With the temperatures scheduled to climb above 80, I made it my plan to get up at 6:30, have a bowl of oatmeal, drink a lot Gatorade (with chia seeds) and get out the door. And once I was on the street, I resisted the urge to cruise, instead holding myself to a slow 11:00/mile pace.
I was a bit worried how I would hold up because my legs were still sore from a fast run on Thursday night, plus I tweaked my back a few days ago and the muscle was still painful and cramping. But other than a stop to clean some gravel out of my shoe and another stop to refill my handheld bottle with Gatorade from a concession stand near the Lincoln Memorial, I was able to keep it going nonstop for 17.1 miles, even picking up some speed at the end to finish at a 10:54 pace. And, as a bonus, my back issue completely disappeared as a result of the run.
I'll have to get used to these slower runs (and even earlier start times) as summer heats up.
I would love to hear about what others due to beat the heat while running. For my part, I'll blog some more about my favorite technical apparel later, but for now, a shout-out goes to my Nike dri-fit socks, which, unlike some other brands I've tried, kept my feet blister-free over a long hot run.
wow, that's a HUGE run!! nice one, joel!
ReplyDeletehonestly, i love running in the heat. i'm not sure if it's because i sweat so much as it is that i don't overheat, but some of my best races have been in very hot, humid conditions. the key, and i'm sure it's plainly obvious, is to stay hydrated. ultra-hydration... constant access to water, gatorade and the like. i also use salt pills when needed, on longer bikes/runs... to keep the electrolytes up. they come in capsule form.
otherwise, it's a pour of water over the head, a lucky encounter with a yard sprinkler, using shade whenever possible....