Summatime!

The warm weather the past few days started me thinking about songs, and while I’m no David Kleckner when it comes to lyrics, here’s one to think about:

Summer runnin' had me a blast
Summer runnin’ happened so fast

Went on a run, slow as can be
Went on a run, hot as can be

Summer runs, joggin’ away, to uh-oh those summer nights

Uh Well-a well-a well-a huh

Tell me more, tell me more
Did you go very far?
Tell me more, tell me more
Like was there water?

Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh

She ran by me, she got a cramp
He ran by me, splashed me with water
I saved her life, she had heat stroke
He showed off, sprintin’ away

Summer runs, something's begun, but uh-oh those summer nights

Uh well-a well-a well-a huh
Tell me more, tell me more

Obviously I’m not quitting my day job anytime soon, but running in the heat brings two things to mind. One, Water and Two, Heat.

First of all water. For those who run in Central Park or any park for that matter, you know exactly where the water fountains are, which ones have the best water pressure, which ones inevitably have gum stuck on the drain and which ones seem to smell. For those who run outside of parks, we know where there are water fountains, which delis or coffee shops are willing to spare a cup of water and what neighbors tend to water their lawns when we run. When all else fails, or it’s miserably hot, we carry water with us.

Carrying water adds a whole new dimension to running. Personally I can’t stand carrying something in my hands when I run. I don’t know why, I just can’t. Back in the day of Sony Walkmans, I never carried mine with me (forget the arm strap, that would cut off the circulation in my hand by the time I got it tight enough to stay on). Nowadays I rely on my trusty hydration belt, with room for 4 bottles, each with eight ounce capacity. With all four bottles loaded, it’s about right for a sixteen mile long run, and I can slide bottles off for shorter runs. Granted I hate the bouncing that I get with all four bottles fully loaded, but it beats dehydration.

I’ve seen a lot of people use a hydration pack system, you know, it looks like a knapsack, but has a hose sticking out of it that runners seem to chew on while they run? I’ve never tried it so, am curious as to how any of you who have it feel about it. My only thought would be on hot days, it would make you hotter and sweatier (if that’s possible) where it sits on one’s back.

Obviously we don’t need to carry water only when it’s hot out, but anytime we are out for longer then our usual “keeping” fit runs (whether they are two, four, six, etc. miles).

Onto heat. It’s forecast to hit ninety plus and stay warm over the course of the Memorial Day weekend. While ninety in May is unusual, it’s not as bad as the ninety plus we hit in early April. Our bodies were not acclimated to that at all. At least now we’ve had some time to get used to temps in the seventies and eighties, so while it’s still a stretch, it’s not that bad. Those general rules of thumb apply when running in the heat – slow down, don’t run at the hottest time of day (believe it or not, it’s not at noon, but rather between 3 and 5pm), wear light colored clothing, hydrate and my personal favorite, use sunscreen.

With all that said, I went out at 11:30am, simply because that’s what fit into my schedule (I was planning on going at 5:30am, but a certain four and half year old decided that it was a good morning to snuggle in with mom and dad – who could resist?). It was hot, I had a light colored top on, I sunscreened my face, shoulders, arms and legs (no hat). I was running on a trail, that is pretty well shaded, I know where the water fountain is. I took it slower then normal.

I survived. It was hot, but in the shade, there was a slight breeze (and not that nasty hot breeze you get when the subway comes into the station) and when I was done, there was air conditioning! I guzzled Gatorade and water when I was done. I cooled off in air conditioning (boy that was great). And I kept thinking how back in January on that same run, there was snow on the ground, it was twenty degrees and I couldn’t wait for summer. As they say in Disney, “Wishes can come true”.

Summer runs can be fun, but make sure you are prepared, both with your gear and your expectations. Safe running. - Gabi D.