This Sunday as I walked past mile 12.9 back to the car I saw a young, fit looking man collapsed on the side of the street. (He was so close to the finish medics were already with him.) He was conscious, but not really responding to questions. I couldn’t help so I moved on.
Then, a few yards down I saw another young, fit looking guy collapsed too. There was one medic and a few men trying to get him to some shade.
I looked it up later to check on them and found out – 6 runners of the Pasadena Half Marathon where hospitalized for heat related injuries.
That is scary and I wanted to share it as a remind that you have to take Hot Weather Running seriously. I wrote about how Running in the Heat can affect your running times, but here are a few reminders about hot weather running…
Hot Weather Running Tips
1. Plan plan plan! Check the weather report for the week. If it’s going to be crazy hot or humid on one particular day, take that day as your Rest. Set your alarm to start out early to ‘beat the heat’ as best you can.
2. Stay hydrated. Your pee color is one of the easiest ways to tell if you’re hydrated. It should be a light yellow color. If it’s brown flush it down. If it burns, you shouldn’t have done that in Vegas.
3. Get inside. If you can run on a treadmill with the AC cranked up, go for it. If you can’t, just jog in place as you watch Real Housewives.
4. Find a shady path. This weekend in Pasadena I would go to whatever portion of the route was shaded – I could tell the difference!
5. Don’t be a hero. Listen Meb, I know it’s hot and you have to run because it’s your full time job but…
Oh, wait. You’re not a professional runner doing this to feed your family?
Okay then, be smart and take care of your health.
Just the tip: Drink and Dump. During hot races I usually take 2 cups of water at the aid station. I drink one and dump one on my head. Or, I drink a cup of electrolytes and dump a cup of water. (Um, try not to dump gatorade on your head though.)
Related Hot Weather Running resources:
Coach Jenny has a lot of good tips on this running in hot weather article – including running a short loop to come back around and refill your water.
Hydration is key! This RW article has a simple hydration guide.
Question: What’s the weather where you are this week? How is that affecting your exercise??
Definitely a timely post considering the temperature and excessive heat. Enjoy the run and the tip about I take isotonic drinks is well noted
J
running in the humidity is just brutal! thanks for the tips!
-Olivia http://www.runtowardszen.wordpress.com
It’s either hot (something like 30-35 C) or raining.
I take isotonic drinks if I’m running above 10km or after 1 hour.
“jog in place as you watch Real Housewives”
It’s like you’re in my living room…
Good timing on your post, because it’s hot, hot, hot out there! My running group meets an hour earlier in the summer so we don’t have to run in the heat as long. My neighborhood has running 28 miles of running trails and most are in the shade. It makes a huge difference!
Thank you for this post!!!!! I live in saskatchewan canada and we just recovered from -40 a month ago…and today it was +40! I feel like I am meltingggggggggg!!!!
SO IMPORTANT! We are having heat here & watched the news over the weekend about all the crazy things happening to those that ran when it was too hot & did not take precautions.. timely post!
Ha! That part about Meb had me laughing. I’d totally be the one pushing to get the workout in like I was getting paid.
It’s been hot in the Bay Area (or at least hotter than we’re used too around here), and the past few runs have been tough. I’ve been trying to run for effort instead of pace, and this past weekend I turned a trail run into a hike because it was way too hot and my body just wasn’t having it. I managed to get my butt outta the house earlier for the next run.
Thanks for the great tips!
Excellent tips. It amazes me how runners push themselves to the breaking point, but we all need the reminder that being smart runners means we get to keep running.
I hate running whrn its warm out, luckily i live in sweden so most of the year its not too hot 😉
It’s not the heat right now, in DC, it’s the humidity. I actually preferred running in 93 degrees and 49% humidity to 73 and 85% humidity. It’s like a giant wet blanket that makes all my clothing soaking wet. Another reason I’m an evening runner.
I totally agree about your “don’t be a hero” comment. There will always be plenty of other races to PR at *if* you listen to your body and slow down in the heat. A guy passed away at my first half marathon, which was really, really hot, and there were also several people taken to the hospital for heat-related illness. It’s really not worth it; just slow down. The weather where I’m at has been great lately–lows in the 60s or below–so perfect for my early morning runs!
Great reminders & hahaha loved the little funnies!
Love this (especially the vegas comment. 🙂
It’s actually quite hot and humid here in Central PA! I recently posted a pic to my IG about my Sunday morning run where I made pretty much every mistake possible and came in at an 11 minute pace– which I haven’t done since I started running! It’s amazing how the heat can affect a person!
The heat always gets to me!! I try to take running at a slower pace and drink more water or just skip running for the day if it is too uncomfortable. Thankfully the temps have been great every morning this week so far!
Great tips! Another one: soak a bandana in cold water then wrap it around your neck.It will help keep you cool while you run.
Lows in the 70s, highs in the upper 80s, with 90%+ humidity. I skipped my run today.
Funny, yesterday I re-read your ‘Too Hot to Run? post from way back because I was struggling whether or not to run at 11 am… those were great tips!
Hot and humid here in NYC-I had a race on Saturday and it was miserable. I was lucky because I started hydrating properly from the day before and so, even if it wasn’t one of my best races, I was able to finish it ok-I saw some people stopping altogether!I did just as you said: 2 cups of water-one in my mouth, the other over my head 😉 Also, I noticed that for me plain water is not enough to keep me going when it’s so hot outside-I now always mix some Nuun with it (I got the watermelon flavor and thought about you 😉
This week has been warm and humid. It was 75 when I left my house at 4:45am this morning, soooo there’s that. I have been taking it slower, knowing that the heat and crazy humidity is just not gonna give me my normal times right now. I’m heading to the NJ shore this weekend and I expect it will be even more humid down there, so easy peasy is my motto for the rest of the week!
