Re-posting one of my most popular posts for my friends training for fall races in TX (or any state on the face of the sun) this summer! Some of it’s a little dated now, but I needed a reminder of what NOT to do now that’s it’s summer and I’m training for YET ANOTHER race that requires summer TX training!
This time last year (almost to the day) I was knee high in training for the Disneyland Half Marathon. I could be heard whining, yelling and softy sobbing (alternately mostly) these words “I will NEVER train for a race through the TX summer again.”
That’s right. Never. Now the Disneyland Half was an absolute blast – loved the course, loved the friends we went with, loved that Scott ran it on a broken toe (story for another day;) and yet still, even while we were still IN sunny CA I heard come out of my mouth multiple times, “Wow. This has been so fun but since I’m never training through a TX summer again, we won’t be able to do this race again. Ever. Oh well.”
Fast forward several months. I was on maybe my 100th watching of Spirit of The Marathon and thought, once again, about how much I’d love to run the Chicago marathon. It’s flat, it’s cooler than here (usually) and how fun would that be? And then, on some Deena Kastor induced running high, I signed up. Yes, I realize I’m one of the lucky ones because the race was sold out in less than a week (a new record) and boy oh boy was I excited to get in. Plus, I’ll be joined by some of my favorite people, Beth, Suzanne and Sara (you’ll meet them as we get closer). WHAT COULD GO WRONG??
Until 2 weeks ago. When I ran 13 miles in the heat. And humidity. And I was miserable.
No, I’m not bailing. I’m still running the Chicago Marathon, Lord willing, but I would just like to warn others that early fall races are very hard on you if you happen to live in TX. So here’s a new top 5. The top 5 dumbest things I’ve done running in TX heat:
- Forgotten to use Body Glide. Again, TMI perhaps, but one cannot underestimate the affects of road rash, monkey butt or whatever else you care to call it. Chafing is not our friend. Buy Body Glide. Use Body Glide. Interestingly, they just came out with Body Glide for Her which I found out from the helpful woman at Run On is actually exactly the same as regular Body Glide but in a pink container. And it’s smaller. Yeah, because women chafe LESS than men. Said no one ever.
- Started out too late. You MUST be out the door by 6:15 or just before sunrise. I don’t like running in the dark by myself (even though I live in the safest neighborhood in America) because I hear noises and get spooked, so I have to wait until I can see. But more than once I have gotten lazy and left even 20 minutes after sun up. Bad idea. The TX sun is like the eye of God searing your very soul with burning lava that will fry your brain like that old ad with the egg in the frying pan and the drugs.
- Started out too fast. I cannot run fast when it’s 81 degrees and 70% humidity. Maybe some of you can. I can’t. And yet I always seem to forget this and start out way faster than I should and by the end I start to cramp up, see the Care Bears, and talk to street lights. It’s not pretty. Go slow in the heat and humidity. Once I swear I saw Olivia Newton John wearing her outfit from Xanadu and roller skating right next to me. Swear.
- Forgot to bring a small washcloth to wipe sweat out of my eyes. I wear BondiBands and love them, but they are no match for TX heat. They help wick away maybe 30% of the sweat but the rest will pour down on my face and into my eyes like a water hose from above with saline. It hurts my eyes, it hurts my skin, and it leaves a white film that is actually my body losing essential minerals. Take a small washcloth, stash it somewhere, and wipe your face with it when needed.
- Not hydrating enough. Yes, I know, this should be obvious. After all, I have three children. I’ve been married for over 20 years. I am a successful pastor at a mega church. I’ve read Dickens. Surely I can figure out that you need to drink water when you run in TX in the summer. And yet I find myself routinely underestimating the amount of water needed, which recently I read is something like 9 – 11 ounces a mile (please go look that up instead of taking my word for it – if you’re reading this blog for ACTUAL factual advice we’re all in trouble). As the commentator said for the Women’s Marathon on Sunday “in a marathon, if you’re thirsty, it’s already too late.” And too late for me it has been. Too many times.
So for my next long run (a week from Saturday, 15 miles) I will come back here and re-read this post and try my hardest to not make my same mistakes yet again. Or perhaps I will be on my treadmill again like the 14 miles I did Saturday. (I watched the rest of Meet Me in St. Louis, some Olympics and Summer Magic. Wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated) And I swear, I will never train for a fall race in the TX summer again. Ever. Maybe.
Happy Running!! Oh, and a big shout out to my bff, Ryan Hall (whom I actually don’t know at all). We’re all rooting for you, Brother! Sorry about the lost luggage.
Jen
Another great post! Regarding hydration, I’ve read about a formula to calculate how much to drink during your run:
1) Weigh yourself naked before the run.
2) Run for a while without drinking anything.
3) Weigh yourself naked again.
The number of ounces you lose during that time is the number of fluid ounces you should drink during that amount of time under those conditions. During the summer, I do most of my running in the afternoon or evening when the heat is worst. I try to drink 40-50 ounces per hour, and I also eat some electrolyte gel if I’m out more than an hour to prevent hyponatremia. And I STILL lose at least a pound or two most of the time. If you’re only doing 10 ounces an hour, even on a morning run, that’s probably why you have such a hard time in the heat. That might not even be enough for a cold-weather run. Check Runner’s World for better advice – remember, I’ve only done a single half marathon so far. =)