Running in the Summer: 8 tips to Do With the Heat

To enjoy running in the summer, you have to manage the heat well. Or at least put the odds on his side because it's not easy. If for many runs in winter in the cold Quebec as I do it seems crazy, I tell you without hesitation that this is my favorite time to train. Winter with good equipment, it is managed. Running in summer is another story. I will give you today my tips for continuing to train during the summer months. No miracle recipe, but some ideas that, put end to end, minimize the impact of heat.

1-Running in the summer in the morning

This trick requires motivation because for many getting up early to go running is a punishment. Yet, fans of the morning run will tell you, running in the summer with the morning dew and still quiet city is a great way to start your day. Usually, when I start my day with a run, I feel more awake, more fit for the rest of the day! For more info on the subject, you can read my article on the fasting race in the morning which has more interesting advantages.

2-Running when it's hot to get used

This advice may seem counter-intuitive and it is not for everyone. I'm talking here to those who have summer goals. Running in the summer competition can be very difficult if you are not ready. I have for example several duathlons that will start ... at noon. As we do not choose the weather of the day of its competition, it is better to prepare for the worst. And the body has a capacity of adaptation to the external conditions if one confronts it regularly. For that, I arrange myself gradually to run with a little heat from the month of May. I do not mean to go at noon on a hot day, but find a balance: run only cool and compete in the heat ... it would be very complicated!

3-Lift the feet when it is very hot

However, running in summer is smart running. Body heat is automatically regulated by our body via sweat. When it is too hot, especially if the weather is humid, the body is not able to cool effectively. Any excessive overheating would be both unacceptable for your performance and could be a problem for your health ... Accept to reduce the pace on a day of great heat, whether it is a jog, a split or ... a competition ... Always difficult to accept but when you want to run a competition in the summer, you take the risk of a hot day and you have to deal with it. If the short efforts can be problematic, I think in particular the long efforts superior to 1h30, adapt your pace accordingly from the beginning and not only once you will be hard!

4-Cool at all costs!

To continue in the logic of the previous point, in summer, all means are good to cool when running. Generally, I get wet with fresh water before I start running to cool myself up. During a training session in strong heat, I still have to turn in the park next to my home where there are 2 fountains. One every 1.5km and I take a few seconds to spray myself every time I pass. Same principle in the race. I had spoken about it in my report of the Paris Marathon, I used ALL the refueling without exception from the first one where it was still fresh to maintain a normal body temperature. It is not one that we have too hot that we have to deal with it, it's already too late ...

5-Hydration is fundamental in summer

Same principle for hydration. When we are thirsty, it is too late, it is already dehydrated ... So we must start drinking ... even before running. The hydration of the runner is important all the time, I'm talking about it here. But when it's hot, we sweat a lot more so it becomes essential. Be sure to drink regularly on training days to go with "full refills". Then, if you go running in a place that contains fountains, enjoy it, otherwise, it's a good idea to bring with you a hydration drink, especially during outings over 45 '. Drink 2 sips every 15 minutes. Sweat contains more than just water, so having a hydration drink loaded with minerals is more than worthwhile, especially for people like me who lose these salts faster than average. Being lacking in mineral salts is as dangerous as being dehydrated.

For the choice of your attention hydration beverage, there are two types. Sweet or unsweetened. For an output up to 1h15, I would rather recommend the unsweetened version, I use hydration tablets Gü for that. If the effort is more intense or it lasts more than 1:15, you can switch to the sweet version that will allow you to have an energy intake at the same time as your hydration

6-Running with adapted equipment

A few years ago, I would have said here to focus on technical textiles and not cotton t-shirts to go running in summer. Today this fundamental point has become normal for 95% of runners. However, with technological developments, even technical t-shirts have evolved. Some fabrics today are extremely fine, allowing them to dry very quickly and never have an uncomfortable feeling of humidity. This is especially true for Nike's tank tops and their Dri-Fit. I'm using mine now as soon as the temperature rises, you can find equivalents here for men and here for women. The same principle for shorts, still at Nike, where I really appreciated the new lightweight belt. It's good while being breathable. You will find this range of shorts for men and women here. 

Some accessories that can help you too? A cap to protect your head from the sun when he is typing. You can even put water regularly to cool off. A visor that allows it to prevent sweat flowing in your eyes ... Just like a good pair of sports glasses. They will also have a protective effect on the eyes but I will not teach you much with that!

7-Running in the summer...but not only!

I regularly praise the interest of cross training to progress in running. And this way of training by mixing different sports has a significant advantage in summer: work his endurance general without taking a hotshot. I'm not telling you that you will not be hot at all by bike. I made a 2h exit last Saturday with a feeling of 38 degrees. I came back with my sweat-soaked combination and salt crusts everywhere (I told you I was losing a lot of minerals!). 

However, I did not have the feeling of not being able to train. I even had a big session that went very well. Because the wind factor changes everything. Air helps to maintain an acceptable body temperature. If for me the bike is a blessing in the summer not only to race (I halve my race volume and double my bike volume compared to the rest of the year), you can also swim or hike by example! Running in the summer is good, but it's also the best time to diversify a little!

8-Make your annual break

Do last option for those who do not want to bother to run in summer in the heat: make your annual break at this time. This is not a miracle solution because I recommend making an annual break of only 2 weeks to avoid losing the gains of your past training. But knowing that the recovery post annual cut is light and very progressive, you will strongly limit the number of exits in the heat by making your annual cut in summer! I have worked a long time like that, it also allows to enjoy sunny days otherwise than by training!

Running in summer is not insurmountable!

In the last two years, I have only done cycling in the summer because I can not stand the heat. By working this article for a few weeks I have self-satisfied that running this summer would be possible. I told you, I do not like running in the heat! I still do not tell you this is the season I prefer and I will not be doing a marathon preparation in the middle of the summer. In any case, do not train too much in the race if you hate running in the summer, as I often say, the pleasure of running above all else! So convinced? Are you going to run this summer? Did you learn something?