As someone who isn't a fan of hot and humid weather, I normally don't run in the Summer. But this year I decided I was going to go for it. Normally, I take off all Summer and then feel terrible when I have to ease back into it in the Fall. So I figured I would just do my best and see if I could handle it and I have to say I'm impressed and proud of myself. I ran all Summer long even during heatwaves.
There are a few things I did to beat the heat and keep my runs happening every other day and I'm going to share them with you today.
There are a few things I did to beat the heat and keep my runs happening every other day and I'm going to share them with you today.
I ran early in the morning.
I made sure I was outside to start my run by 5:30 every morning. Mornings are much cooler since it was dark all night. This made it so I didn't have to endure the worst heat of the day but also I was running before the sun was really actually shining. I don't like running in direct sunlight so this was crucial for me.
I didn't worry about pace.
I didn't care how long it took me to run, I just ran. I focused more on completing my run. It's normal for your pace to change when the weather is warmer because your body is working extra hard to keep you cool. Shockingly, I still made great time.
I used a cold pack when I got home.
As soon as I would get home to stretch I used a little ice pack on my neck to help me cool off faster. I normally shower right after my run, then dry my hair with a blow dryer and then straighten it so I will take any cool feeling I can get before I have to deal with all the warm water and air after an already warm run.
I stayed hydrated.
Of course I drank water before my run but I made sure to stay hydrated the rest of the day afterwards just so that I didn't end up with headache which I knew would make me officially decide to give up on Summer runs.
So why did I bother doing this even though it could make me miserable? Well, after doing some research I learned that running in cold or hot temperatures regularly can help train your body to regulate itself better and after the first 2 weeks I suddenly realized it wasn't so bad. I wasn't sweating as profusely as I did when I first started. I wasn't as out of breath either.
I also know that for me, running is therapeutic and when I go several months without doing it, I don't feel well physically OR mentally. So this was important for me to do. I now know that I can run year round and I'm so excited to be able to do something so consistently.
Hopefully my experience shows you that it's possible for many of us to run in hot AND cold temps.
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