If You Can't Take the Heat...

Good Morning! I hope everyone had as fantastic of a weekend as I did. My two best friends from home came to visit me in Philly and we did it all. Saturday we had mani/pedis with mimosas; a picnic in Rittenhouse Square, enjoyed some fro yo, got some canollis at Termini Bros in Reading Terminal Market, had a fantastic dinner at Mercato, and ventured out to many a bar and maybe had one too many drinks. But we so deserved it. The rest of the weekend included a few BBQ's, and I actually managed to squeeze in a couple decent runs. So it wasn’t a complete set back.

This Sunday is the King of Prussia 10-Miler and I’m actually getting pretty anxious / nervous for it. Trying to fit in a few more speed and hill workouts, but still give my legs a rest. I’m also going to try and fit in a yoga class this week to get some decent stretching in. I’m continuing to research the pre-race carbs necessary, and an ideal carb:protein ratio meal plan for this Friday and Saturday in preparation.  Also, after a weekend of maximum indulgence (thanks ladies!) I am concentrating on getting lots of relaxation, sleep, and fluids into my body.

So, it’s been suddenly hot here in Philly. Yesterday it was 92, and today it’s supposed to get up to 90 again. Can't complain about this 5-day forecast...

Today May 31

Wed Jun 1

Thu 2

Fri 3

Sat 4

Sunny	Scattered Strong Storms	Mostly Sunny	AM Clouds / PM Sun	Isolated T-Storms
87°F	88°	84°	78°	82°
High	High	High	High	High
67°	66°	56°	60°	68°
Low	Low	Low	Low	Low

Although I am cautious about running in excessive heat, I have noticed even when running at dusk, I have a problem with properly cooling down. Last week, I got home from a 5-mile run, around 6:30 pm. I made sure to stretch outside for a good 10 minutes. Then I drank a ton of water and waited another 20 minutes or so before taking a cool shower. After toweling off, I noticed I was still sweating a little. Long story short, I continued sweating ALL NIGHT LONG. I had to change my shirt 3 times after they were completely drenched. I was disgusted and annoyed. Joe was horrified. And the worst part is – this is definitely not the first time this has happened! After this particular instance, however, I also developed dry-cracked corners of my mouth which I read may be caused by dehydration, and the next day I had extremely swollen feet, which suggests my body was retaining water, also a sign of dehydration. I know sweating is good for you and all, however I became worried I was doing something wrong, as I obviously became dehydrated. Although I thought I was cooling down properly, as I stared down into my laundry basket full of saturated shirts, it became obvious I wasn’t.  I decided it was time to do a little research to see what’s up.

(Manny and I gearing up for the Dog Days of Summer race, last year)

 

Basically, as our bodies heat up, we produce sweat in order to maintain our normal body temperature. After working out, if the body is not given enough time to cool down, your metabolism will continue working in high gear, and your body will continue to sweat. If the body is not replenished with enough water, your body will retain it.

Some tips I found around the web to help the cool-down process:

• Placing an ice pack on the back of the neck

• Give yourself plenty of time to acclimate to hot weather & humidity (I think this also contributed to my problem, considering it was only in the 60’s a couple weeks ago.)

• Adequately replace electrolytes during/after running

• Lightweight wicking/dry-fit clothing

• Drinking plenty of ice- cold water

• Be careful not to over-hydrate (also called “Hyponatremia” – when too much water is consumed, and the sodium levels in the blood becomes too low – hence, the new “salt packet” tables now commonly seen at distance races)

• Taking a cold water / ice-bath (yikes – I hate ice baths...)

Of course, if you suspect you or someone you know is suffering from heat stroke, call a doctor immediately.

In  my case, however, I don’t believe I was suffering from heat stroke. I honestly just think I was dehydrated, and my body just requires a longer-than-average time to cool down. A couple things I’m gonna try after my run tonight (as it will likely be 80 degrees) is to:

1) Walk the last ½ mile of my run. Sometimes I tend to speed up during the end of my runs which is probably not good for the whole cooling-down situation.

2) Stretch for a good 20 minutes

3) Drink a bunch of water, along with ½ a favorite ProBar to replenish some electrolytes

4) Wait another 30 minutes while catching up on my DVR’d bachelorette episode :) what?

5) Take a nice cool shower, and wait a bit after toweling off to get dressed.

Check out these other great articles I found around at www.Runnersworld.com the web discussing this issue, Turning Up The Heat, and Tips for Staying Cool on Hot, Humid Days.

What are your tips for staying cool while running in the summer?

How was your long weekend?

Any tips for getting ready for my race this Sunday?

Comments

[Megan (The Runner's Kitchen)]

Great tips! I recently had a conversation with a friend who just earned her PhD in biology. She said that the 2 most important things in distance running are:

1) oxygen consumption (aka v02 max)
2) cooling mechanisms

Basically, we need to do everything we can to facilitate cooling if we want to run and race well. This really resonated with me and motivated me to figure out cooling tricks for June, July, and August. I'm thinking about getting one of those bandannas that contain ice packs and wrapping it around my neck during hot summer runs.

[Taylor]

Thanks for the shout out in the blog! We really did have a fantastic weekend! Thanks for the great hospitality and the delicate balance of eating, drinking and exercise :)

xo
Tay

[Erin @ Until You Tri]

It sounds like you had a GREAT weekend!:) The weather quickly turned hot here, too, and I am not adjusted to it! I don't do well in the heat (I try, but it always makes me feel sluggish or, as is often the case, nauseous:/. I don't have any great tips, and it sounds like your problem was more than just some cooling down, but I usually try to cool down by walking or jogging very slowly for a few minutes in the summer (as opposed to most of the times when I just stop my run at my normal pace and go straight to stretching). Otherwise I have that same problem of sweating a lot even after showering:/. Good luck on Sunday! I'm excited for you!