Share your tips for warm weather running

[Brit]

I am nearing my breaking point, but it is still May. If I stop running outside now I will be stuck on the treadmill until November.

I am already freezing my water bottle, drinking Gatorade, and sitting outside as much as possible when not running (may or may not be value add).

[runaways]

Honestly? I just tell myself to slow down and suck it up. There's no way to make it not terrible, so I try to embrace it as much as possible. Right now I'm doing all my easier runs in the middle of the day to try to acclimate as much as possible as it heats up, but that's only going to go so far.

[bullygirl979]

Slow down and go first thing in the morning or last thing at night, if possible. Oh, and wear as little clothing as possible. Lol.

[Brit]

May 29, 2014 11:01:00 GMT -5 bullygirl979 said:

Slow down and go first thing in the morning or last thing at night, if possible. Oh, and wear as little clothing as possible. Lol.

Done and done. It is 99* at 8PM right now. The low will be 88* at 5AM...but much more humid in the morning. Wah Wah Wah. I'm such a pansy about heat. Give me zero degrees any day.

[bullygirl979]

May 29, 2014 11:03:45 GMT -5 Brit said:

May 29, 2014 11:01:00 GMT -5 bullygirl979 said:

Slow down and go first thing in the morning or last thing at night, if possible. Oh, and wear as little clothing as possible. Lol.

Done and done. It is 99* at 8PM right now. The low will be 88* at 5AM...but much more humid in the morning. Wah Wah Wah. I'm such a pansy about heat. Give me zero degrees any day.

HOLY SHITE! If you are a pansy, I'm much worse! I cannot even imagine. But then again, I'll run outside in 10* weather which most people can't imagine. 

[cinco]

May 29, 2014 11:03:45 GMT -5 Brit said:

May 29, 2014 11:01:00 GMT -5 bullygirl979 said:

Slow down and go first thing in the morning or last thing at night, if possible. Oh, and wear as little clothing as possible. Lol.

Done and done. It is 99* at 8PM right now. The low will be 88* at 5AM...but much more humid in the morning. Wah Wah Wah. I'm such a pansy about heat. Give me zero degrees any day.

This is not being a pansy. That is insanely hot. I have limited times available to run this Summer and it will often be at the hottest part of the day. I plan to alternate the TM and outdoors, and will avoid wearing the Garmin when it's sole purpose is to tell me I'm slow

ETA: Do you have any shady areas to run? That helps a ton.

[G22]

May 29, 2014 11:01:00 GMT -5 bullygirl979 said:

Slow down and go first thing in the morning or last thing at night, if possible. Oh, and wear as little clothing as possible. Lol.

All of this. And I carry lots of water on me. I know I go through it faster the hotter it is.

[clseale]

Another person in the slow down & suck it up camp. I know it's brutal. For me, it's more about the humidity than the heat. That's why really early morning (like 5 AM, pre-sunrise) running just doesn't work. My ideal time is 6AM-8AM, but work doesn't allow for that. Ditto Cinco about finding any shade possible. That definitely helps.

I know you can't exactly run around half naked where you're at, but light clothing definitely helps. I'm really loving UA heat gear tanks. This is my current obsession: www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/womens-ua-fly-by-mesh-stretch-tank-top/pid1243039-428
I have the yellow, and I want at least 5 more. They run big, but the extra small shrunk a bit in the wash. It's so light & airy.

[mrsjthompson]

I lean towards suck up and run outside, but more because I think this will help me with potential hot and humid races down the road. Besides, the Y where I use the treadmill is as hot as it is outside, but with less humidity, so I might as well just go outside.

[Brit]

clseale - I will have to go find some of those shirts this weekend!

[Brit]

I stopped wearing a watch a few weeks ago, so I don't know how slow I am, but I'm sure it is a snail's pace.

[mollyrunner]

I think I would prefer the slimy humidity early in the morning over the added heat at night. Water and pace are key. Any chance you can get some running buddies? I had my best hot weather running when I knew I was meeting up with my girls and that we would all bitch about the heat a little, motivate each other and get iced coffee after. Good luck! I only dealt with Kansas City humidity so these answers are no comparison to your heat. You are awesome for going in this heat!

[Brit]

mollyrunner - KC has some crazy humidity. I used to stay with my grandparents there every summer in their non air conditioned house. It felt like I was sleeping in a swamp!

ETA: I run with my H usually, but he is a tough guy who won't admit that it is hot. He is all 'Brit, it really isn't bad --> drama', which may have some truth to it, but damn.

