Keeping your cool

Last week's race report for Sunburn Solstice contained a lot of stuff about hot weather running/racing, because it was a warm, sunny day.

The kind where you'd love to hit a beach.

I seem to struggle a little less than average in steamy races than a lot of people because I employ a lot of thought and strategy. Now that the weather has gone from "early summer" to "fifth circle of hell", I thought I'd amalgamate that info into a single post for those who are suffering in the heat.

1. Cover your head

A hat wicks sweat (providing evaporative cooling) and reflects solar energy off your head. I have long hair, and have run with and without a hat - without has always felt hotter. A light colour is best. I have never used a visor, but since it wouldn't reflect solar energy from the greater part of the surface area that the sun is hitting, I can't see it being as helpful as a hat. Not to mention, you can put a handful of ice in your hat (if available) - as it melts, it'll run down your scalp, face and neck to help cool you.

Or just hit the beach instead.

2. Active cooling

Apply ice or cold water on as many high blood flow areas as possible. For me, that's packing ice in my bra (yeah, not an option for most guys - but you guys don't have to squat when you pee during an ultra, so you have your own advantages!), in a pocket on the back of my skirt (just above my butt), and in a tubular gaiter around your neck. Fold the ice into the tube and turn it around so it sits on the back of your neck, and don't worry too much about direct contact with skin. Your hands can also provide a lot of perceived cooling, as they're packed with nerve endings - while some athletes have been known to go so far as to wear latex exam gloves to pack with ice, simply carrying a bit of ice in your hand will help. Since I carry a hand bottle for water, getting ice in my bottle helps in two ways: the cold against my palm, plus being able to drink cold water. You can also add ice to your hat as described above, or even just stuff some down your shorts - the femoral veins are big blood conduits that sit close to the surface in your groin, so you can cool yourself quite a bit that way.

Though not as much as just bobbing on a floatie in a lake.

3. Cooling apparel

I wore cooling apparel. A pair of cooling/sun protection sleeves and a cooling tank top, plus the neck gaiter I used has the same cooling technology. These work best when kept wet. I did put some ice in the wrists of the sleeves once, but it didn't much want to stay in so I just wet them down periodically after that. I also have a long-sleeved cooling (and UV protective) shirt that I absolutely love, which not only actively keeps me cooler but also has pockets for ice at the back of my neck and in my lower back - it has made a huge difference for me in hot races, even with high humidity. Even if you don't wear clothing with cooling technology, just wearing light colours and keeping your skin covered can help - as much as #TeamSkins and #SportsBraSquad can be fun, you'll actually stay cooler without the sun beating on your bare skin, even apart from any other damage that UV exposure can do. There are loads of companies making great, breathable, lightweight apparel for sun protection these days - why not give it a try?

My sun hoodie can even keep me comfortable while cooking on a fire in the hot sun!

4. Airflow

First of all, make sure that your clothing is breathable so you're not just trapping heat against your body. Both sweat and wicking/breathable garments work better when you can get some breeze, so if you have a choice of routes between one that's going to be breezy and another that won't, choose the breezy route on a hot day. This doesn't apply to racing, of course, but for regular training go get you some wind!

How you do so is optional.

5. Get wet

As the day grew hotter at Sunburn Solstice, I carried a collapsible cup in the pocket of my skirt to fill at the unmanned (and cup-free) aid station at the turn-around on the 4k loop and dump over my chest and down my back, plus to slosh over the sleeves. While you won't necessarily have a water station on a training run, you can choose to run past the local splash pad, or maybe even try to find a place where you know the sprinklers come on at a particular time. I managed to find some sprinklers when out running yesterday evening, and it was glorious!

I was part of the #SportsBraSquad as it was after sunset, so no solar radiation to speak of.

6. Hydrate

When it's scorching out, you need to pay more attention to hydration, and not just during your run. Try to make sure you're well hydrated throughout the day by drinking regularly, and in extreme heat you should consider carrying water for even shorter (<1hr) runs. On longer runs, you may also need to supplement with electrolytes to avoid issues associated with sodium, potassium, chloride and magnesium losses due to sweat. A bit of carbohydrate and sodium will also help your body absorb hydration, so for longer runs you should consider either a sport drink, electrolyte tablets or capsules, or just adding a bit of sugar and salt to plain water. 

I drank almost a full 600ml hand bottle during a sweltering 6k run on Wednesday!

7. Shade

Keeping the sun off your skin with clothing is good, but not having it shine on you at all is even better. If you can choose your route and have the option for coverage, go that way - may I suggest a tree-lined trail? If you don't have a choice of direction, at least try to take advantage of what there is along the way; if you see a strip of shade on the left side of the path (and it's safe to do so), hug that side to get as much coverage as you can.

