Tips for Running in the Summer Heat

Northern California is currently escaping the grasp of a lingering heat wave which has seen record temperatures consistently hovering around 108 degrees. There’s no doubt that the heat can suck the life out of you quickly and leave you lifeless for days afterward. And when you add in humidity to the mix, it gets even more difficult.

Whether you’re training for a marathon or a 10k, your training schedule doesn’t halt for extreme heat. If you can't beat the heat you might as well embrace it, and that means having a plan of attack for your training schedule. Following are some tips to help you train smart and safe in the heat this summer.


RUN AT COOLER TIMES
Try to avoid running between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's intensity is at its greatest.  Although the humidity can be higher in the early morning, the temperatures are lower without the heat of the sun.  If you have to train mid-day, pick shaded routes and trails, and lower the intensity of your run.  Make sure that you take a few moments to check the temps and the heat index before you head out. On excessive heat days, take your workout indoors to a track or treadmill. You may loathe the dreadmill, but you’ll end up getting in a higher quality workout and avoid the dangers of training in the extreme heat.

ACCLIMATE AND ADAPT
Manage your expectations and ease into hot weather running. According to Dr.Cedric X. Bryant, chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, it takes most healthy people 10 to 14 days to fully acclimate to exercising in the heat. To achieve that you need to be exercising in heat. The heat-acclimated individual will sweat sooner and that sweat will be more dilute, Bryant said. There will be a lower risk for dehydration and a reduction in the heat gained through exercise that will help maintain a lower core temperature and heart rate response. While acclimating to the physiological demands of the heat, be sure to tone down your workout and decrease your normal running distance to more comfortable distances.

MAP IT OUT
This is one idea I've really enjoyed.  Set up a short loop or out-and-back course.  In reality, this is something that most of us do on our normal runs, but for hot days there's a twist.  Make sure you map out your course along a shaded trail, road, or path that takes you no longer than 30-45 minutes to complete. Prior to your run, bring along a run partner and stow a treasure chest of goodies to keep you cool and happy. Stash ice water, sports drink, dry towel, wet hand towel, sunscreen, etc in the chest. This not only breaks up the distance mentally and physically, but it gives you something to look forward to and allows you to cool yourself regularly. Moreover, it reduces the weight you'll have to carry in fluids and fuel—lowering the energy demands on your body.

SLOW IT DOWN
We generate heat during exercise and the human body is not particularly efficient in this respect--seventy-five percent of our expended energy is turned into heat. Thus, the faster and longer we run, the higher the heat load placed on our body. If you have a longer run planned, start off slower than your normal pace. Your body will stay cooler longer and you will be able to run a greater distance before your body heat reaches its threshold. Once it reaches its threshold, you will slow down considerably anyways, so you might as well take it slow. During the last part of your run, you can pick up the pace. Don't be afraid to bring it down to a walk in order to allow your heart rate to slow down progressively. You can start running again after a few minutes.

CHOOSE CLOTHING CAREFULLY
Wear light-colored, loose fitting clothing to deflect the sun's rays and allow your body to cool itself. Experiment with your apparel based on your climate.  Rather than wearing less clothing and exposing yourself to the sun, try the method runners in the Badwater 135-mile ultramarathon desert race use - wear white long sleeve wicking apparel for sun protection and breathability.  Today brands New Balance and Saucony offer apparel that actually helps cool you down when it interacts with perspiration.  The New Balance ICE line is one that I integrate into my own training on hot days.  And don't forget the visor which allows the heat to rise from your head while blocking the sun from your face.

HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE
Hydration is one of the most important aspects of running, regardless of what season it is. In the summer heat however, staying properly hydrated is crucial. Drink before workouts and make sure you have access to fluids if exercising longer than 30 minutes. During longer workouts, some of your fluid intake should include a sports drink (ie Gatorade).  Another valuable tool is hydration tablets or powders which also help replace vital electrolytes.  The benefit of the tablets and power is that they allow you to add mild flavor and nutrients to your hydration routine without being overwhelmed with the sweetness often associated with sports drinks.

