Running in the Heat Tips!

Tips to Beat the Heat

The other day I left my running to a little later in the morning. Not good, because  I stepped out to dreaded heat and humidity. The air felt like a hot steamy sauna and not a leaf in site was moving...

Uuug...  Not even a breeze...

 I didn't have any other time in my day to run, so I knew this time was all I had. I assessed the situation and knew if I did the right things I was going to be all right!

Running in the Heat 

Running  in the heat can be dangerous if you don't arm yourself with preventative measures.

Humidity makes it very difficult for sweat to evaporate off skin and clothes and that close feeling can make you feel a whole lot hotter!

Before getting out the door running, protect yourself from the heat and humidity with these 12 tips to beat the heat!

12 Running in the Heat Tips!

1.  Make sure that you wear clothing that is of good wicking. This type of clothing pulls sweat away from your body and brings it to the surface so it can be evaporated well. Even though it was humid, I still felt fairly dry with evaporation still happening.

2.  Wear a hat that covers your face from the sun's heat. A hat is great protection from the sun rays and prevents you from squinting and feeling the heat on your face. It can make a big difference with just that little amount of shade. A hat is also great at protecting you from bugs, bites and keeps long hair intact and a balding or short hair sheltered. Some hats are made with terry cloth lining the rim, so to keep sweat away from eyes.

3.  Soaking your hat in water before. This is a great heat tip for keeping your hat cool! Often I'll wet my hat before I go, so to keep me cool. If it's really hot running and you've been out there for awhile, use water  bottle water and pour it onto your hat.

4.  Wear chaffing gel on areas you experience rubbing. The worst reason to have to come back from a run is chaffing, because it hurts and can start too early into your run. Make sure you safe guard yourself with gel specifically meant for chaffing. I have discovered that olive oil works excellent at preventing chaffing. I apply liberally and it last for more than an hour of running in the heat.

5.  Drink a cup of water slowly 5 to 15 minutes before you run during your warm up. This is great for keeping you hydrated and you begin your run feeling fresh. Some people have a hard time drinking water on longer runs or this close to  running, but drinking tiny sips of water helps free you from a dehydration and a dry mouth. Interested in a great warm up refer to information on Runner's Yoga.

6.  Drink water every half hour of your run. Either leave the drink some where on your trails to retrieve it, wear a water belt or use a  palm holding water bottle.

7.  Wear athletic sun screen so protect your skin from harmful sun rays. Make sure that you wear a sunscreen that is at least 30UV protection and using sunscreen especially for sports will have it sweat proof and won't sting your eyes.

8.  Sweat band or towel are great to wipe sweat off your body. Sometimes it's nice to get the sweat off while you're running and a sweat band or towel will do just that.

9.  Sunglasses. Sunglasses that are made for running or sports are excellent for protecting eyes from wind and  harmful rays from the sun.

10.  Run the trails in woods. If it's not too buggy, run trails in the woods to help shelter you from the sun's heat and rays. Running near rivers or lakes will sometimes bring cooler runs on hot days.

11.  Run in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler and the sun is low or not up.

12. Don't run. When the temperatures are too hot, it's best to be smart and assess if this is something you should be really doing. Running in the heat can cause heat exhaustion!

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any more tips to add to this post in the comment section!

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