Summer running, having a blast
Summer running, happened so fast
Chose a race, with a fall date
Crazy me, now this is my fate
Summer running, melting away on those summer runs
Yes, I did just make up a running themed version of “Summer Nights” (and if you don’t know what “Summer Nights” is stop, do not pass go and watch Grease!). Surviving summer running can be a challenge. I write this post on a day where DC is in the middle of a heat advisory. So there’s that. The reality is that most of us who are training for fall races suffer (at least somewhat) through the summers. Here are my tips on surviving summer running.
- Water. Everywhere. All the time. I carry a bottle of water with me everywhere these days. It’s not enough to drink on your run. You have to be staying hydrated throughout the week. Also, don’t be a fool and not take water with you when you run. I know. I hate carrying water with me as well. In the winter, I can go ten miles without having to carry water. In the summer, I take water on just about every run. I made the mistake a couple of week’s ago of not taking water for my 7 mile tempo. Um. I wanted to cry but couldn’t afford to spare the liquid. Water, y’all!
- Be realistic about your expectations. I think this is actually one of the most important things. Recognize that the heat and humidity WILL affect your runs. Personally, I’ve found that if I focus, I can generally hit my paces during workouts but I am careful about allowing myself to take breaks as needed.
- Carry a phone / cash. While I’ve never had to bail on a run before, I like knowing that if it gets really bad, I can get back home with a Lyft or a cab. I do have a friend who was experiencing some stomach distress and had to take an Uber home during a long run. It’s not ideal, but with the weather, sometimes it happens and you want to be prepared.
- Don’t psyche yourself out before the run. In the summer, I have a general rule. I do not look at the weather before leaving the house to run. I know it’s going to be hot and humid and simply reading that it’s 83 degrees with 97% humidity before I even start running just puts me in a bad headspace and I don’t need that! It’s a small thing, but it helps.
- Acknowledge that the heat and humidity are hard for just about everyone to deal with. This simple acknowledgement somehow provides me with a bit more freedom to give myself grace during and after HARD runs. Sometimes that grace can make all the difference.
How do you survive summer running?
I love your running remix of Summer Nights, lol. Summer running is definitely not my jam but I do find that allowing myself to take more breaks helps, especially when it’s super humid outside. For long runs I keep a small cooler with ice and bottle water in my car, so every couple of miles I can stop and put ice in my sports bra, or take a quick drink of ice cold water.
That’s a great tip about stashing water in your car! Smart!!
I start my runs at 5 or 5:30am. It’s “only” 70F at that time. I live in the desert so summer temps are usually high 90s to low triple digits (dry heat though, we don’t have the humidity). Also lately after a long run I’ve been heading straight to a 7-11 to get a Slurpee. 🙂
I never thought of taking a cab or uber home. Good thought though. I would take my phone for sure because I would be more likely to call family or a friend for a ride back because I usually do long runs on trails that can be hard to find…lol
Being realistic is so tough, especially when I’ve had a really good winter/spring season; usually a good smack in the face with the heat and humidity will bring me back down to earth, but I hate it – ha!
Summer running is tough! We’ve had a few cooler mornings this summer and they’ve been very welcome.
Summer running is a huge challenge. While this isn’t the first summer that I have during, it is the first summer that I’ve trained for a marathon. My mental stamina has really been put to the test this summer, and though it is difficult to swallow, I need to keep reminding myself that it is more than okay, and definitely necessary, to slow down when the heat and humidity are high.
Oh, and thank you for getting Summer Nights stuck in my head. 😉
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I LOVE your “summer running” version, and now this will be in my head for a while! I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who makes up my own lyrics to songs, ha ha. I am with you on not looking at the weather. I really just check the radar to see if I need a hat if it will be raining. As for water, I’m finding that I need even more of it this summer. I think I might have to break out my hydration pack which UGH, but you’re right it’s better to have water than be a fool.
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That’s cute – apparently you missed your called as a song writer. 🙂 I was out of town last week during the heat advisories, but kept seeing the weather alerts on my phone for NOVA. Even though it got into the high 90’s during the day in the mountains of SWVA, it was in the low 60’s in the mornings when I ran. It was delightful for mid-July!
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In metro ATL, it gets HOT here, so my BRF and I run super early in the morning (between 5:00-5:30 AM) to avoid the heat. On weekends, we sleep in and meet closer to 6:30, but still early enough to get it done before the “become-a-puddle-on-the-sidewalk” heat starts!
I’m currently training for a marathon in this summer heat and ran out of water and gatorade. Didn’t have any cash on hand to replenish. Luckily, I had a Waffle House in route they gave me some water. I have to remember to carry cash. Good suggestions.