[katinthehat]

I prefer to wear my water instead of drink it in the summer. Squirts over my neck and head help a ton.

[Brit]

May 29, 2014 12:51:10 GMT -5 katinthehat said:

I prefer to wear my water instead of drink it in the summer. Squirts over my neck and head help a ton.

Great idea. I haven't tried this yet. Does it cause chaffing?

[jamalynn]

Another slow down and suck it up, but your temps are crazy hot! I typically go first thing in the morning (even at night it's usually too warm for me), and I go sleeveless. GL!!!

[emuni04]

May 29, 2014 10:59:22 GMT -5 runaways said:

Honestly? I just tell myself to slow down and suck it up. There's no way to make it not terrible, so I try to embrace it as much as possible. Right now I'm doing all my easier runs in the middle of the day to try to acclimate as much as possible as it heats up, but that's only going to go so far.

This.

[thom]

I don't have any new tips, but I'm trying to embrace the heat as well. Being that it's only May, and somehow it's 80* here already. I think about winter sometimes. Honestly.

 Do you feel like you're acclimating some? My main hope is that it will get slightly easier for you with time. (100 sounds so brutal though.) Also, ditto on finding shade if at all possible.

[venice2007]

Carry water
Run slower
Hydrate and eat well
Just know it will suck but it's only a short time. Then it gets great and your speed will be amazing after hot weather training!

[badgergirl66]

Thanks for making me feel better about my temps.

I think partly it's let go and just do what you can.

[Deleted]

Make 430 am your bitch.

[shauni27]

y'all are amazing, I am SUCH a wuss in the heat! Like over 80 and I won't do it, haha. I personally would prefer to do it in the evening when it is a little warmer if there is more shade, than in the morning with humidity, but I think that is a personal preference.

I would suck it up and go on the TM, but then again, I do not mind TM running at all.

[clseale]

It's so funny how different everyone is. 10 degrees cooler does not matter to me, when the air is so thick I could literally choke on it. The pre-dawn "feels like" temp, winds up being just as hot as our evening temps.

[violetbaudelaire]

I read somewhere to soak and freeze things like a washcloth and tuck them under a lightweight hat to keep your head cool. I've also heard of tucking an ice pack in sports bra. (Some of my friends stuff everything into their bras - I can't, so not sure if this is a viable option for you).

I've also read to drink a frozen slushee bc it stays cold in your stomach and lowers your body temp supposedly. I feel like it may have been runners world? Not sure of the merit on that, but worth a shot?

Last summer it was 100* with 80% humidity and my regular routine was go at 5 am or 8 pm (which you're doing already), down a bottle of ice water on the way to the trail, and no more than 3 miles at whatever pace I could bang out.

[runaways]

May 30, 2014 7:33:22 GMT -5 clseale said:

It's so funny how different everyone is. 10 degrees cooler does not matter to me, when the air is so thick I could literally choke on it. The pre-dawn "feels like" temp, winds up being just as hot as our evening temps.

I live in similar humidity and I completely agree. The only run I do in the morning in the summer is my long run and only because it would be too hot when I start if I did it late.

[So_Fetch]

One of the ladies I saw biking soaked a bandana an wore it aroudn her neck (folded up like a headband size, not like a bandit) and when she got to the next fountain, she took it off and resoaked it and put it back on. seemed to work for her. I try to just do early morning/late evening and get it over with as fast as possible.

[moreace01]

I melt in the heat. Like anything over 85 and I am just spent.

Last year I got some towel thing. Chilly towel? I don't recall. But you get it wet and it stays cold. Put it around your neck. I look like a fool, but I get so overheated. Like dangerously so. And I sweat like a mofo. This helps keep me cooler.

And I always do a Nuun the night before and morning of when its really hot. Otherwise I just get really sick.

[shauni27]

May 30, 2014 9:47:18 GMT -5 moreace01 said:

I melt in the heat. Like anything over 85 and I am just spent.

Last year I got some towel thing. Chilly towel? I don't recall. But you get it wet and it stays cold. Put it around your neck. I look like a fool, but I get so overheated. Like dangerously so. And I sweat like a mofo. This helps keep me cooler.

And I always do a Nuun the night before and morning of when its really hot. Otherwise I just get really sick.

I forgot that I got one of these last year!  this will help a lot!

[tuggyruns]

May 29, 2014 12:51:10 GMT -5 katinthehat said:

I prefer to wear my water instead of drink it in the summer. Squirts over my neck and head help a ton.

This. I mainly squirt my face b/c it gets so hot esp while I am in the adjustment period.