At the end of the day, everyone has their own hydration rates and they vary based on the climate, your body, fitness and many other variables. When you feel the thirst monster kicking in, ‘obey your thirst’ and drink when your mouth is dry and you feel the need to drink.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
Regardless of your fitness level or your strength as a runner, summer heat is not something to be underrated. Training in extreme heat can be dangerous if you don't take the proper precautions - and sometimes even when you do.  Listen to your body and be aware of the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses. Your body cools itself by sweating but as the heat and humidity increase, your body core temperature rises as does the risk for heat-related illness. If you are out running and you start to feel any ill effects of the heat (ie dizziness and nausea) find shade, take in electrolytes, and elevate your legs. 

BENEFITS
Properly preparing to run and train in the heat will not only keep you safe during the summer heat, but it will pay dividends for you down the road as well. A study was recently published by the University of Oregon into the athletic benefits of training in hot weather conditions. Specifically, they found that:

Heat acclimation improves the body’s ability to control body temperature, improves sweating and increases blood flow through the skin, and expands blood volume allowing the heart to pump more blood to muscles, organs and the skin as needed.

Interestingly, they found that this hot-weather training had improved the performance of the test group in cold weather conditions by as much as 7% for both the cyclists and runners.  So by properly preparing for your summer runs, and taking care of your body, you'll actually be better prepared for your races when the mercury starts to drop.

Are Your Dreams Too Small?

Sir Francis Drake was the most renowned seaman of the Elizabethan Age. His exploits were legendary, making him a hero to the English. He also carried out the second circumnavigation of the world, from 1577 to 1580.

During the course of my daily readings, I came across the following prayer which has been  attributed to Sir Francis Drake, and commonly known as Drake's Prayer:
“Disturb us, Lord, 
When we are too well pleased with ourselves, 
When our dreams have come true because we have 
dreamed too little, 
When we arrived safely 
Because we sailed too close to the shore. 
Disturb us, Lord, when 
With the abundance of things we possess 
We have lost our thirst 
For the waters of life; 
Having fallen in love with life, 
We have ceased to dream of eternity 
And in our efforts to build a new earth, 
We have allowed our vision 
Of the new Heaven to dim. 
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, 
To venture on wider seas 
Where storms will show your mastery; 
Where losing sight of land, We shall find the stars. 
We ask You to push back 
The horizons of our hopes; 
And to push into the future In strength, courage, hope, and love.”

Scholars can debate whether or not any of this prayer was actually written or prayed by Drake himself.  While he would certainly have understood its sentiment, in the end it matters little if the words were his or not.

Whether you're a renowned seaman, who finds his purpose in the open waters, or a runner who finds fulfillment on the trail, have you allowed yourself to become complacent?  Have your dreams become too small?

What are you goals? Your ambitions?  Have you allowed yourself to become too comfortable?

The discovery of Drake's Prayer has served as a reminder to re-examine myself and my goals.  To make sure that time is taken each day to reflect.  To write down my thoughts and ambitions.  To mark lessons learned from each day, and each experience.      

We have all heard the saying: “A ship in the harbour is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” Food, shelter, and warmth are not enough on their own. In order to flourish, we need a dream – a sense of purpose. A dream come true is, by definition, not a dream any more. And when our dreams come true, we need to dream new dreams.  We need to challenge ourselves to imagine new worlds, and new horizons.

Of course, to reach new horizons, we must first understand where we are, and then set to the task of stretching beyond our own comfort zone. 

Altra's New Television Spot Will Inspire You to Run Without Limits

Limits. Where do they come from? Who decided we need them?

Thankfully, at Altra they don't believe in limits, or telling runners they "can't" or "it's not possible". That's why they created a shoe that has a FootShape™ toe box and Zero Drop technology, so that runners could say goodbye to limits too.

Check out Altra's new national television spot... I promise it's going to make you want to lace up... get out... and crush some trail.

Push Yourself Beyond What's Comfortable

“If you only do what you know you can do- you never do very much.” - Tom Krause

You will not get better by doing what you always do. You have to use your personal initiative to go outside your comfort zone in your pursuit of success. If you want to grow, you must push yourself beyond what's comfortable.

