I was reminded, somewhat by accident, last Friday morning of the absolute best way to avoid feeling really crappy when running through the summer months. Heat is public enemy #1 for runners, but we don't have to just give up and claim our treadmill at the gym when temperatures rise. Let me explain. I just got back from a long lake weekend with my family. Missouri is famous for its steamy, Mississippi-River-Valley summers, and last weekend was no exception. Just imagine you're in a sauna... now imagine you're running in it. That's basically how I felt Friday morning. One of those days when you start to condensate as soon as you walk out of the air conditioning. So, what's the runner's secret to beating the heat? There's a lot of "tricks" touted online by all the so-called experts, and most are legitimate. Hydration is key, obviously, as is making sure to replace electrolytes (sodium in particular) since you sweat more when temps are high. Waking up earlier on especially hot days is key too so that you can avoid the hottest part of the day. But I was reminded again on Friday of the #1, surefire way to make sure you survive the heat. SLOW DOWN! Sounds pretty straight-forward, but I realized that I need to improve at following my own advice when running in the heat. I have lack of sleep to thank for it. I spent half of Thursday night trying to sleep on a less-than-comfortable hotel mattress and the other half trying to sleep on an equally less-than-comfortable hotel couch, so I downed 2 (maybe 3) cups of coffee Friday morning instead of my usual ONE before I headed out for a run. The caffeine had my heart racing before I even started running. After 100 yards or so I was literally afraid my heart was going to explode, so what did I do? I slowed down… WAY down! By the second or third mile, my heart rate was starting to return to normal (or at least running-normal) but I was starting to notice something interesting. Despite the fact that it still felt like I was running through a sauna and I was soaked with sweat, I felt surprisingly good. "Good" is a relative term, obviously, but I felt noticeably better than I often do on days with similar temps. I've been a runner long enough to know that our bodies expend significant amounts of energy keeping us cool when we run and that, when it's hot out, it requires even more energy for them to keep cool. In the past, I would consciously remind myself to slow down because of the heat, but would maybe only reign myself in an extra 15-30 seconds slower per mile. Or sometimes I would just ignore my own advice and figure, "it's HOT! I'm going to be miserable no matter what I do!" No more! I'm going to start really taking my own advice and slowing my pace significantly on hotter days. Does it mean I have to be out in the heat longer? Yes! But if it also means that I can finish my run feeling strong and like I still have some gas left in the tank, then it's worth it! How much slower are we talking here? Thanks to my unintentional caffeine overdose, I slowed to almost a minute slower per mile than I would typically run for that distance. In the past, I always felt like my slight slowing of 15-30 seconds slower per mile was sufficient to account for the heat, but trial and error has shown me that’s not the case! In fact, the “experts” recommend adding 60-90 seconds onto your pace when temps are high. Won’t slowing down that much hurt my training? Because running in the heat raises your heart rate above what it would typically be at during a run, you’re actually still going to be running at a similar heart rate to what you would be at a faster pace in cooler weather. So, the short answer is… NO. It won’t hurt your training. In fact, don’t be surprised if you’re feeling very fit indeed once cooler temperatures roll around. You shouldn’t have any problems returning to your pre-heat pace once conditions are better! The moral of the story is… The next time you need to log some miles on a hot day, keep in mind that it may not be enough to just "slow down a little". Bring your pace WAY down for at least the first half of your run and see if you don't have the same experience I did! Slowing down at least a minute per mile is going to feel WAY slower than your usual pace, but I’m guessing you’re going to notice a big difference in how you feel late in your run! Let me know how it goes!
