Beating the heat

[tcoy777]

Ok so while training for Chicago in the south during the summer sucks massively. Do any of you have any tips or tricks to stay cool during the dog days of summer? I have been getting up at 4 am to run most mornings, but as my runs hit the 15+ mark, I will have to put some time in during the warmer parts of the day.

Thanks for any help.

[ceebee]

You probably are already doing most of these but here's what I did while marathon training in Florida:

1. Drink, drink, drink the night before

2. Brought water in a Fuel Belt and took a gel w/electrolytes every 45 minutes (your timing may vary). For some people, taking gels with gatorade can cramp your stomach and cause ugly things to happen. During the training runs, I figured out my fueling and hydrating needs and I never had any problems racing in the heat. Also, when it's hot, some people take Hammer Nutrition e caps to replenish electrolytes, but I never could tell a difference.

3. Wore a Nike Dri Fit visor.

4. Run in as little clothes as possible. I'd rather have the air circulating on my back than a Dri Fit top plastered on

5. Before you run, you could always plant a half frozen bottle of water on your route.

6. Know you'll be at least 10% slower due to heat and humidity.

Sorry I don't have any better tips!

[emartin10]

Based on my experience in Chicago last year, I'd practice running 20+ miles in 90+ degree heat with no water...Okay, I'm done whining about that. :-)

I'd surely suggest running with water, and wearing good, wicking clothing. If you are up at 4am, then you're doing the best you can, and may just have to deal with the fact that the end of your runs are going to be warm. Can you plan the end of runs to be in shaded areas? Planting water on your route has always worked for me. The other option is to split long runs in half, so run 7.5 in the cool of the morning, and another 7.5 in the cool of the evening.

Good luck man!

E

[tcoy777]

Thanks for the tips. I have been taking water/gatoraide with me and gu's on my long runs. Last week was only 13 and mostly in shaded. I thought I was going to die after 10. I guess I need to just slow way down like ceebe said.

Here is to fall!!!

[emartin10]

Here here! I'm ready for the sound of leaves crunching under my shoes, being able to see my breath, and craving hot tea when I get home from a run. Oh man...

E

[tcoy777]

Love the training log. Your running times are awsome. Maybe someday I can get that quick. I have noticed that every time I train for longer distances, my 5k times get faster. So maybe 4 more marathon training seasons I can get my times down with there.

[jeans541]

All the above ideas are great. I have one more to suggest--Do you have a treadmill at home? If not, how close is the gym to where you run? Could you do most of your long run outside and then retreat to the treadmill to finish the last miles when the temp gets to be unbearable? I despise running on treadmills, but they are handy once in a while (like in the dead of winter here in MI).

Good luck with your training! Marathon is on my to-do list for next year, so I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of you balance strength training with high mileage.

[tcoy777]

I did a lot of running on the treadmill in the past. I really want to make myself do all my miles out on the road for this Marathon. It seems in the past the treadmill gave me a false sense of pace. What I did on the treadmill would never translate on the road. With that said, I may have to if we start hitting the 100's soon. Although this weekend is going to great, to bad its a back down week of only 10 on Saturday.

[BamaDave]

I feel your pain! The fuel belts are helpful. I have one that holds four 8 ounce bottles. But that's only 2 lbs. of fluid, and I have found that my fluid loss can be as much as 1 pound per mile during the worst of the Summer (but I'm a ridiculously heavy sweater). I've never made it past 11-12 miles during the Summer with my fuel belt, which is why the only marathons I have run took place in December, February, and April.

I know some people plan their routes as multiple loops that pass by their house so they can stop fairly frequently and guzzle water, Gatorade, etc.

If you live in a hilly area, running a route with lots of challenging hills can give you the same bang for fewer miles. Of course, it's also harder... so you sweat more... so....

The good news is that acclimating to Summer heat and humidity really pays off when it's cool. 18 miles in October when the humidity has dropped a lot and temps have dropped back a little bit will seem like a piece of cake compared to 11 or 12 in the August sauna.

[tcoy777]

Dave

All very good points. Most of my runs are in fairly hilly areas, so I got that one going for me. I think I am going to invest in hydration pack. For the most part I can run in this one park that has water fountains all around. The big problem will be on the 20 mile run. I will have to run this greenway where there is not much shade and only 1 water stop. Its a out and back so I guess I would pass it twice. I guess I just need to suck it up.