Click here for our recent Run Tucson email newsletter on strategies for being safe when running in the heat. Whether training for the 5k or the marathon, be safe when running in the summer heat.
We’re hitting the dog days of summer and no matter where you are, it’s hot — and humid.
Runners, walkers, and hikers around the country have been struck with heat illness, ending up in hospitals and in some cases even dying while exercising on public trails.
As Director of Coaching Education for the Road Runners Club of America, I’ve been part of recent conversations about how coaches can best help their athletes train safely in the heat.
After talking with doctors, running event medical staff, and professional running coaches, we’d thought we should send some updated suggestions for safe and successful running this summer season. We hope you find these useful. Feel free to add any other tips or strategies to our little-used FB page here . . .
Best wishes for a happy and healthy summer!
1) Heat can kill — so don’t push yourself. It’s OK to call it a day. Don’t try to keep up with others, don’t do “just one more.”
Just the other day I did on a trail run here in the Tucson Mountains. After a few miles I began to feel hotter and more flushed. When I began to lose coordination and catch my toes and trip on rocks, I decided to cut the run short and turn back.
While I picked my way down the rocky trail under the morning sun, I wondered if I was just being a crybaby and a quitter . . . while those feelings of quitting may be common for many of us, in this case I know that turning back was the right choice. When experiencing any of the symptoms of heat exhaustion listed below, step away and run another day.
2) Public Safety. In terms of non-running public safety, most states around the country are providing cooling centers — you can find information on cooling centers by state here. For our friends in Arizona, you can find information and maps here.
3) Hydrate, and consume sodium and electrolytes. Make sure you drink hydrating beverages before, during, and after running/walking exercise. While water is fundamental, you also need sodium and electrolytes so think about these options before, during, and after exercise:
- sports drinks, like Skratch, Gatorade, etc
- sports gummies and gels, like Skratch, Gu, PowerGels, etc
- other hydrating beverages such as oral rehydration drinks (think the brand Pedialyte) fruit juices, chocolate milk, sodas, and even tea, coffee, and lager
- water combined with salty carbohydrates, such as pretzels, peanut-butter pretzels, and the like.
- NOTE: be creative. One of the people I taught in an RRCA Coaching class swore by sushi on his long runs, with its salty seaweed, rice for carbs, and tuna for protein.
4) Dress appropriately. Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Wear sunscreen. Wear a hat and sunglasses. Bring water. For longer runs, be sure to have salty snacks and electrolytes available.
Visit your local run specialty store (in Tucson, consider the Running Shop, Fleet Feet, or Performance Footwear) to try on clothes that will work for your specific fitness needs.
5) Modify training modalities. Rather than fight your way through a run under the sun, try different activities such as swimming or running in the pool.
Don’t have access to water? Ride a bike, or hit the gym for weights, elliptical, stairstepper, or the rowing machine.
6) Undertrain. All you need is 20-40 minutes of exercise to create a useful stress/adaptation response, so perhaps do a little bit less than you want to. Then do it again tomorrow. And the next day. A little bit at a time will do wonders for your fitness.
7) Don’t stress about pace. Performance degradation in heat is real, perhaps as much as 10% when the temps hitting triple digits. Slow down, don’t force yourself to run a certain pace.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to modify your pace, some folks find this blog post by Mark Hadley to be a useful way to do the detailed math on how much to slow down taking into account the outside temperature and humidity.
8) If you must hit pace, go shorter. Some folks have specific time goals, so they want to practice the specific cadence of a specific pace.
For example, if you’re training for a fall marathon or some other time-based goal, instead of doing 5 x mile at marathon pace, do 10 x 800m at marathon pace and get fluids in between bouts.
9) Wake up early. Get the run done before the rising sun, or at least before it’s high in the sky. (Or do the opposite: run in the evening or nighttime after the sun goes down — remember for night running, be safe and wear reflective clothing.)
10) Be Creative. Here’s some tips that RRCA Coaches around the country recently posted on a FB page:
- Opt for trails or shady areas whenever possible. Drink to thirst, not heat! Ice in a hat is amazing. Slow down, take in plenty of electrolytes, and for the love of all that is holy… BODY GLIDE. Missy Smith
- Gear-wise, keep bandages and/or anti-chafing cream in your gym bag. And for longer runs, try changing your shirt and/or shorts midway through if you’re especially sweaty. Drier clothes can work wonders for your comfort and psyche in those later miles. Louis Green
- I run 3 mile out and backs (different routes each time). Keep a cooler at the start. Make sure I’ve consumed 15-20 oz hydration and pack ice in a bandana around my neck each leg. I use a visor vs a hat. Dana Henderson
- In Miami, I knew a route that had a lot of yards with sprinklers that would spray out over the sidewalk and would run through them if I timed it right. John Toce
- Ice bandanas. Iced bladders in vest. Consistently pouring water on head and neck. Cooling towels. Frozen grapes for snacks. Wearing light colors and as little clothing as possible! Kristen Tippit