 

The video Way Back Home is the incredible clip from rider Danny MacAskill.  It follows him on a journey from Edinburgh back to his hometown Dunvegan, in the Isle of Skye.

 

While the video is now a few years old, it remains a constant reminder of the beauty that comes from pushing your limits and challenging your own comfort zone.  It's a reminder of how to live a life that exists without the limits that we often place upon ourselves.

Simply put... inspirational.

Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone

Over time, we all gather a set of constricting habits around us—ones that trap us in a zone of supposed

comfort, well below what our potential would allow us to attain. 
Pretty soon, such habits slip below the level of our consciousness, but they still determine what we think that we can and cannot do—and what we cannot even bring ourselves to try. As long as you let these habits rule you, you’ll be stuck in a rut.

The good news is that our comfort zones are not electrified fences. Although at times, they might feel like it. 

Challenge Yourself.
Push Your limits.
Extend Your Comfort Zone.

It's true that going out on a limb can be scary because it means there is a chance that you might fail. You might lose something. But you might also gain something, right?

You might gain more than you ever thought possible. Whether it's in your training routine or your work life. Don't be afraid to challenge your own status quo. You'll be surprised at what you learn.

Rethink The Way You Train: Developing A Strong and Stable Core

One of the most important areas of the body for any runner to work is the core. Whether running for fun, fitness, or to be fast, efficiency is key and having a strong core plays an important part in translating the power of the legs to propelling the entire body forward through space.

Simply put, you can't run your best without a strong core - the muscles in your abdominals, lower back, and glutes. They provide the stability, power, and endurance that runners need for powering up hills, sprinting to the finish, and maintaining efficient form mile after mile.

Despite the fact that most of us know how important a strong core is, running bio-mechanics expert Michael Fredericson, Ph.D, found that about 90 percent of runners have weak abs leading to faulty running patterns. UH-OH! Having weak abs can easily translate into "running funny" with too long or too short of steps, or a pelvis that swings from side to side.

But more than the "running funny" problem, the faulty running patterns can reduce efficiency and eventually lead to injury.

Whether you’re looking to increase the focus on your core, or just avoid that “running funny” look, there’s an array of resources and routines at your disposal with just the few clicks of a button. That being said, I wanted to share one of my personal favorite routines that quickly gets you on track to a strong and stable core.

THE EXERCISE:
This 10-exercise routine designed by the University of North Carolina strength and conditioning coach Jonas Sahratian has been one of my go to favorites for the past few years. It’s designed to help you build a rock-solid core, burn fat, and improve your overall sports performance. The best part: All you need is a medicine ball to do this workout any place, any time.

Watch the embedded video and click on the hyperlink to view the entire routine. Then finish it off with the additional two moves for a great all-around workout.


Finish it off with the following:

The Superman
(Focuses on the transversus abdominis (deep abs) and erector spinae (lower back) Start facedown on the floor, with your arms and legs extended out front. Raise your head, your left arm, and right leg about five inches off the floor. Hold for three counts, then lower. Repeat with your right arm and left leg. Do up to 10 reps on each side.

Russian Push-up
Full body focus while increasing flexibility in your hamstrings, back, and shoulders. Begin with your hands and feet on the floor and your hips raised, so your body forms an inverted V. Lower your shoulders, then glide your chest forward, bringing it between your hands and up toward the ceiling. Keep hands 2 to 3 inches wider than your shoulders and your knees and hips 2 to 3 inches off the floor. Reverse the move, bringing your hips back toward the ceiling.

Share Your Thoughts
What are some of your favorite exercises for improving your run?

Rethink Your Response to Injury

Running is a sport of passion; why else would we torture our bodies with miles of punishment day after day? As mindful runners, we can take all the proper precautions to make sure that we’ll never have to worry about hurting ourselves.

Of course, utilizing the right gear goes a long way in helping prevent injury. Wearing shoes that put your foot in a natural position like Altra, allows the body to move more naturally thereby avoiding some of the harsh impact normally associated with running.

But the reality is that no one is immune to injury. The daily routine of logging lots of miles almost inevitably leads to some type of tweak or twinge that will set you back.

