5. Get the Worm: Run Early (or Late)
Perfect for all you Breakfast Clubbers and Happy Hour Goers because running safely includes doing so when the temperature is the coolest and the sun is not at peak strength.
4. Off Roadin’: Get Off the Asphalt
Asphalt and concrete absorb heat which radiates up to your overheating body. This is the perfect time of year to lace up your sneakers for a trail run, like in Hibernia Park for example. Wink. Wink. A perfect summer run includes some grass and shade.
3. Dress the Part: Wear light colors and synthetics
Gear matters in extreme temperatures. So when the thermometer is rising, wear clothing that wicks the sweat away from your body. Cotton will absorb too much moisture leaving you feeling clammy, poorly ventilating your body.
2. Drink. Drink. Drink and then drink some more.
Staying properly hydrated is essential to running and exercising safely in the heat. Without proper hydration, your blood volume drops making your heart work harder to power your muscles and keep them cool. Typically it is recommended that you drink at least 6-8 ounces of water before a run, quench your thirst during with 6-8 ounces for every 20 minutes of strenuous activity and after your runs so that you are no longer thirsty.
1. Effort not pace.
When it’s hot, run with your head. Run with your heart. Run for a reason and run for a cause. But above all, respect the heat. Instead of following and setting performance based goals, run for time and effort, not distance and pace.
Like any other season, running in the summer isn’t about being SpeEDy or winning a race, “it’s to test the limits of the human heart.” Bill Bowerman
– Kristy Harper, PT, DPT, OCS
Want to join us for the next outdoor trail run? July’s SpeEDy 5K will be Wednesday, July 27th at 6:30pm in Hibernia Park. You can register for July’s run or sign up for July and August 5Ks and save big!
