💬 Friday Thread: Ready for the heat?
How do you handle it when temperatures rise this high?
Here where I live in Atlanta, for the past few weeks it has felt like we’ve been living in a rain forest — we’ve had stormy downpours almost every single day since the start of the month. From what I can see in our forecast, though, that’s about to come to an end as summer officially kicks off today.
Just look at that temperature forecast map for today from The Weather Channel — Rapid City, S.D., and Denver will hit 102 degrees! (While, oddly enough, Miami will remain below 90° 🤷♂️)
My question to you is, do you enjoy running in the heat? (I know some of you do!) If so, how do you do it/prepare for it? Take any special precautions, or do you just love it no matter what the temperature is? Are you still getting outside for your runs — and able to get them in safely?
I live in NC - near Charlotte - and I am not a fan of the heat either!
My run group makes fun of me because I show up wearing tanks and shorts for our mid-winter runs. My body warms up fast, so I feel great in the cold!
Like lots of you, I get up early. Right now, with all the light, I've been heading out about 5:45 for longer runs.
Even then, it's hard, because the sun is full up by 6:30!
my go-tos:
-run slower
- carry liquids
- wear as little as possible
i deal with running slower by telling myself about all the endurance I'm building that will help me run fast half marathons in the fall (true!)
I have a great vest by Naked running that is light, breathable (the whole thing is basically a pouch to put things in), and holds two big bottles. it's also really tight - so nothing chafes or moves around.
and - i don't wear anything underneath it but a sports bra! (I think that's why they call it Naked...). That's taken a little bit of getting over what anyone thinks of me - at almost 60! - bearing my midriff while running. But you know what? the more I do it, the more I don't care, and I'm *sure* no one else cares!
I really wilt in the heat. I also have issues with the humidity impacting my asthma. I struggle breathing in really cold conditions and hot/humid conditions. Because I overheat easily, I try to get out early for cooler temperatures and more shade. I also slow down, make sure I have plenty of water, wear light colored tops, and I have a neck fan, which surprisingly does make a difference as it helps to cool down my head. I ditch hats and wear visors instead as I find a hat doesn't allow enough heat to escape from my head. If I can keep my head fairly cool, I do much better in the heat.