Advice for running in the heat: My friend who... - Couch to 5K

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Advice for running in the heat

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate
29 Replies

My friend who does marathons gave me the advice in the pic yesterday so I thought I’d pass it on. Hope it’s helpful!

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SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRun
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29 Replies
AlMorr profile image
AlMorrAmbassadorGraduate

Great advice from your friend SeejillRun, perhaps the 4pm is a little soon as sometime the max temperature in the UK is about that time, other places the max is around 1pm.

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to AlMorr

I thought 4pm was a bit early too, it was hotter then than when I went out at 11 yesterday morning

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate

Great advice. I like the part of showing some flesh. We had a very hot summer last year and I wore as little as possible and still be considered "decent" for a 45 year old woman 😳😂. Of course, I spend my time in the summer running isolated trails, so only a rare few have to experience that sight (my running partner, her dog and the occasional other trail runner or horse rider) 😱

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to SaskAlliecat

I could definitely wear less than I do currently but I’m not quite comfortable enough to expose my belly flab just yet, my trail isn’t quite isolated enough for that 😂😩

AlMorr profile image
AlMorrAmbassadorGraduate in reply to SeeJillRun

Problem is the less you wear, where do you keep all the important things like Smartphone, keys of your house, answer, a runner belt, I bought one the other day, the dearer they are, the more pouches there are, especially for distances longer than 10K.

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to AlMorr

I take my house key off my key ring n stick it in the back of my phone case sometimes. Or I have a bumbag type belt. My phone goes in my trouser pocket at the moment, when I progress to leggings I fancy some of the Fabletics ones with the leg pocket

mrrun profile image
mrrunGraduate

I would add hydration and appropriate diet, more important than ever. Also, run in the shade if possible. Finally, l ran in temperatures above 30C with high humidity and the key is to run just after dawn or when the sun sets. Or you will suffer big time. ;)

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to mrrun

Hydration definitely but I’m curious to know how appropriate diet can help on hot days. Am I missing something?

mrrun profile image
mrrunGraduate in reply to SeeJillRun

In the heat I tend to eat less (drink more water) and try to avoid anything like pies, curry, even bbq when it gets too warm. I’ll go with stuff like grilled fish, cold pasta and salads, anything that’s easier on the stomach. You simply cannot cover 10K in hot weather having fuelled on roast pork & hot potatoes. ;)

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to mrrun

Ah I see what you mean. I definitely eat less in hot weather n I tend to prefer lighter stuff so I guess my appetite is steering me in the right direction

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate

Good advice... judging by parkrun this Saturday I wouldn’t have liked it if it was a 10am start... only just avoided a walk break in the last mile as it was!

Last summer I was out at 9 and 10 at night... so I’m also not sure of 4pm, but I guess it depends on the day, ideally I want to run at around 45-55F, not sure it got that cool before midnight last year, but if that’s the case again this year I can save on sunscreen!

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to UnfitNoMore

I like the sound of that n I’d love to run later but I don’t fancy going on the trail I run on alone much beyond early evening really. That leaves me with roads, which are all up long hills plus I’ve not got road running shoes. So I guess I’ll be giving running in the earlier morning a go

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate in reply to SeeJillRun

I got to parkrun at 8 and watched the temperature go from perfect to “this is gonna hurt” while I waited for 9am... so I guess I’ll be running at 8. That said we have rain forecast Tuesday onwards and thunderstorms mid week... so back to afternoons then 😂

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to UnfitNoMore

Bet you wished you were volunteering instead of running lol. 8 sounds bearable, or even 9 as long as it’s still about 15 degrees though cooler would be better. I’m actually looking forward to the rain ☔️😂

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate in reply to SeeJillRun

I’m still over 1 volunteer credit a week since July... not far off 50 individual days now! Just been out and car is reading 77, people running everywhere, guess they have a lot more endurance!

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to UnfitNoMore

Or a lot less sense 😂 My daughter did an organised 5k run today that started at 11, she said she was dying by the end of it 🥵

That’s a fantastic amount of volunteering! I can’t wait till I have a car again so I can go to our local Parkrun 🚙 🏃‍♀️

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate in reply to SeeJillRun

How far is it? You could jog there as a warmup 🤣

Juniors is amazing so I’m there 9/10 weeks... I was helping at the Saturday one, even did some voluntourism, but currently my plan is giving me a 3 mile run every week, so I’m doing them as parkrun and will probably volunteer again when the plan gets nasty... oops, I mean when all runs are either speed or above 5k 😂

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to UnfitNoMore

It’s 15 minutes in the car so not likely to be jogging there anytime soon 😂 They sound like great events though. Good luck with your plan!

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate in reply to SeeJillRun

Yeah, that may need to wait until next spring 😂😂

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to UnfitNoMore

😂😂😂

Irishprincess profile image
IrishprincessGraduate

If it's very hot then dunk your whole head in water before you run and have some freezer chilled towels on standby for afterwards. Total bliss.

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to Irishprincess

Love those ideas! I could’ve done with dunking my head yesterday, I bet I would’ve stayed a fair bit cooler

Couchpotato2 profile image
Couchpotato2Graduate

The other day I had to lift my top up and hold it in my bra I was so hot. I thought about potential people seeing me and then I thought, they will probably just be admiring of this amazing athlete 😂

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to Couchpotato2

You’re braver than me then, I’m not ready to expose my flab just yet n if small kids n grown men think I’m walking then nobody’s thinking I’m an amazing athlete 🤣🤣🤣

Couchpotato2 profile image
Couchpotato2Graduate in reply to SeeJillRun

Haha I don’t think people really wld have thought that of me... just trying to do positive conditioning

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to Couchpotato2

I’m sure you are actually an amazing athlete to the people who aren’t running 😊

Couchpotato2 profile image
Couchpotato2Graduate in reply to SeeJillRun

One can only hope ;-)

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate

Well done...useful advice.. as is the pinned post from Realfoodieclub :)

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to Oldfloss

Thanks, just had a read of it, lots of great info to combine with some of the tips here 😊

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