Hot Stuff

[mrrun]

Uncharted territory for me. Visiting some friends on the Croatian coast where the heat can really get prohibitive. I prepared for my first morning run well, my usual banana and water, out running at 7.30am, beautiful scenic path, what could possibly go wrong It turns out, nothing The usual mantra learned on the forum - "listen to your body & go slow" - worked as always although a 70 meter ascent in the schorcio with no wind played in my mind. All ended well, 5k in just over half an hour, l drank water like there's no tomorrow and had a great feeling of relaxation afterwards. The local media warn a heat wave (what do they call current 32c then?) so will play it by ear and probably run closer to dawn, just in case. Any tips for running in the heat? I'm not keen to explore local A&E

[froggyrunner Graduate]

Hi There! I live in France and the heat has been a real issue for me. I'm afraid the only solution I have found is running at dawn (never thought I'd say that, not just running, but at dawn!!) let me know how you get on 😎

[mrrun Graduate in reply to froggyrunner]

Some locals looked at me utterly bemused. They like their shade and black coffee. God knows what they made out of me, especially given that l wear my usual multi coloured basketball gear lol. A sight to behold, especially at dawn :))

[runningnearbeirut Graduate]

If you're on holiday then 7:30 might seem really early, but if it's going to be hotter I'd recommend running as early as possible. Like 6:00. You can always have a siesta in the afternoon.

Keep hydrated, splash water on your wrists, run slowly and keep in the shade. Sounds like you did well today, so just do the same (or slower) and you'll be fine.

[mrrun Graduate in reply to runningnearbeirut]

When l felt the heat rising l nearly went faster but thought better of it and slowed right down, felt really comfortable

[misswobble Graduate]

Head covering and a drink. Avoid the hottest parts of the day. Run on coast Rather than inland, if poss 🙂 Don't do very much, a steady jog 😃

[mrrun Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Head covered? I knew it, the face and the back of the neck are red now. I'm literary on the coast where humidity is really high but it's not bad at all, l will tweak my next run better - hat & slightly earlier in the day. Hat? What on earth was l thinking seeing all those other people covered?!

[ju-ju- Graduate]

On holiday last August in Majorca I ran at about 6.30 everyday. I found it was the best time to go as there was a slight coolness and more air before the sun came up. I hydrated well beforehand and took it super slow with stops too. I covered 5 to 6 miles most days and the best bit was getting back, showering and having a swim and stretch in the pool. They were really special times for me.... enjoy your holiday

[mrrun Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

True! Finishing the run and relaxing was great especially as l was a bit concerned (similar temperatures to out last heatwave in London but the air felt much heavier). The locals advice against wandering about between 11am - 5pm, there's hardly anyone out there now so, yep, l will next go as early as l can. Thank you all for the feedback

[misswobble Graduate]

It could be a damp mansize hankie, if you've no hat. You could treat yourself to a fireign legion type hat 🙂

[Hidden]

I live on the opposite side of the Adriatic, get out early, wet your hair/head before going out - I add in conditioner as my beauty tip....

Put your water bottle in the freezer and wet your vest with water. These all help, I find morning is better than evenings as the heat often radiates from buildings after dusk...

[mrrun Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, Jan! And thanks for the hair tip

[Hidden in reply to mrrun]

Coming up how to manicure on the run...

[Topsy62]

I just got back from Portugal. Agree with JuJu - after a first day running meltdown, I timed my runs to finish just as the sun came up. I also ran along the seafront to catch whatever breeze there was. Drank loads of water the night before - even though it meant getting up in the night to pee! Slowing your pace just makes sense too, (though not applicable to me as I'd have been going backwards!) Happy holidays!