By Liesel Schmidt
Welcome to July in Florida, where the temps feel like you’re walking through the middle of an active volcano and the humidity makes breathing an exercise in futility. While a few of you may love this climate (pssst—we know you’re secretly a reptile), most of us are just trying to make it through the day without melting into a puddle and wishing we had the small mercy of a random snowstorm to cool ourselves down. But I digress.
Summer, much like every other season, is a given. Complain all you want (and believe me, you won’t be alone)—it. Will. Happen. As will the obscene level of heat that makes any outdoor activity feel like a legal form of torture. It’s a hurdle we all have to clear—but how well we do it depends on how well you adapt your own training to the heat. As experts in all things running, we at Run With It have some advice for better summer running.
Slow It Down
As runners, we’re all prone to viewing any kind of slow-down as a loss of momentum in training, but that’s a misconception—especially when it comes to running in summer heat. Repeat after me so that maybe it sinks into that thick skull of yours: Proper training in the heat requires you to slow your pace, so channel your inner tortoise and tell the hare to suck it. Experts advise that you should expect to slow your pace by 30 to 60 seconds per mile and pace yourself according to effort, not GPS times. Pourquoi, you ask? Simple: Your body responds differently to exercise in the heat, working harder and spiking your heart rate—which naturally causes you to slow down. The key is not to fight the sloth but to embrace it.
Pro Tip: Run before 10am or after 6pm to avoid peak temps and try to find areas with plenty of shade. Also give yourself a break—it takes around two weeks for your body to fully acclimate to the stifling heat.
Hydrate and Fuel
This is not something you can skip, in the interest of not landing yourself in the ER with heat exhaustion and dehydration. A few key points to keep in mind:
- Drink Early and Often: Be consistent about hydrating throughout the day, rather than just gulping water right before you hit the pavement.
- Use Electrolytes: Profuse sweating (girl, we are way past glowing here) causes the loss of essential minerals—which can’t be replaced by plain water. Use an electrolyte mix like Skratch Labs, Nuun, GU, or Tailwind for runs longer than 45 minutes, and try a few out to see which work best with your system.
- Plan Your Refills: Carry a Nathan handheld bottle or hydration vest, or plan your run in areas with water fountains and safe refill spots.
- Carb Up: Your body is burning through carbs like it’s being paid to, which means you’re using up your stores faster than you normally would. Pack energy gels, bars or waffles from GU, Honey Stinger and Skratch Labs into your FlipBelt or Spibelt to help you scorch those miles rather than the other way around.
Observe the Dress Code
Winter might call for all the layers, but in summer, going minimal is key. Choose light-colored, loose-fitting technical fabrics (think polyester or nylon) that promote airflow. We love tees, tanks, bras and shorts from Brooks, Lululemon, Vuori, Chicknlegs, Asics and Roark. It’s also important to protect your skin and eyes from the sun. We recommend lathering on the SPF and wearing sunglasses along with a breathable mesh hat. We love the Swank line from Tifosi Optics and all of the fun prints on Sprints running hats and visors.
Pro Tip: Cool your core by wearing an ice vest, applying cold water to the back of your neck, or putting ice in your hat.
Remember, nobody earns extra points for ER visits (except for the points on your credit card when you pay that hefty bill). So, be smart, be adaptable and give yourself credit for simply showing up when the weather feels like someone left the oven door open (is anyone else’s mascara melting their eyelashes together?). Summer running may be far from glamorous, but it builds grit, endurance and an impressive ability to sweat from places you didn’t know could sweat.
Now get out there and make questionable decisions responsibly.
Visit runwithitfl.com.
