It’s Friday so I’m also 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.

My Topic for this week is: Running during the Hot/Humid Summer Months

I’m not going to list the obvious because we all know about these tips:

• Carry Water
• Wear Moisture-Wicking Clothing
• Run early or late when the temps are cooler
• Wear Bug Repellent and sunscreen
• Wear a cap to protect your scalp and face from the sun
• Choose a shady route

It may be August but those hot temps are still around. So what else can we do to enjoy our runs at this time of year?

1.Embrace the Suck

Stop whining about how the heat and humidity are sucking the life out of your runs.

hot hot hot

GUILTY AS CHARGED!!

Soon we’ll be complaining that it is too cold and icy and we have to resort to a treadmill.

Either just Run or Don’t run.

Walking, hiking and biking are great ways to move if it is too uncomfortable for you to run.

96 degrees on the ground. Cool and breezy on the top of a mountain.

2.Use Intervals

I’m not one to use intervals when I run but this summer, I wanted to do more walking and hiking during the week and run longer on the weekend.

weekly group trail walks

The only way to get this done for me was to run using intervals.

If you do already and you find that the run parts are too long and the walk parts too short, just shorter the run and lengthen the walk.  The only person who cares about your pace is YOU!

30:30 – 14 mm pace – got it done and barely sweat

3.Provide Rewards

That is for post run.  Rewards are always an incentive.  But in the summer they are necessary (at least for me) and they should be cold ones.

Mine seem to be either ice cream or a thick shake or iced coffee – it depends on the time of day.

Just choose something to motivate you to get out there and get it done!

BTW: It doesn’t have to be food. LOL

4.Distract Yourself

Runs are hard and they are even harder in the heat.

I prefer chatting with a friend or friends.

But if this is not possible, you can listen to music, a podcast, focus on nature or even your own thoughts.

Whatever works for you.

Sometimes I do wear my After Shokz and listen to a podcast or Hamilton soundtrack

But if you read my blog, you know that flowers are my preferred distraction.

5.Avoid Comparison

Maybe this means avoiding social media or not uploading your runs to Strava or Garmin.

In other words, run for yourself and don’t compare the distance or your pace to others.  The heat may not affect other runners in the same way it affects you.

I don’t wear watch but most runners could not do this and still run.  (My runs still count!! I record only the distance and on my blog.)

happy to just squeeze in a run during my lunch break – sometimes 3 miles take the whole hour lol

I’m also linking up here:

Formerly the Running Coaches’ Corner, it’s back with new co-hosts Coach Debbie Runs, Running on Happy, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Mile by Mile, Runs with Pugs, and Fauxrunner.

Happy Running! Have you found ways to survive the hot humid summer runs? Please share.

It’s Friday so I’m also 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.

My Topic this week’s is: What do you love/hate about summer running?

All apply even we weren’t in the midst of a pandemic.

Love:

1.Less Layers

I can get changed in minutes. Tank. Skirt. Cap. Go!

so easy to squeeze in a run during lunchtime

2. Sunshine

I love the SUN!! It motivates me to get outside and get my dose of Vitamin D!!

blues skies, sunny days = ❤

3. Longer Days.

As a working runner, this is especially important to me.  It is no fun running in the dark after work.  When it is dark, it limits the places where I can run.

after work runs are my favorite because I can drive to favorite routes

4. Nature is prettier.

I love trees and flowers.  So much to look at during this season.  And different flowers and trees are blooming each week.

flowers and more flowers

5. No Training Runs.

Even during a normal year, I run my big races in the winter, fall and spring.  So summer is just for running. No plans. No stress.

just for fun and connecting with friends

Hate:

1.Mosquitos/Ticks/Black Flies

I am very susceptible to insect bites so I need to always apply insect repellent.  Sometimes I am lax and I pay the price with lots of itchy bites.

2.Humidity

Dry heat is great but when it is humid, it is tough to get the miles in and the speed.  I have to do a lot of walking…

too humid to run!!!

3.More Laundry

Less layers but they are sweaty.  That means that I can’t wear items more than once like I do in the other seasons.

4.Competing Activities

In the summer, there’s hiking, tennis, boating, BBQs, etc. It’s hard to fit it all in and sometimes, I may have to just skip the run in favor of a summer-only activity.

just suffering on the lake lol

5.Lack of Races to Motivate You.

Many more races to sign up for in the spring and fall.  Not many even during a normal summer.  So it may be hard to motivate yourself to get out the door or do those weekend long runs.

luckily for friends or these runs may not happen or be shortened

So I think I LOVE summer running more than I hate it. 

Maybe I should move to a warmer, sunnier climate?

Happy Running! What do you love and/or hate about summer?  Do you love or hate it more. Please share.

It’s Friday so I’m also 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.

My Topic today is: Gardening and Running

When I was a teacher, I had the summers off and I had a big perennial garden.  (I was not a runner back then).

Then I changed careers and started working during the summers.  So I let this garden die grow wild. I eventually also started running.

This summer with working from home and taking down a huge pine tree, I decided to create a new perennial garden.

Here are 5 reasons why both running and gardening are very similar:

1.Start small.

It is not recommended to start off by running a marathon.  You start with one mile and continue onto a 5k.  Maybe at some point even a half marathon or longer distances.

back in 2008…I didn’t start running 13.1 until 2011.

Your plants will not be full and tall right away.  If you plant too many at first, you will have to split them or your garden will be too crowded.  So buy a few the first year and add more each year, as necessary.

2.Progress happens slowly.

Remember how slow your first 5k or half marathon time was?  Everyone progresses differently.  And some runners progress faster than others. And of course, there will be setbacks (injuries or illnesses.) Patience!

2015 – finally a HM age group award

Some of your plants may die, get diseases or eaten by predators.  Others may take a few years before they bloom.  Patience!

3. Hydration and fueling are complicated.

Of course, we need to hydrate when we run.  But when and how often?  Do we carry water?  Is it different for different weather conditions or distances? And what and when do you eat?  How often do you eat during a race or run?

This was my favorite handheld.

And yes, plants need water to grow. How much? When is the best time to water your garden? How often do you water?  And fertilizer…what kind, how often, etc?

4. Consistency is important.

We all know that to move forward with your running, you cannot skip a lot of runs. You need to get out there several times a week.  If you take time off from running, it is definitely harder when you do get back into running.

obviously a hard half marathon – my first one after my broken ankle

With my garden, it’s weeding.  Not a pleasant job, but if you let it go, OMG, it is so much worse. I have to do it EVERYDAY.

5. Set and Re-adjust goals.

It’s great to have a running goal…maybe even something like a BQ.  It gives us something to work towards. But as we know, injuries happen, life happens (hello, pandemic), we have to re-adjust. Hey, I thought that I was going to run one half marathon each month in 2020.

Half #2 of 2020

My new goal is just 3 shorts run during the week and 10 miles on the weekend with a new focus on nature walks. The 12 half marathon goal will have to wait.

My initial goal for my garden was to have a beautiful flowers, mostly pink and purple perennials.  Obviously a long-term goal. Some of the plants were eaten by deer, some died, others were not flowering well or yet.

This year’s goal is now to fill up the space with other pretty objects such as a bird bath, annual flowers, solar fountain, sun catchers, ornaments, etc.

A work in progress (like my running)

Happy Running! Are you into gardening? Or do you have another hobby that has similarities to running? Please share.