Running in the heat -- tips?

No matter what time of day you run, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Before, during and after. Run slower if you are not already. The idea is to run by effort, not pace. Your heart will have to work harder (beat faster) to rush blood to your skin to cool down meaning less blood for your muscles. So you will be slower for the same effort. Adding in walk breaks is a good idea on really hot days because sometimes even running about as slow as you can isn't enough. The key is to get out there and get some miles in, stay as cool as possible (and hydrated). You will reap rewards for it in the fall when the weather cools off.

I spent a few weeks in Bahrain in the summer and due to the heat and humidity I added in some walking breaks into my runs and that helped.

WhatMeRunning wrote: »

No matter what time of day you run, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Before, during and after. Run slower if you are not already. The idea is to run by effort, not pace. Your heart will have to work harder (beat faster) to rush blood to your skin to cool down meaning less blood for your muscles. So you will be slower for the same effort. Adding in walk breaks is a good idea on really hot days because sometimes even running about as slow as you can isn't enough. The key is to get out there and get some miles in, stay as cool as possible (and hydrated). You will reap rewards for it in the fall when the weather cools off.

Yep. Slow down and take a walk break if you feel like you need one.

As @sunnybeaches105 said, acclimate to the heat. Spend time hanging out outside instead of sitting by the AC. It doesn't surprise me when people say they can't exercise in the heat and they spend 23 hours of the day in the AC.

Not OP but thank you all for your advice.

I didn't understand why my heart rate was always ridiculously high during a late-afternoon run, even while walking.

I've been weirdly worried that my runs don't count since I spend the last mile or so mostly walking... good to see that walk breaks are recommended! :>

mommazach wrote: »

Heat slows me down considerably. The hotter it gets, the slower my times have been.

I found the same. I reckoned running in the heat in Bahrain I was about 6 minutes slower over 5K compared to when I was running in London.

Yeah, I go early, 0530. Even in the winter, but in the summer it's perfect. Hot but no sun. Heatstroke is no joke, go slow if you need to.

South Alabama here. I go at 0415-it's the only time it's not miserably oppressive.

_Waffle_ wrote: »

Wicked_Seraph wrote: »

Not OP but thank you all for your advice.

I didn't understand why my heart rate was always ridiculously high during a late-afternoon run, even while walking.

I've been weirdly worried that my runs don't count since I spend the last mile or so mostly walking... good to see that walk breaks are recommended! :>

Na, that's not even a thing to worry about. You're still improving your cardio endurance. It sucks that you don't get the same feeling of running faster in cool weather but you're still getting nearly all the benefits.

I make promises to myself in the summer. "Make it to that bridge and you can walk till your HR drops below 140" or I'll do something like leave ice water in the car so I'll hit it after a few miles and get a short break.

Funnily enough, I did Zombies5K when the weather was still decent outside (January to late April). I completed the program a few weeks ago and was like "wtf, I managed to run 5K with no issues a few weeks ago, and now I'm struggling after 2 miles...?" Part of it might be a mental thing, I admit. But the other day was a run that turned into a walk because of several swarms of gnats

It's reached the part of the year, here, where the temp never gets below 75°F and afternoon highs are over 100° and even above 110°. Morning runs are a must because even after the sun goes down it's still 90-100°.

It's dry enough here that running with a wet shirt or a wet cooling cloth around my neck helps a lot. I've found even during the rainy season that helps because the wind you create while running gets cooled by the wet cloth, so don't knock it in more humid locations. Hot and dry is really uncomfortable, too, when your sweat is gone the instant it leaves your body!

The frozen water bottle trick works well, too, as long as your runs aren't too long and the ice melts. My hands get hot when it's over 70° and dry and I'm running more than a couple of miles so the water bottle keeps them feeling nice and it's good to roll on your neck, too.

Is it an option to get up super early and run before work? That's the the only time I run in the summer, it's just way too hot in the afternoons, I think I would get heat stroke in my part of the world.

If not, then I think you'll just have to slow down, try to find a shady route, drink lots, and maybe look into something to help keep your electrolytes in balance - so a sports drink or something you can add to water to give you the salt/sugar etc.
And don't stop drinking when you get home, again pay attention to how you feel, you need to balance your electrolytes so you might need more than just water. I find that I often feel crummy late in the day after I've done a long hot run, which probably means I'm either stil dehydrated or just out of balance.

It's probably also worth reading up on the signs of heat stress too - you want to stop before you put yourself at risk. Some of them are pretty obvious but you also need to be aware of mood and behaviour. My DH works in a region where they get "critical heat" (over 50C) in the summer and they are all told to look out for someone who is irrationally angry or confused or behaving strangely. So, if you just aren't feeling right or are irrationally cranky, it may be a good sign that you need to have a walk break or a rest in the shade or maybe pull the pin for the day. Repeated loops that give you an easy option to stop early if needed might be the way to go too, rather than a longer out and back.

(Now I'm jealous, it was 3C when I went running earlier in the week, and drizzling with rain this morning. I hate running when it's dark/cold/wet!)

eep223 wrote: »

Hello,

I'm just getting back into running after a prolonged break. I live in the American South and "summer" has started to kick in here, with mega heat and humidity. I run after work (the only time I can fit it in), which is not ideal. I upped my mileage from 2-3 miles yesterday and the last mile truly did me in. I ended up walking most of the last portion and had a couple people ask me if I was okay afterwards. I run a loop with several drinking fountains along the way and try to stick to the shade. What else can I do? Please share your tips! Is it simply a matter of taking it slow and letting me body adjust to running/ the heat again?

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate..oh and shower after. Sweating is good for the body as it releases toxins, just watch out for those UV rays. Investing in some good sun screen/protective clothing goes a long way.

eep223 wrote: »

Hello,

I'm just getting back into running after a prolonged break. I live in the American South and "summer" has started to kick in here, with mega heat and humidity. I run after work (the only time I can fit it in), which is not ideal. I upped my mileage from 2-3 miles yesterday and the last mile truly did me in. I ended up walking most of the last portion and had a couple people ask me if I was okay afterwards. I run a loop with several drinking fountains along the way and try to stick to the shade. What else can I do? Please share your tips! Is it simply a matter of taking it slow and letting me body adjust to running/ the heat again?

I live in the south also