A backstory…
Being in Australia for two weeks was wonderful. Was it because it is actually their winter right now? Maybe.
The day we left, my car’s air conditioning went out. Instead of dealing with it, I parked it in the driveway and said, “That’s a two-weeks-from-now problem.”
It turns out I had run the cabin-cooling feature too much, and it had gotten overworked. So anyway, now that it is fixed, I said, “I’m not going to do that again. I’ll just suffer when I get into a hot car.”
When I got into my car on Friday, the inside was 156 degrees. Of course, it is not 156 degrees outside, but temperatures in this area of the Mojave Desert can reach around 130 degrees. Knock on wood, I have not seen anything above 120 in a few years though and I do not usually run outdoors in anything above 90 because the sun is what will get you.
I have written about running in the Mojave Desert before, and several years later, I still believe it is the most challenging weather I have trained through. I’m not here to compare running in the desert vs running in the humidity because I’ve done my fair share of both and they are both awful.
All of this led me to think about what I wanted to write about this week. It is late July, so of course, I am sharing a few tips for running in the heat.
But first, if you are dealing with smoke, consider reading Should You Run in Smoke? After living in wildfire country, I learned a lot about that too. Please, don’t. It can mess you up for life…no run is worth that.
Back to Summer Running:
I do not plan a summer run around the temperature when I start. I plan around the temperature, sunlight, and wind expected when I finish.
A lot of these tips are not the traditional “run inside,” “run earlier in the day,” or “run with water” because those are obvious.
Think about this: Runners care SO much about the seconds gained from carbon-plated shoes, and that is fine, but many of those same runners do not care about the minutes that can be gained from properly hydrating. Why aren’t you bringing proper hydration? Hydration needs vary by runner, environmental conditions, workout intensity, and individual sweat rate.
Reverse the Route Based on the Sun
I have regular routes that I run in the opposite direction during the summer.
When the sun rises in the east, I would rather face it during the opening miles and have it behind me later, when I am warmer and more tired. I know which roads lose their shade first and where pale concrete reflects the sun back toward me. Plus it can keep running more interesting.
Half-Freeze Your Bottle
As mentioned, I think running with hydration or having a hydration plan is an obvious tip. It is wild to me that people still are not running with hydration, but that is not my business.
Anyway, freezing a full bottle sounds like a good idea until you are carrying a solid block of ice that is not melting fast enough.
I usually fill a handheld halfway, lay it on its side in the freezer, and then top it off with cold fluid before I leave. That gives me cold liquid immediately and a large piece of ice that continues melting during the run.
For longer runs, I bring one cold bottle and one partially frozen bottle. The cold bottle is for the opening hour. The frozen bottle stays in an insulated cooler in my car and is usually ready when I return.
Research supports cold-water and ice-slurry strategies as practical ways to improve endurance performance in the heat.
Build the Route Around a Cooler
During the hottest months, I may run loops and stay closer to home, assuming I run outside at all. When I was young and dumb (IE 5 years ago when I moved here), I thought I would be fine doing large loops. Well I ended up 5 miles from home in the middle of the desert wondering if I would make it home…so I stopped doing that.
Loops are less exciting than a large route across the desert, but they give options. You can refill, change the workout, stop early, or move inside without being six miles from help.
I also prepare my freezer (or cooler) with cold bottles, extra fuel, and a wet towel. Like an aid station that I can return to every few miles.
Use a Halfway Water Rule
Before the run, I decide how much fluid I should consume by halfway and how much should remain.
If I have used more than half before reaching that mark, I change the route or turn back. I do not assume I will suddenly need less hydration during the hotter second half.
The exact amount is personal because sweat rates vary. The Korey Stringer Institute’s hydration guidance recommends building a plan around individual fluid losses rather than treating one drinking rate as correct for everyone.
I’ve written a dozen posts about electrolyes and hydration but most recently this one: Why Do Runners Need Electrolytes?
Break the Workout Before the Heat Breaks It
I do not force every cool-weather workout into its original format. In fact, during the summer if I do care about pace I run indoors. Everything else I do effort level and usually change it.
A 30-minute threshold run may become 3 x 10 minutes with one minute of easy jogging and a drink between repetitions. Five long intervals may become four if the sun arrives earlier than forecast.
I also put the most important work earlier because the final interval may happen in conditions that are very different from the opening interval.
Separate Heat Exposure From Hard Training
Heat acclimation requires repeated exposure over roughly one to two weeks, although every difficult session does not need to happen in the hottest conditions available. The CDC recommends gradually increasing heat exposure over a period of seven to 14 days.
I prefer easier heat exposure and cooler quality sessions. An easy run can provide exposure without asking my body to handle a hard workout at the same time.
After traveling to a cooler climate, I expect the first few desert runs to feel harder because heat adaptations can begin declining after time away from hot conditions.
Cool Your Neck
This is one I have found especially helpful during the last year.
A cold towel around the neck or water poured over the head and face can make a hot run feel much better. It is another reason I will run loops or plan a route that gives me access to a cold towel. I just put some in my freezer and get them when needed (even doing this for treadmill runs).
Research on neck cooling has found improved running performance and lower perceived heat strain, even when physiological responses changed very little. Feeling cooler does not guarantee that your body has cooled by the same amount.
I use cold water, ice, and a wet towel during looped runs, but I do not use the relief as a reason to add miles.
Finish Somewhere You Can Cool Down
Run through sprinklers. Sit in a lake, the ocean, or wherever you live. Unless you live in Florida, do not sit in the ponds there.
Dunk your head in water. Find a way to cool down. It can provide temporary relief from the heat.
I also try to finish near my house or car instead of ending a run several miles from air conditioning. When I run loops from my car, I turn on the air conditioning before beginning the final loop so I do not finish and climb into an oven.
Set the Cutoff Rules at Home
You should have a plan every time you go out in the heat and stick to it. Heat affects judgment, and runners are skilled at renegotiating with themselves once a workout starts.
I decide my cutoff rules before leaving. I stop or shorten the run if an easy effort becomes hard unusually early, I use more than half my fluid before halfway, the route heats faster than forecast, I become dizzy or nauseated, or I cannot bring my effort down after slowing.
Confusion, altered behavior, collapse, dizziness, or loss of coordination can indicate heat stroke and require immediate emergency action. The Korey Stringer Institute emphasizes rapid whole-body cooling and emergency medical care when heat stroke is suspected.
No workout on my calendar is important enough for me to put myself in danger.
On Thursday, I attempted a track workout. I told myself beforehand that if I faded to slower than half-marathon pace during the 12 x 400s, I would cut the workout short. That is exactly what happened. I stopped after eight repetitions and went home. I have no regrets, and I could already tell I was overheated.
What Summer Running Success Looks Like
A successful summer week may include a pre-dawn long run, a treadmill workout, slower easy runs, and a route I shortened because the heat affected me.
Heat will get ya. You cannot outrun the heat, and you cannot expect to run the same workout paces. That is why fall and winter running can feel so good.