ran in 90 degrees. We eeekkkeeeedd out only 3 miles and it did not feel good. I jumped into a cold shower immediately and didn’t stop sweating for about 20 minutes while I downed 40 oz of water. Since we rarely have humidity here (thank you Mother Nature), we will run early AM. And it’s so hard because I have rarely had to carry water but we HAVE to here. Camelbak backpack may be my next purchase.
I wear a neck cooler — I don’t know the brand, but I bought it at REI, and it’s basically a bandana, sewed up into a 1-2″ diameter tube, with some disposable-diaper gel granules inside, so making your own would be easy. (It really doesn’t take many granules; they swell a lot.) Soak it in ice water for 30 minutes before the run (too long and it can burst/leak), or soak it 30 minutes the night before and then store it in a baggie in the fridge. It needs to be turned frequently during the run so the side not against your skin re-cools by evaporation in the air, but it cools the blood heading to my brain, and that is a big plus. It works even better for bicycling, since more wind = more evaporative cooling.
I live in southern Arizona, get up in the dark to run and try to time it so I’m pretty close to getting home when the sun comes up. My best trick though is to run through as many sprinklers as I can without getting too soaked. If they’re spaced out right, I can dry out between sprinkles and it feels wonderful. This doesn’t feel too good if it’s a humid morning (it’s not always a dry heat here) because the water comes out of the pipes warm in the summer and it makes you feel about as good as if you wet your pants whilst wearing a wool suit, yuck!! If it’s humid you don’t get to experience that great thing known as evaporative cooling.
Best trick my parents taught me (they used to do it when we were out on hot days) was wrapping a wet washcloth around some ice cubes. Put in a Ziploc until after your run. Cubes should have melted by the time you’re done. A way to cool down and clean all at the same time. If it’s really hot where you are just freeze the whole bag overnight and pop in a cooler. Sorry to report that summer is having mood swings up here in Vancouver, BC too. Feel free to visit.
These are great tips, especially the one in the comments about the neck cooler. I found in my last race that dumping water on my neck and head really helped–not sure if it was so much a physical help as a mental one but either way I’ll take it!
Another tip: memorize where the sprinklers are on your favorite route (in CO this works best early in the a.m.) and run that way, especially as it gets later and the sun creeps high!
I live in Saskatchewan, Canada, but we do sometimes get heat and humidity where I am – it just doesn’t usually last all summer. Early mornings or evenings generally work for me, because it generally cools off at night. Refilling with a cold drink partway through a run is also nice, so I’ll stop at home or the nearest convenience store to grab a cold bottle.
The rule of thumb here in the desert is out before 5 and back b4 7! (Kinda hard if you are training for something long…but we can always drive up too cooler mtn. temps to run/ride/hike also!
I am with S Club Mama. It’s all about keeping your core cool. I have eaten ice pops before I run. You get cool, a little fluid and a sugar shot all at once. i also have a running tank with a “cleavage pocket”. It’s very handy. I have a small ice pack for a 8 oz water bottle and I freeze that and put the ice pack in the little pocket. It’s take a bit for it to thaw and warm up so it’s good for shorter runs. Lastly, I have the neck cooler. That really makes a difference. Once during a very hot 1/2 marathon, I took the neck cooler and stuffed it into the “cleavage pocket”. Needs to say, my photos were very interesting! Whatever works, baby!! Enjoy and stay cool!