Running in the Heat

Runner's World magazine makes its' way to my house once a month, as I am sure it does to many of your homes. It immediately goes to the top of my reading list, and is one of only two magazines to which I subscribe. Others, like Us Weekly People, are bought once in a while on a whim if the grocery store line is so long that I start opening it and looking at what Lindsay Lohan may or may not have been wearing. Succumbing to these exploits are not my proudest moments--either I forget these pictures are airbrushed and photo shopped which leads me down the road of negative self image; or I feel elite--in that, if nothing else, at least I can remember to put on underwear before leaving the house (even if I can't remember to grab cumin on my second trip to the store on that day). That sentence was my best run-on yet. But I digress.


In preparation for St. George, I ran 14 miles last Saturday on the canals here in Phoenix. Temp rose to 113 that day and is forecasted to continue to hover between 111 and 114 for the rest of this week. We started at 5 am and obviously, it was hot. I carried a fuel belt and there was water available at miles 4 and 10. I would have run out of water had it not been available because I was both drinking it and pouring it on my head. I am going to try not to complain about the heat anymore because it is my choice to get out and run and because this injury has me realizing that this world of running can be fleeting--lest I take it for granted.

So as I glanced at the cover of Runner's World, I was so happy to see the teaser regarding how to "Keep Cool" in the summer. I am sure most of you saw it, but I am going to repeat it because if you had a lot of real "work" to do, you probably wouldn't be reading this anyway.

The first "tip" was to set the alarm. Um, duh. However, I will say that I still see people running at noon or one and I either think they are a) nuts, or b) going one mile. I would give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they are training for Badwater, but let's face it, odds are low.

Tip number two was to wear the right clothes (aka moisture wicking). Again, who is wearing cotton? It seems kind of obvious, but probably not to a new runner. I think it was only two years ago when I finally just threw out all cotton running shirts. Maybe race directors will soon pony up for the real thing. I do think that if you have trained for a race or two or run a little, you probably already know this. Inevitably from time to time you get the guy running in jean shorts, but he is usually running from the cops, so whatever.

Tip three was to run in water, like pool running. Hmmm. If I wanted to feel like I wasn't getting a workout I would go to a "Stepping to the Oldies Class." So not the same, 'nuff said.

Another tip was to hydrate early and often--again, good reminder for a new runner that does not have experience running in the heat or adding mileage in those conditions, but most of us know this and have our hydration systems down. Check.

One of the only good tips was to slow down. Apparently every five degree rise in temps above 60 can slow your pace up to 20-30 seconds per mile. This is good news for me as it is usually about 90 when I start, so that means I can run 11 minute miles and not feel bad! Now, that probably won't happen, but I do need to remember not to get down on myself if my average per mile goes up 30 seconds total to account for the thirty or more degree difference.

"Spray yourself with a hose or go jump in a pool at midpoints during your run." Okay, I have been known to hit a sprinkler or two, but who jumps in a pool mid-run? Chafing, anyone? Not to mention the fact that it would just make me want to whip up some margarita's and call it a day. I am not a big fan of the whole loop by the house thing because if I see the kids and they are up or they see me, sorry charlie, run is over.

Last but not least was to "walk more." This was meant for the run a mile, walk a minute people, but then it said, "above 90 degrees? Just walk." Clearly, that won't work--unless I want to walk a marathon.

I am not sure that brand new runners are reading Runner's World, and maybe my expectations were too high. I was hoping for something new and perhaps scientific and tricky--some special concoction that I could whip up and ingest perhaps. I know they have to recycle these pieces every year, just like Shape magazine talking about toning your abs for the 1, 343, 585th time--but maybe Runner's World also assumes that I would be smart enough not to train for an early fall marathon if I live in Phoenix :)