Dealing with the heat
Summer Heat Issues
By Jeff Galloway
Summer running can be so enjoyable, if you can avoid
over heating. The problem is primarily with the radiant
effect of the sun. Finishing your run before the sun
gets above the horizon will help you avoid the worst
part of the hot effect. In researching this for my
YEAR ROUND PLAN book I collected the following tips
that can help you avoid serious problems. As always, be
conservative and stop at any of the warning signs that
concern you.
When you exercise strenuously in even moderate heat
(above 60F), you raise core body temperature. Most
beginning runners will see the internal temperature rise
above 55F. This triggers a release of blood into the
capillaries of your skin to help cool you down. This
diversion, reduces the blood supply available to your
exercising muscles, meaning that you will have less
blood and less oxygen delivered to the power source that
moves you forward—and less blood to move out the waste
products from these work sites. As the waste builds up
in the muscle, you will slow down.
So the bad news is that in warm weather you are going
to feel worse and run slower. The worse news is that
working too hard on a hot day could result in a very
serious condition called heat disease. Make sure that
you read the section on this health problem below. The
good news is that you can adapt to these conditions to
some extent, as you learn the best time of the day,
clothing, and other tricks to keep you cool. But it is
always better to back off or stop running at the first
sign that you may be coming into this condition. The
following are proven ways of avoiding heat adversity.
Running workouts during summer heat
1. Run before the sun gets above the horizon. Get up
early during the warm months and you will avoid most of
the dramatic stress from the sun. This is particularly
a problem in humid areas. Early morning is usually the
coolest time of the day, also. Without having to deal
with the sun, most runners can gradually adapt to heat.
At the very least, your runs will be more enjoyable than
later in the day. Note: be sure to take care of safety
issues.
2. If you must run when the sun is up, pick a shady
course. Shade provides a significant relief in areas of
low humidity, and some relief in humid environments.
3. In areas of low humidity, it’s usually cool during
the evening and night. In humid environments there may
not be much relief. The coolest time of the day when
it’s humid, is just before dawn.
4. Have an indoor facility available. With
treadmills, you can exercise in air conditioning. If a
treadmill bores you, alternate segments of 5-10
minutes—one segment outdoor, and the next indoor.
5. Don’t wear a hat! You lose most of your body heat
through the top of your head. Covering the head will
cause a quicker internal buildup of heat.
6. Wear light clothing, but not cotton. Many of the
new, technical fibers (polypro, coolmax, dri-fit, etc)
will move moisture away from your skin, producing a
cooling effect. Cotton soaks up the sweat, making the
garment heavier as it sticks to your skin. This means
that you won’t receive as much of a cooling effect as
that provided by the tech products.
7. Pour water over your head. Evaporation not only
helps the cooling process—it makes you feel cooler.
This offers a psychological boost which can be huge. If
you can bring along ice water with you, you will feel a
lot cooler as you squirt some regularly over the top of
your head—using a pop top water bottle.
8. Do your short runs in installments. It is fine,
on a hot day that is scheduled for an easy run, to put
in your 30 minutes by doing 10 in the morning, 10 at
noon and 10 at night. The long run, however, should be
done at one time. Speed workouts should also be done
all at once, but you may take more rest between speed
reps, and you may break up the distance when it’s hot
(running twice as many 800’s as one mile repeats).
9. Take a pool break, or a shower chill-down. During
a run, it really helps to take a 2-4 minute dip in a
pool or a shower. Some runners in hot areas run loops
around their neighborhood and let the hose run over the
head each lap. The pool is especially helpful in
soaking out excess body temperature. I have run in 97
degree temperatures at our
Florida running retreat, breaking up a 5 mile run
into 3 x 1.7 mi. Between each, I take a 2-3 minute
“soak break” and get back out there. It was only at the
end of each segment that I got warm again.
10. Sunscreen—a mixed review. Some runners will need
to protect themselves. Some products, however, produce
a coating on the skin, slowing down the perspiration and
producing an increase in body temperature buildup. If
you are only in the sun for 30-50 minutes at a time, you
may not need to put on sunscreen for cancer protection.
Consult with a dermatologist for your specific needs—or
find a product that doesn’t block the pores.
11. Drink 6-8 oz of a sports drink like
Accelerade or water, at least every 2 hours, or when
thirsty, throughout the day during hot weather.
12. Look at the clothing thermometer
on my website or in my books. Wear loose fitting
garments, which have some texture in the fabric.
Texture will limit or prevent the perspiration from
causing a clinging and sticking to the skin.
13. When the temperature is above 90F, you have my
permission to re-arrange your running shoes—preferably
in an air conditioned environment.
Symptoms of Heat Disease:
- Intense heat build-up in the
head
- General overheating of the
body
- Significant headache
- Significant nausea
- General confusion and loss of
concentration
- Loss of muscle control
- Excessive sweating and then
cessation of sweating
- Clammy skin
- Excessively rapid breathing
- Muscle cramps
- Feeling faint
- Unusual heart beat or rhythm
Risk factors:
- Viral or bacterial infection
- Taking medication—especially
cold medicines, diuretics, medicines for diarrhea,
antihistamines, atropine, scopolamine,
tranquilizers, even cholesterol and blood pressure
medications. Check with your doctor on medication
issues—especially when running in hot weather.
- Dehydration (especially due to
alcohol)
- Severe sunburn
- Overweight
- Lack of heat training
- Exercising more than one is
used to
- Occurrence of heat disease in
the past
- Two or more nights of extreme
sleep deprivation
- Certain medical conditions
including high cholesterol, high blood pressure,
extreme stress, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy,
cardiovascular disease, smoking, or a general lack
of fitness
- Drug use, including alcohol,
over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs,
etc. (consult with your doctor about using drugs
when you are exercising hard in hot weather).
Take action! Call 911
Use your best judgment, but in most cases anyone who
exhibits two or more of the symptoms should get into a
cool environment, and get medical attention
immediately. An extremely effective cool off method is
to soak towels, sheets or clothing in cool or cold
water, and wrap them around the individual. If ice is
available, sprinkle some ice over the wet cloth.
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