New Member and help with running in HEAT!!! (Read 137 times)

Hey all!  I am new to this forum and I am glad I found it, I am sure it will be a great resource.  I recently got into running about 9 months ago and so far I have done a 5k, 15k and 10k, in that order.  I have another 5k tomorrow and I am having a big hurdle.  I am finding that the heat is my nemesis! I can do a 4-8 mile run just fine in moderate temperature weather, but give me something over 80 degrees or so, and anything over 2 miles, and it messes me up!  I just don't know what to do about it

I am extremely pale, I thought it was just the sun, so I got a hat so I could keep the sun off of my face, but it didn't seem to do much.  Yesterday, I did 3 miles and I tried to prepare as best I could.  I hydrated all day, made sure to have food in my body, not junk and not over eat and I had a banana and electrolyte drink before I ran.  I wore a hat and about a mile in, I started feeling horrible.  As the last two miles went on, I got slower and slower, feeling worse and worse but I was able to tough it out.  When I got to my last 1/2 mile, there is a corner that I have to stop at for a crosswalk and when I had to wait, I couldn't just stop.  I felt so overheated that I had to keep moving or I felt like I was going to just black out or something.  I don't think I have had it be this bad before.  I walked for half a block, then finished my last half mile of running.  Went home, and drank more water with electrolytes.

Here are my thoughts on what the problems might be, perhaps someone might have different insight.  1. Maybe the hat is keeping too much heat in and I need to looking into a different option.  Thing is, it is hard for me to have the sun bleating on my while I am running so I would have to figure that part out for times that I would have to run when I am not able to do morning or evening runs.  2. Perhaps I need to get my body to adjusted to running in hotter temperatures, and that will take a little time so I just need to be patient.  3.  I need to alter what I am wearing a bit.  Last night I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, nothing to heavy, but maybe I could go with a tank and smaller shorts or something?  These are the only things I can think of.  Has anyone else had any issues with the heat or have any advice?  I haven't been able to find much on the internet, as it is only about when NOT to run in the heat, not HOW to run in the heat.  Thank you in advance for any help!!!

I use a visor rather than a hat, so that the heat can escape off the top of my head.  (Also, I have a lot of hair!)

I dress in as little as I can get away with if it's hot and sunny.  But don't forget the sunscreen.

I run a lot slower in the heat.  Right now, I'm near a forest fire, and in the early morning - when it's cool and I usually run - the smoke drifts down the valley and blankets my area, so I've been running after the wind picks up around 10:30-11, and it's been hot.  I've noticed that my pace is much slower, and also, the longer I run, my heart rate just keeps rising.  Nothing for it other than to slow down.

You will acclimate over time.  Two weeks of consistent running in the heat should be enough.  You’ll never be as fast as you would in cool conditions, but it will be easier.  Soaking  your hat and shirt with cold water will help as well.  If you run by water fountains be sure to rewet your hat.

Next year seek out some hotter runs in the spring and/or overdress for some runs so you are ready when the warmer weather comes around.

Acclimatization is the key to running in extreme weather. Even so you will be slower in the heat as your body works to cool you down by sweating more and diverting more blood to the skin. At a certain point you may just have to finish your run with a walk, you can only tolerate so much heat and there is the danger of heatstroke which can be serious, you could pass out and end up in the hospital. Listen to your body and don't tempt fate by pushing beyond your limits. I did a marathon in near 90 degree heat and walked much of the last half. I've also tried training runs in 90 degree heat of 18 miles and had to walk the last 6. If you overheat the first symptoms of heatstroke might be a headache and nausea. Of course drinking lots of water, or better a mix of half sports drink and half water (faster absorbed) is essential. I just wear running shorts in hot weather and use sunscreen, but that may not be an option if you are very pale. I also have a swimming pool to jump in after a run which cools me back down pretty fast.. Good luck tomorrow!

Everybody is affected adversely by heat and by direct sun, but not equally; some runners are affected more than others.

This is another reason it is tricky to measure oneself against other runners--this is another individual variable beyond one's control.

Training in high heat is a good thing...embrace the suck

https://www.outsideonline.com/2098556/surprising-benefits-training-heat

Excerpt:

Studies have found that, in addition to an increased rate of perspiration, training in the heat can increase an athlete’s blood plasma volume (which leads to better cardiovascular fitness), reduce overall core temperature, reduce blood lactate, increase skeletal muscle force, and, counterintuitively, make a person train better in cold temperatures. In fact, heat acclimation may actually be more beneficial than altitude training in eliciting positive physiological adaptations, says Santiago Lorenzo, a professor of physiology at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and a former decathlete at the University of Oregon.

“Heat acclimation provides more substantial environmental specific improvements in aerobic performance than altitude acclimation,” he says. And in contrast to the live low, train high philosophy, we more quickly adapt to heat stress than we do to hypoxia. In other words, heat training not only does a better job at increasing V02 max than altitude, but it also makes athletes better at withstanding a wider range of temperatures.