Running in the heat

I'm in the south , it's summer here. In the summer it gets hot. I'm not talking like oh it's 80 degrees outside , time to sip lemonade in the shade. I'm talking face melting, temperature of the sun , egg cooking on sidewalk hot. For example right now it's 100 degrees with 34 percent humidity. when you step outside you just start melting. The heat permeates everything.So you can imagine this makes doing things outside rather difficult.

5 Tips for beating the Heat

1. Run early in the morning or late in the evening


2. Run in the shade if possible


3. Wear socks if your feet get sweaty.


4. Take a nice cold shower afterward or go swim.


5. Use your head

1. Run early in the morning or late in the evening. I personally really enjoy running early in the morning. I really like to be almost finished with my run by the time the sun is rising. It gets your running out of the way and the feeling you get when the sun rises and your blood is pumping is indescribable. Whether you are running early in the morning or later when there is less light I'd recommend wearing a high visibility reflective vest. This will let people see you with greater ease  and if you drop people will be able to see you face down in the ditch easier.

2. Run in the shade if possible.

"Our arrows will blot out the Sun !" - Messenger for Xerxes.

"Then we will fight in the shade"- Dienekes, Bad Ass Spartan at Thermopylae.

If the sun is rising or setting when you are running you'll save yourself some degrees by running in the shade. It'll be easier on your eyes and you'll be able to see various running hazards as well as save some strain on squinting your eyes. If you take a rest it'll help you to rest in the shade too.

3. Wear socks if your feet get sweaty. Not everyone I know runs with socks. I know a lot of triathlon people like to train with not wearing socks ( to save time and your feet are already pretty moist). Also barefoot runners don't wear socks. I run in these. When it's cooler I normally don't wear socks. Now that the heat has picked up my  feet get really sweaty and I end up developing really bad blisters. This sets back my running training and sidelines me from other activities. I just picked up a pair of Injinji performance socks, let me just say I don't have a problem with my feet blistering any more. The socks make my VFF's  more comfortable but make my feet a little bit warmer than usual. I strongly recommend picking up toe socks if you run in minimalist shoes.

4. Take a nice cold shower afterward or go for a swim. I love cold showers after working out. Supposedly cold showering has a lot of therapeutic benefits (Google that shit). I take one so I'm not all hot and sweaty and the cool water helps my muscles after I run. In a while I'm going to be training to incorporate swimming as a session as part of my runs. If you have access to a pool or a place to swim it would probably be pretty awesome to finish running and just jump in and start swimming, it would help cool you off as well as be a great supplemental and relaxing workout .

5. Use your head. This means think when you run. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Hydrate all day for your run, drink water even if you aren't thirsty.  If you feel overheated or something just isn't right stop running and rest up and take your time. Walk for a while and rest. Don't push yourself for a 6 mile run if normally you are running 3 miles a day. Take a slower pace, take a different (shadier) route. Make your run shorter, Run through sprinklers (my personal favorite). all of these are ways you can use your head to help you beat the heat.

Let me know any extra suggestions you would have to beat the heat or tips or tricks that have worked for you.