Running in the heat?

[mrqwest]

Last year, when I started & graduated C25K, 99% of my runs were at 5.30/6am. I'm a morning person and it's much easier for me to run at that time. It also fits in nicely with work & family commitments.

This year however, with a little one who's yet to sleep through the night, I've not had a proper nights sleep for 18 months so at the weekend, if I can catch another two hours sleep, I will! This has led to weekend runs happening around lunchtime.

On Sunday, I went for a long-ish run but it ended earlier than expected because it was just so b***** warm! I got to 8k and called it quits and that was after a few walking breaks. I ran in shorts & tee but it was still so warm... worst thing is, it's not even the proper summer yet!!

Is there some trick that I don't know about because I always see folks running in a full clothing, trousers, shirt AND jumper / jacket plus cap! How are these people not melting?

So what's the secret? How can you keep cool whilst running in the mid-day heat? My wife & I are booked in on a few races this year which invariably take place around lunchtime so I want to avoid any instances of spontaneous combustion!!!

[Landesman Graduate]

A perennial problem. You could always follow in the footsteps of the great Ron Hill and try a string vest ( tinyurl.com/bo7ymuw ). But the technical tops and shorts now are great - so light and cool, and no moisture retention. After running here in the afternoon when it was 26C I now take a little hand held water bottle with me to at least stop my mouth from drying out totally. And I have a Nike dri-fit cap ready but haven't tried it yet.

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to Landesman]

I have a similar dri-fit cap and wore it once last year - I can't remember the outcome though.

Maybe I should get some more tech-tops. I've got a bunch of Karrimor ones which are from sportsdirect but they were cheap tops (£6-7 each) so maybe I need to spend a bit more?

But alas no, If I tried running in a string vest, it'd be more Rab C Nesbit mrqw.es/t/hg

[Landesman Graduate in reply to mrqwest]

There are certainly different grades of tech top. I picked up a Nike one in a sale recently thinking it was the same as a dri-fit one I already have, and it is _much_ lighter and the back is very loosely woven (presumably to let the air flow through more easily). May be worth a trip to a specialist shop to see the difference.

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to Landesman]

Good shout!

[tantrumbean Graduate]

Don't know the answer I'm afraid, although I find going out in a wet top helps...Apart from that, I'm just hoping I'll get used to it! Looking at the forecast, the current heat wave at least looks short-lived!

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to tantrumbean]

haha! I did think about jumping in teh shower fully clothed before going out for my next run...

How do you 'wet' your top and by how much?

[tantrumbean Graduate in reply to mrqwest]

Depends how hot it is - if it's proper roasting, I dunk it in the sink and wring it out, so it's soaking, but no longer dripping. If it's just average hot, some well-aimed water from a bottle round the neck area seems to do the trick.

Not a wise idea if you are female and wearing a white top I hasten to add....

[Anniemurph Graduate]

This worries me too. I'm signed up for RFL in mid-July. Now, I know there's no reason to think that mid-July will be warm and sunny - it could well be 10C and flooded, I know - but what if it's 18C+ like it was on Sunday when I went for a run? Although my legs and lungs were more or less okay, the blood was pounding in my head and I had to stop and walk.

Any tips will be very gratefully received. I'm not sure about running in a wet T-shirt although i suppose it might be different