My cut off temperature is 85! I know it’s usually hotter than that in Cali, but in Michigan it’s insane when it goes above that! I can’t stand it! If I start to run in hot weather and I feel light headed, I take my run indoors. Better to be safe than sorry!
Thanks for the post! I live in the Pasadena area and have totally been struggling with this heat wave. I laughed a little bit with #5… I sometimes feel super guilty for not getting out there when it’s like this… that was good perspective 🙂
I couldn’t agree with you more! Great post on the importance of keeping yourself safe in the heat. I love bringing a camel pack with me when I run because sometimes it feels unbearable!
kimmymia.blogspot.com
One of the perks of being injured is skipping running this summer. It has been HOT and HUMID in DC lately. The humidity is just killer. I have been known to turn into a slug running in this type of weather / throw up on the side of the road. It’s super adorable, I promise.
This is really scary I dont know how I missed it! I did notice a few extra medical golf cart thingies but yikes! I feel terrible for those people but I feel a little bit better about the amount of walking I did because I realize now I def wasn’t being lazy I was being smart-ish.
One more thing…if you are going to run at night when it’s cooler, please please please wear something reflective or light colored. Last night I saw a woman running on a road with no sidewalks (and very little room) and no streetlights (an unincorporated area) wearing a dark grey tank and black capris…this was at 9pm.
Now (as a runner) I really try to look for runners and cyclists on the roads, but she was just being DUMB. Honestly, people!!! Help drivers to see you and don’t put yourself in jeopardy. 😛
Early, early morning or after 7pm (still have some daylight but it’s much cooler). But honestly, you have to be OK to give up the run if it’s just too hot. Like you said, your health is more important. I also try to hydrate all day long with plain, old water. I’m pretty sure that helps with the later p.m. runs. When I’ve had water all day, I can get by on my run with just my 18oz Nathan hand-held to keep my mouth from getting too dry. If I drink a lot, I start sloshing–BAD!
Be careful, run smart!! Best advice…
It’s full of storms here! Hello yoga!
I live just outside of Phoenix and have to wake up before sunrise to get my runs in… This morning I couldn’t even do that as a dust storm was raging outside! I’m rescheduling the run for tomorrow, hopefully the weather will cooperate!
This was an incredibly well timed post, especially for people who are training for fall distance races. It’s so important to remember to drink a lot of water and not push it if it’s too hot or humid!
I’m with Amy P — planning routes around where there are bubblers (water fountains for the non-Wisconsites) is a great idea! Another thing I’ve done in the past is dropped icy water bottles along my route. Sometimes I’ll carry the bottle for the first third, run another 3rd out and back to that spot, and then run home. I’ve also considered leaving a bottle along the way the night before if I’m driving along what I know will be my running route.
The other problem with the night-before thing is that, if it’s warm overnight, the water will be warm in the morning. But warm water is often better than no water at all!
The weather is gloriously cool(er) in central Florida this week thanks to some rainy days!!! Still leaving in the dark to avoid any possible sun and heat that comes with it though 🙂
I’ll add this to your “drink and dump” tip: Make sure it’s actually water! In a marathon last year, I dumped Gatorade on my head…even though the volunteer was clearly shouting, “GATORADE.” I was a sticky mess for the rest of the race. Not my finest moment.
I just moved 4,000 feet below where I lived before and didn’t think about the heat. It has been a rude awakening. I can no longer run in the middle of the day. Luckily it stays light out until 10:30, but the heat was not something I thought about with this move. Thanks for the tips!
This week’s forecast is full of scattered showers- which basically means surprise rain! Honestly after running in humid 90 degree days the rain is a welcomed treat. Except when it starts downpouring and you are 4 miles from your house, that’s no fun.
Weather is just meh here. Today the high is in the low 70s, pretty ideal for running. It’s not so ideal for fun summer activities like sitting in a pool all day drinking margaritas. It has had no impact on my schedule as I spend most of my time working out at the gym.
Listen Meb…
HA! I loved that line. And YES YES and YES! Thanks for sharing this one!
Living in the south we have to get used to running in high humidity and heat. My group and I usually plan our long routes around places we know have water fountains or that we can run in and get water (the Y’s around here are usually pretty cool about that). I also try to run with a hydration belt for anything over 8 miles, even though I feel like a super nerd.
Also girls plan on having some sports bra chaffing in the summer… I never had this issue until I put ice in my shirt at the Boilermaker last year. My underwire area was bloody by the end of the race.
Great point Loretta. I ran 4 miles last week and my sports bra had rubbed my skin raw. Ouch! I ended up doing a little research and found that “SportShield Silicone Liquid Roll On” is best for runners 🙂
I ordered Silk Dust and Lanacane AntiChaffing Gel on Amazon. I have been using a generic BodyGlide product (Mission) but it stopped working on my thighs. I’ll look into SportShield when I run out of these other 2.
Most of the time we’re so focused on the run that we forget simple things like this. I’m in southeast Texas. On Monday morning I woke up at 4:00 am to 85 degree weather and humidity so high it doesn’t even matter. Thanks for posting this for the people who don’t know and the people who know better but still push on.
Incredibly timed post, Monica. I think it’s important for everyone to have these thoughts in mind to make the best personal decisions for summer training.
I agree with you Krissy!