It’s Friday so I’m linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five linkup! Join in! Don’t forget to link back to your hostess and visit some other bloggers. (This is a re-post with some updates.)
Summer is finally upon us. And I am loving it. (Really I am!)
Here are some of MY personal tips to enjoy it even more.
1. Stop complaining and posting about the temps and humidity.
Ok, I do it too. But it’s early in the summer and I am sick of reading about how the heat has affected your speed and stamina.
If the heat bothers you:
- Don’t run.
- Run earlier or later in the day.
- Run indoors.
- Run slower.
- Run fewer miles.
victory for running in only a tank and skirt
Do you enjoy running in the summer or just do it because you have to?
2.Wear Compression Calf Sleeves.
I know it sounds crazy but it is so buggy in the summer. Besides protecting your legs from injury, it will help ward off ticks and mosquitoes. With all that rain, this summer, the bugs are insane.
the ice cream helped as well as the socks lol
Do you protect your legs from ticks and mosquitoes?
3. Wear a Baseball Cap.
It keeps you cool (if you have thick hair like me). It shields your face from the sun and most importantly, it protects your scalp from the sun. Most runners neglect to put sunscreen on their head and a visor will do zero for you there.
What do you wear on your head to protect it from the sun?
4. Plan your Hydration.
That doesn’t mean that you have to carry water. I don’t usually.
I mean, how much can you really carry during a hot weather run, anyway? An everyday runner does not have to purchase a hydration vest.
an old pic (I lost that water bottle 😦 )
But you need to drink even if you think that you are not a heavy sweater.
I usually plant water somewhere on my route or loop my runs so I pass my car (where I have water). I have even stopped a local convenience store during my run and bought a bottle of water.
Or you can buy the Long Haul skirt from Skirt Sports. It has two pockets in the back that each hold a small water bottle.
How do you make sure you drink enough water during your summer runs?
5. Sign up for Races.
You knew this one was coming.
The adrenaline of the race will make you forget about the heat. There will be water stops along the course and maybe even watermelon or ice cream at the end of the race.
Ok not as comfortable as sitting in your air-conditioned home or floating around a pool but better for you and much more fun.
at one of my favorite summer 5ks
Do you run a lot of races during the summertime?
Happy Running! Any other tips for enjoying the summer run? Please share.
My First 5K and More... 
Haha I LOVE your #1 advice about the heat! Everyone seems to want to complain about it. I know the heat and humidity make running harder and slower but I love summer and will never complain, just adjust!
I dont wear compression socks or sleeves because I never felt they made a difference for me and I’ve found them to be just too tight. However, in often run through wooded trails and never gave it a thought to have my legs and calves protected.
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Some brands are tighter than others like Pro compression. They are tight. Legend and Zensah are more comfortable.
I love summer too! Even though it is HOT!! It’s such a short season.
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I’m trying a new hydration method tomorrow and I’m hoping it works. I haven’t run with a fuel belt in a while but I need another way to carry my water since the handheld gets on my nerves after a few miles and my orange mud pack can be a little cumbersome, especially when it’s really hot out.
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Let us know what works. I hate carrying a bottle in my hand too. I feel off balance.
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I soooo agree about #1. I feel like i am always telling people that summer running is about maintaining a base so you can do great in the fall….run slower, run shorter distances, but just get out there and do something.
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I know. I had to drag someone (and myself) out there and she thanked me after. It was hard. It was slow but we did it.
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LOI about #1 and heading to my last post to delete my complaining! lol. No but seriously, I totally get it. Hydration is so important too and I normally fail to bring water because I don’t like carrying it. Plus I normally only need it after I am done when I start sweating like crazy.
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I complain all the time. I try to catch myself.
I do the same about water. But I am starting to recognize its importance.
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#1 – guilty, guilty, guilty 🙂
Water for me is a bit of a crutch. I like having it even if I don’t need it. I’m noodling around the different chews, water additions to figure out what wroks for me. Long runs i can chew, short intense ones I can’t.
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Don’t get me wrong. I do it too!!!
I’m not good with experimenting. I guess I don’t want to deal with the consequences when fuel goes wrong.
So I stick with plain water and eat GU.
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GU and I don’t get along in summer. Heat and a sensitive stomach, so off gu until it’s more temperate. Chewing helps the digestion for me
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so far, my runs have not been long yet..eventually though.
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Well you know I used to run all year long so I got used to the heat and humidity. Didn’t particularly like it, but I wouldn’t run for 7 months out of the year if I didn’t run in the heat, thank you Texas. I like to carry a handheld water bottle if I’m running more than three miles, but that didn’t happen much in the summertime. Also we only have a 4th of July 5K in the summertime. No other races to sign up for, boo.
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I love the heat so maybe I should move to TX. If our summers were longer, it would be easier to acclimate to the temps too.
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I am not a fan of carrying a hand held bottle, but I do it for long runs (or on especially hot days). I also try to loop back to my house if I can, or swing through a convenience store for a bathroom break. I find compression socks/sleeves have a bit of a cooling effect on me, so I don’t usually feel more heat with them. What a lot of people don’t realize is that running in the heat (albeit slower or not for as long a distance) does build your endurance AND your grit. Of course, the same goes for the frigid cold winter temps, as well, but I’d rather be overheated than freezing cold.
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We would get along. Both preferring hot to cold. I don’t like carrying something in one hand but I do it when it is very hot and I run long so I don’t get dehydrated.
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I seem to be the exception — I need water. Lots & lots of water. So it’s either lots of pockets or the hydration vest — which is actually really comfortable, can hold LOTs of water, has yet more pockets — but yes, it looks very dorky. Sometimes you just have to look like a dork.
Nope, obviously I don’t run a lot of summer races. But more than in winter. 🙂
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You do what you gotta do.
At least with races, I don’t have to worry about carrying water.
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I always carry water at races, especially in summer. Even 5ks.
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Definitely no to complaining especially since it is only hot for a little while in NH. Also, yes to a hat especially when I am running in the woods. The ticks are so bad right now.
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i agree.. Summer is here than then gone.
Yes, it’s been a buggy summer so far…due to lots of rain.
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I definitely struggle w the humidity and I have decided to cut back on mileage and not worry about pace. It will revert back in a few months
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But at least you keep moving.
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I”m sorry that you are bothered by some of us complaining about the heat. Wearing compression socks is certainly not going to help with that! We all cope with it in our own way.
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Not bothered. Just trying to stay positive. And we all get out and run anyway.
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