15K of Sheer Drenched Bliss

[mrrun]

I can’t resist to post about running in warm weather each time we get hit with such blessed conditions. But first let’s make it absolutely clear that our current weather is simply pleasantly warm, and that the hot weather is something completely different (there will be more posts when we get to that crossing 😉).

For those who don’t know me, I am a bone fide hot weather aficionado who loves this transition and gets exited about possible running in scorching conditions. Am I normal? Well, I dunno, but I still love the freedom of running in blistering heat. Today I deliberately started my 15 km run at 12.30 when the sun was hovering right above me and was chuffed to see many like me on this route. For those who are uncertain, who dread or simply dislike sizzlers, I can only say - enjoy all that’s given to us. This is no reason to avoid running. Run early in the day, run slow and run in the shade. Apply sun protection! Take walking breaks! And if you follow three simple points - rest, quality diet and electrolyte reach hydration (with regular water intake) you will run in comfort of a gazelle, no matter how high the Celsius is. Try! 😎

[SkiMonday Ultramarathon]

I guess that’s “Drenched” as in “Sun Drenched”?

I agree, pleasant running conditions today, although it becomes even more important to be properly hydrated!

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to SkiMonday]

I hydrate religiously, daily, carrying water bottles anywhere I go. Depending on the run I’ll take electrolyte drink with me to compensate for their loss through excess sweating. Today I needed it. Although the tempo was slow, averaging 6.20min per km, I was ‘drenched’. Managed to time my hydration intake well so I ran comfortably. I LOVE such occasions when it all clicks together.

[SkiMonday Ultramarathon in reply to mrrun]

Ah OK! Should have mentioned in my reply that I’m the one with the messed up hydration. It’s covered in my Hackney HM report.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to SkiMonday]

I find hydration the trickiest, so many factors can go against the run of play. Diet is complex and I messed it up badly training for 50K, losing muscle rather than fat due to calorie intake deficiency and dropped nearly 9kg in process, losing strength as a result. But all pales in comparison with hydration. Make a tiny error and you pay. It took some serious trial and error to get to know how much to drink during a long run to compensate for the loss of electrolytes through sweating, let alone looking after glycogen store depletion. Mess it up, you suffer and stop. Get it right, you run well and look smug. Pro runners have big teams who look after their every step. Me? I've got a great and knowledgeable wife who knows exactly what to recommend and prepare for me before I go. Priceless! 😀

[SkiMonday Ultramarathon in reply to mrrun]

In that case, she's a great support team!

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to SkiMonday]

Oh yes man, I consider myself lucky and privileged. 😎

[nowster Metric Marathon]

For me, heat isn't the problem. It's humidity. This is what got me during our mini heatwave in July last year, trying to run in the morning on the coast. It wasn't particularly hot, but it was very humid.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to nowster]

I ran in Croatia by the sea when air temperatures got to high thirties (in Celsius). As the weather hit the so called ‘dead heat’ with no wind and very uncomfortable pressure, the humidity reached nearly 90%. That means you are sweating even when sitting down in the shade. I will never forget my fists dripping sweat at 7 am, as I ran. Then I changed my tactics and ran at sunset but that was something else. Everything radiated heat by then, I was melting. For some bizarre reason I managed to run faster and with less effort than here in England, but I did limit myself to no longer than 5k each time. In a local tavern they knew that the strange fellow would come in, wet to the core, and order a small drought beer with a glass kept in the fridge. And some five minutes later they would serve me the second glass. I had such unforgettable time, enjoyed myself to such an extent that I simply come back for more and specifically time up my holidays so that I can run in such conditions. 😎🌞

[nowster Metric Marathon in reply to mrrun]

That's a particularly apposite Freudian slip: drought beer. 😆

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to nowster]

Hahaha, indeed. Credit goes to my phone’s auto check spell. It was even better before I edited the whole thing.

[misswobble Marathon in reply to mrrun]

That reminds me of the Ice Cold in Alex film 🙂🥵🍻

[misswobble Marathon]

Mad dogs and Englishmen 😁

I just like running in the warm. Not having one’s butt frozen off is marvellous 😀. I was out this morning in overcast skies but I still got my shoulders pink! 😎

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to misswobble]

I posted a similar thing 4 years ago when I ran in Croatia and you replied with ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen’, lol, 😅. And yes, the freedom of running slow and not having to stress about frozen fingers or earlobes sells it to me each time. In terms of sunburns I get burnt to a crisp in no time given my paler than pale skin, and yet I still go out there and love it. Mind, when I run anywhere proper hot I cover myself with industrial quantities of max protection sun screen. That, in effect, attracts little flies that bite the lights out of me but that’s another story….

[misswobble Marathon]

I just love that song 😁🎶🎵 😎🏃‍♂️🌝

I’ve never run anywhere super hot. I ran one evening here in the U.K. when it was 29 degrees 🥵. That was plenty hot enough for me ☺️

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to misswobble]

Oh yes, that IS proper warm, and in a way we are lucky because we can run outside a year round. If we exclude a few hot days and some occasional and brief snow, this land is the official paradise for outdoor running.

[misswobble Marathon in reply to mrrun]

It’s middlin 🙂👍

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to misswobble]

Middlin' for sure!