Tuesday, August 14, 2007

How do you Beat the Heat?

I believe we've covered this topic before, but as the temperature in St. Louis climbs to 102 degrees today, it might be another good topic to address. This past week, the topic of beating the heat has popped up over numerous message boards and running chat forums. Yesterday on Cool Running, the topic of beating the heat while trying to maintain adequate mileage was a main concern. The thread was enormous and is still growing with comments.

Many suggestions and ideas were discussed in this "heated" forum: some runners in the forum talked about sticking to treadmill training in the hotter months, some take off before sunrise to get their miles in, while others stay hydrated and run in the heat of the day.

Some of my favorite suggestions:
  • If you are a morning runner, drink plenty of water the night before so you're hydrated for the AM workout.

  • Don't force your pace, do what you can. Don't try to break records in the heat of the day.

  • If you are running in the heat of the day, carry identification on you at all times. And always let someone know where you are running and how far.

  • Turn to the treadmill or indoor track if it's just unbearable.

Do any runners like running in the heat? A few of the runners in the forum talked about how they actually liked the heat and loved running when it's hot. I don't mind the heat, but once it hits 85+ degrees, count me out. Have I missed any tips for "heated" training?

--Cassie