How To Run In the Heat

Memorial Day weekend is just behind us, and we all know what that means! The unofficial start to summer! New Englanders have been looking forward to summer since, well, we found Nemo. And then found some smaller Nemos. It was a tough winter, with lots of snow and extremely cold weather. We're ready to get out there and run!

While we're looking forward to running in shorts and t-shirts, we're not looking forward to running in hot, humid weather. Running in the heat can be more taxing on our bodies than running in the cold, leaving our bodies listless for days afterwards. So how do you prevent that feeling of total exhaustion after running? Here are some tips in avoiding it!

• Create a short loop or out and back course that is on a shaded trail, road, or path and takes you no longer than 30 to 45 minutes to complete.
• Put together an aid station cooler: ice water, sports drinks, dry towel, wet hand towel, fueling products, lotion for chafing, salty-snack (like nuts or pickle), and sunscreen. Place your cooler somewhere convenient, ideally under shade. These cooling intervals will help you relax, give you something to look forward to, cool your body, and reduces the weight you'll have to carry in water and food. 
• Wear a hat or visor and make a bandana filled with ice, and wrap it around your head. Dunk your hat or visor in the ice water after each loop and soak your head with the cold, wet towel.
• As you head into the aid station, create a checklist for yourself. Fill your fluid system. Dunk my hat. Fill my ice-dana. Take my fuel. Reapply sunscreen.
• On the hottest of hot days, shorten your runs. I know, easier said than done for you die hards! And be consistent with cooling off periods: you should go no longer than one hour between intervals. 

The more of these tips you use, the better you'll feel immediately after your run and in the days following. Know your body too: when you're starting to feel fatigued or light-headed from the heat, stop right away. You may be dehydrated or have something more serious wrong with your body.

See you out there!

Reference: Runner's World.
If you are a runner and have a foot problem, call our Newington, Kensington, or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Craig M. Kaufman, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Sports Medicine Podiatrist in CT
Podiatrist in Newington
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