Though I guarantee it won't be as nice as sitting in the shade with your feet up.

8. Time of day

You can't control what time a race starts, but you should have some flexibility about when you go for a training run. Getting out in the early morning or late evening lets you avoid the worst of the heat of the day, though do be aware that this may limit your ability to adapt to the conditions you may face if you have races that will take place in the hottest hours.

Running near sunrise or sunset has other advantages, too.

9. Pacing

You'll have to adjust your pacing and expectations when running in hot weather. No amount of cooling clothing, shade or hydration can help you if you go out at 90% of your max heart rate, and if you let yourself overheat it's bloody difficult to shake that off. If you have a strenuous workout planned, you need to expect that your intervals will be a little slower, unless you move that workout either to a cooler day or to very early or late. When racing, ease into your effort and pay attention to what your body is telling you - it might cost you a few seconds per mile, but that's a hell of a lot better than blowing up and having to walk it in, stop entirely, or ending up needing medical intervention.

Don't go chasing a PR and end up in the ER.

10. Nutrition

You need to be aware of the impact of heat on your nutrition strategy for long runs or hot races. There are basically three dangers:

a) The products you use may be adversely affected by heat. They may either become unpalatable, unmanageable (think a melted mess that used to be a chocolate bar), or actually even become harmful if the ingredients spoil. Be wary of substances - especially liquids - that contain dairy or protein. If you intend to use something like this for a long race or run in high heat, you need to find a way to keep it cool through the hours or risk major stomach issues. You can either stash a cooler with cold packs in it, freeze your bottles/bars before the race or run, or both.

b) You may not feel like eating. Heat can be an appetite suppressant, which can be good for getting down to race weight while training, but can seriously harm your performance in a long run or race. Relying on your appetite to guide your nutritional intake in hot weather can lead to a failure to take in sufficient calories, and either having to slow down (even more than the heat alone would force you to) or stop entirely. Booking due to lack of fuel is very hard on your immune and endocrine systems, not to mention anathema to racing to your potential. Practice getting 200-400 calories per hour into you in hot conditions and commit to doing so in long runs and races.

c) Your stomach may not tolerate the same fuel or frequency that you've trained with in cooler conditions. If your preferred fuel doesn't agree with you when the mercury rises, you need to explore new options until you find something that does. Watermelon is deliciously cooling and provides both hydration and carbohydrates, but can also cause GI distress due to fiber and fructose content. You may need to explore all-liquid fueling strategies if you can't tolerate solids in high heat, as it's more challenging to stay hydrated enough to digest real food with your hard-working muscles pulling water away from your gut. You may have to rely on gels, or possibly try candy - more than one runner has had success by snacking on gummy bears. Just one more reason to practice eating on hot weather training runs! 

Sounds complicated - this is much simpler.

11. Chafing prevention

Between additional moisture due to sweat and/or wetting yourself down for cooling, plus more exposed skin in hot weather (if you just can't bear to stay covered up), you may experience more chafing and blistering than usual. For body chafing, the best thing I've ever used is SportShield roll-on. I've never had to re-apply it even in very long races, and it works everywhere - between the cheeks (just trust me), along the edges of bras and hydration packs, even on your feet. The same company does make a powder called BlisterShield as well, which is actually what I prefer to use in my socks for blister prevention. MEC sells single-use envelopes/towelettes you can try out to see if it works as well for you, or to keep in a drop bag or hydration pack for long runs and races.

Life. Saving.

12. Adapt

Definitely not the soft option, and certainly the most dangerous. Due to my schedule and preferences, I do actually run at the hottest time of the day a couple of days per week (running on my lunch break). I also live without air conditioning at home, so have to adapt to the hot weather being part of my life whether I like it or not. While it's uncomfortable and draining, it's also a strong possibility that this is a major contributor to my comparatively strong performance in hot races. Approach with caution: slow down, hydrate well, and seek cooling if you have even the slightest signs of heat-related illness such as: dizziness; confusion; a throbbing headache; lack of sweating; hot, red, dry skin; muscle weakness; rapid heartbeat (though your heart rate will be elevated at a given pace when compared to cooler weather); nausea or vomiting; or rapid, shallow breathing. To cool yourself rapidly get out of the sun - preferably somewhere air conditioned - and apply cool water or wet cloth to your wrists, neck, temples and groin. Seek medical attention without delay if symptoms fail to improve immediately, or if they worsen.

Better yet: go jump in a lake!
(But no, really do get help if you're in poor shape)

Hopefully you'll find these strategies helpful for surviving the dog days of summer. Of course, if it's all just too much for you to keep running, you can always just skive off and go paddling instead.

Which is exactly what I did all last weekend!

Be safe out there, folks, and stay cool!