As warmer weather approaches, a change in attitude does too. Summer running has its own set of obstacles from sweating through 10,000 layers to tan lines you didn’t know were possible.

This year seems to have gone straight from winter to summer.  In the greater Philadelphia area, it’s either 90 degrees or pouring rain and 40.  Let’s be honest, we complain about running in any weather: hot, cold weather, rain, snow, ice…there is probably a week of weather we don’t complain about.

Thinking out loud, here are some thoughts I have when training through the summer.

So far in my running history, I’ve run in many climates,  I went to college in upstate New York and spent summers in Hampton Roads, VA.

In 2017, I spent the winter in Alabama which was hotter in January then New Jersey is in June.  (My husband had a school down there).  New Jersey is not the hottest state, nor the coldest but it can be tough to run somedays.  This week most days were 90%+ humidity which right now we are not used too.

To be honest, over the last 2 years I’ve learned you can’t control the weather.  It might be extremely hot, thunderstorms or hailing but everyone is dealing with the same elements.  Over the last couple of years, I’ve raced multiple half marathons in torrential downpour and wind.  This year at Boston was torrential downpours.

So How Do You Know You’re it’s Summer Running?

You stalk the Weather App:

It’s the first thing you check in the morning and the last thing you check at night.  Forget about other social media, that is where it’s at my friends.  Good thing you can’t make a weather app profile and add friends and update your weather-related status…

You Run Early or Late:

In the summer, it’s light, cooler and you beat rush hour traffic. You never knew you were an early morning runner until the summer hit!  If you have been like me, you might have already made the mistake of running at 9 am on the weekend.

You Have Weird Tan Lines:

Runners have every tan line from a sports bra, watch, sunglasses, compression socks, and even shoes.  Right now I have a compression tan line, sock tan, sports bra, and watch.  I’ve been working on getting rid of my compression tan line, but I doubt it will ever happen.

Your Diet is Electrolytes:

With all of those electrolytes lost, hydration is essential.  You don’t even know how to eat food that isn’t Nuun or GU.

The Lighter Weight the Clothing, the More Expensive it is: 

Who knew you would pay so much for a moisture-wicking tank top? It keeps from sticking to you when it’s 90 degrees, so it’s worth it.  The question is why not run in just a sports bra or tank top…clearly you need the $70 tank.

Sunscreen and Bodyglide are your Lotions:

You and your running group smell like a glorified trip to the Carribean.  Seriously don’t forget to wear sunscreen while running this summer.

Your Route is Planned to End at the Pool, Lake or Ocean.

Luckily for us in New Jersey, you are never too far from a lake, park, or the ocean.  Jumping in is perfect for cooling off.

There is Always a Mystery if What Kind of Workout you’ve Done:

Why is your clothing wet?
Did you go swimming?
Did you just sweat that much or run through sprinklers?

The mystery is always there…

Don’t get me wrong, I like summer running!

Questions for you:
Do you do any of these things?
How do you train through the summer?