Jess has proved to be a poor influence to me when the sun gets strong and the asphalt heats up in the summer. Her italian heritage keeps her free from sunburn while anything under 70 SPF turns me into dinner. Despite my fear of turning into a roasted turkey, Jess and I both know that with Chicago in October we will need to keep our mileage up over the hot summer months. Because of this I was thinking about expectations and training for the fall marathon season. One of the things I fear about fall marathons is the summer running (simply due to the heat). Looking forward to long runs on days that will approach 90, speed work in hurricane force winds, and hard rain turning to golf-ball sized hail is not always easy. Despite all the difficulties that come with summer running there are a few benefits that make my fearful skin cells get out the door.
They include:
1. Warm Rains
2. Pale skin gains a nice healthy tomato look
3. Laying shirtless reading a book under a tree afterwards
What gets you out the door when the thermometer bubbles up?
There are a ton of recommendations out there for hot running: "Stay hydrated", "Take water with you", "Wear moisture wicking clothes", "Wear a hat", "Find a route with water fountains".
One of my favorite tips is to take a few dollars, your pool pass, and your do-it-all phone. Head out for a run, pick a nice seat by the pool, buy some swedish fish and a bottle of water, then read and listen to music in the sun. This will get you two runs, your daily dose of Vitamin D the natural way, and prepared for the chance that your race will be one with a cut-off due to heat.
Enjoy your summer!
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