Running Times said it best in a recent article noting that “we are all, at all times, on a continuum between being unable to walk to running freely without pain -- the closest we can come to being "injury-free" -- yet even then we're managing defects, weaknesses, imbalances, scar tissue and the stresses of the activity itself.”

Injuries can be just as difficult mentally as they are physically. As a runner currently recovering from both a foot and hip injury, I can testify to the frustration that comes along with being hurt. Your normal routine is out the window and you can feel all the hours you put into training slowly slipping away.

The good news: an injury doesn’t have to mean weeks of frustration and nothing-ness. In fact, the time away from running can be extremely productive. Use the following tips to stay positive during an injury and make progress with your fitness level despite being off the pavement.

Set Goals & Prioritize
Most of us set goals for improving their times or winning events. However, when injuries strike, all of those goals for which we were striving change. As an athlete, you are used to working towards accomplishing something, so it’s important to channel that drive into your rehab. It’s important to recognize that with injury, small changes are big deals. Rather than paying attention solely to the end goal, stay positive by pushing yourself to get a little bit better each day. This constant progress will help to elevate your mood and keep you positive during recovery.
 *For more serious injuries, talk to your surgeon and physical therapist about what the rehabilitation process is like and them educate you on milestones you are likely to experience throughout the recovery as well as obstacles you might face. 

Embrace the Moment, Refocus Your Plan 
You had some big goals when you started your training regimine, and now is the right time to reassess them and make adjustments. Stop and take inventory of where you are and where you are headed. Try to embrace your time off from running and realize that rest is an extremely important part of your recovery process. The first day of your injury also marks the first day on the road to recovery. Keep focused on the bigger picture, and adjust your goals accordingly.

Cross-train Instead of Running
While you're resting your injury, cross-training is one way you can help maintain your fitness (as long as your physician gives you the okay). Most of us can continue to cross-train in the pool through even the worst running injuries. Cycling, cross-country skiing, and riding an elliptical also offer alternative ways to keep the cardiovascular system primed during this period of forced rest. The continued activity delivers oxygen and nutrients that aid your body in repairing itself. All this helps keep us in a healthy routine and speeds up our transition time to normal running once we're cleared for activity.

Heal Stronger 
Many times an injury will provide an insight that you may have previously overlooked. A runner that ends up tearing a muscle may determine that the muscle was tight and weak. A once a week yoga class and some specific strengthening exercises could make that muscle far stronger and more flexible then it had ever been and increase your proficiency.

Use the opportunity as a mental break to rejuvenate your mind and body. Rather than lying on the couch waiting to attack the roads again, continue with your usual workout schedule but emphasize aspects that are often neglected like foam rolling, stretching, and strength training. Provided these activities don’t aggravate your injury, they can offer the perfect distraction while also improving your fitness for when you’re ready to get back at it.

Slow Down 
This is a vital tip that not enough runners adhere to. If your injury is temporary, allow yourself enough time to heal properly. If you're over anxious to get back to the pavement or trail, and rush the healing process, then you may set yourself up for another, more serious injury which may cost you even more time. Rushing the healing process so that you can get back a week or two earlier is “penny wise, pound foolish.” That is, you might get back a few days earlier, but because you didn’t wait those extra days to heal properly, you may end up developing a chronic injury that could keep you out for extra weeks and even months. Remember, sometimes the fastest way of coming back is the slowest. GO SLOWER, ARRIVE SOONER!

STAY POSITIVE 
A positive outlook—as hard as that may be to summon—may be your greatest weapon. Research reports that athletes who use positive self-talk and set goals for their rehab experience 'exceptional recovery.' So if injury befalls you and anger sets in, go ahead and be angry for a few days, but then start looking forward. Set rehab goals so you can celebrate small successes. Remember that you're goal is not just to recover, but to heal stronger both mentally and physically.

In the End 
True, dealing with an injury can be a very stressful experience, but in the end, by choosing to view the injury as another challenge to overcome, you can return a stronger competitor. Be realistic in your goals and expectations and take the necessary recovery time.  Once recovered, you'll not only hit the pavement with renewed vigor and passion, but you'll have learned a great deal about yourself and your sport along the way.