Hello, my stylish friends! I’m so happy we’re now in mid-late October: perfect conditions with the crisp air and dropping temperatures. Summer, while essential for training, was tough to get through. Quality runs necessitated planning either for early mornings or later nights. A night owl, I felt the most warmed up during the later hours from ~ 7-8:30 PM.
Trudging through the heat wasn’t always fun. Below are quick tips I swore by to make slight adjustments to my routine and achieve quality (and safe) runs!
Summer training tips
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate with water: a given! Our bodies lose a lot of water when we sweat. Drink water throughout the day, and if you’re a morning runner, make sure to hydrate the night before as well.
- Increase water intake with produce: not a substitute for tip #1 but another way to increase your water intake. Summer fruit bowls with granola and fun salads with avocado are fun ways to incorporate more produce into daily meal planning.
- Splash water on your face and body pre-workout: while short-lasting, the immediate freshness feels great and wakes me up.
- It’s ok to slow the pace: our bodies exert more effort when running in high humidity and heat; hence, the reason we may slow down! Per the words of Runner’s World, you’re not alone!
- Shorter, faster intervals: to still get the quantity in, break up longer track workouts into shorter, faster session and save longer workouts for cooler days. For example, if you’re set to run 1200 repeats, perhaps break the final 1200 into upbeat 3x400s.
- Wear lighter colors: any little trick to reflect the light, instead of absorb it, can help you feel better on those hot days.
- Mix electrolyte drinks with water post-workout: again, not a substitute for water but helps restore lost electrolytes following an intense sweat session.
