Hot, Hot, Hot, Running in the Heat

Yesterday, after work, and despite the heat I just couldn't stay indoors anymore. At 5 p.m. I threw on my trail runners and committed to doing my local loop again. It's about 3.4 miles door to door but I usually stop around 3.35 and walk up the final hill. I again did okay and had a good amount of shade but could definitely feel the hit and was sweating profusely. Upon returning home and loading my run from my Garmin Forerunner 935 (2017 purchase) into the app, the temperature was recorded at 91°. And it's only the end of May.

This is my first time staying longer term in Northern California and experiencing hotter temperatures for extended period of times, and I am feeling anxious. Growing up in Washington State and living mostly in Seattle and London most recently, the winters were tough for getting out and running in the cold. But I'm used to having Spring, Summer and Fall for a long running season with maybe only a week where it felt too hot to run. Now I'm experiencing the reverse. I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas here in CA and the running temps were usually quite comfortable barely ever dipping below 40°. And since staying at my Brother's since March the spring weather conditions have been incredible... until now.

You may ask, why don't I just run in the morning or later at night when the temperatures cool off. Fair question, and it's just personal preference. I feel my best running after lunch when I'm hydrated and have fueled my body more. Additionally, I've been working 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. lately and I'm not enough of a morning person to get up any earlier. Staying with the family, dinner time is around 6 p.m. and then I start to wind down. Later in the evening is an option and I may try it out especially as the day light gets longer. But looking ahead to the potential of regularly over 90-100° days for the next few months has me starting to explore other options and locations to support my afternoon running preference. And of course, I can mentally try to convince myself that this is all just good "heat training."

Do you like to run in the heat? How do you adjust your training schedule?

#run #running #heattraining #optoutside