One thing I can assure you Eliz, is that there is an adaptation period of about 3-4 weeks of discomfort, and then you are heat acclimated. In other words, while it is always uncomfortable to run in the heat, your body will adapt to it fairly quickly. You just have to trust that that will happen. I go through it every year here in TX and it's most unpleasant. It will get better. It's harder for a woman to wear less clothing, but I hope you are just wearing a light singlet top and shorts. For tough days there is always the trick of using a light-colored mesh cap and putting ice in a cloth inside it. The ice will keep the top of your head cool and there's a ton of heat there. Just stick with it. Spareribs

No fair. Spareribs stole my "ice in the cap" answer! Also hydrate more and more and more! I will drink a pint of water right before heading out and then carry one with me. As I live in humidity-land with no air conditioning, the thing I worry about is my body not thinking it can "give up" any water to sweating early on, which inevitably makes me more comfortable. And, I don't ever have to stop to answer Mother Nature's call. Also, run through sprinklers, hose down along the way if you can -- find someone watering their garden and they'll usually be glad to give you a squirt! I find the "hunting" for a lawn/garden waterer a whole fun part of my really hot summer runs. Oh and get up early and get the run over with. 5 a.m. vs. 8 a.m. is a whole different comfort factor. Eliz, let's try to race together once this summer. Maybe then you'll only fear and loath racing with me vs. racing in general!

You've gotten a bunch of good advice so far. Hydrate early and often, run early if possible, wear less clothing and light colored at that, ice in the hat, etc. As the resident H&H expert, I'll add something which oddly hasn't been mentioned yet. Slow Down. When the heat is on, slow down and take it really easy. This helps keep the HR in check and helps the body to not overheat too quickly. Bill

Eliz, you sound just like me! I start wilting at 70. I like the ice in the hat idea - I will give it a try. Now that I've started running longer distances, I'm discovering more places to hydrate - in particular, three water fountains that I never knew existed before! I'm also planning my routes to go past convenience stores so I can stop for a break. Now that I KNOW I can run 11+ miles, I don't mind stopping for a couple of minutes. As always, when I find myself flagging in the heat, I just think about DS15 and all the other great HS kids who are out there every day, no matter what the conditions. All the area teams were at a meet yesterday from 8 am until 5:30 pm, in weather ranging from foggy to pouring rain. They even had to evacuate to the high school for over an hour during a thunder and lightning storm! I didn't hear any complaints. Teens get a lot of flack, but they deserve praise in situations like this!

Oh yeah, something else. I find I only really need technical gear in the really cold weather and the really hot weather. The C9 stuff from Target works great, but not in super-heat or super-cold. This is where the first rate technical gear really stands out. Get a white/light color technical singlet or three from one of the majors and feel the difference.

Hi Eliz, Hows things on the shore? My 12 year old has her end of school count down going. Ok here's my suggestions.... - Run in light weight light colored technical wicking wear. I wear the loose fitting, built in underwear style. No spandex. It holds the heat in. No cotton. - Run with a water bottle. I found one in Dicks Sporting Goods for $15 that has a holder with a pouch big enough for a cell phone. - Run in the early AM - Find a route that is shaded or mostly shaded. I found a few state parks that can be run in mid day heat because the trees over hang the road. - Trail runs are good for shade too. - Hydrate before and after. - Dont push yourself. - Run with a friend or give a friend your route and time you should return. In case of emergencies they know where to look for you. I had to "rescue" Kim yesterday on her run. Glad I knew her route. She got chased my two dogs and her knee tape fell off and she was exhausted when I found her. Have a good time on the shore. I am still jealous. If its too hot you can always kayak! Laurie

Thanks, everyone. I knew I could count on you. Ribs - 3-4 weeks, huh? So I should take it easy until about the 4th of July. Check. I usually wear a visor - to get free highlights from the sun. I was planning on buying a new, tech-type visor, but I think I'll try a hat with ice cubes instead. Not sure how long they'll last, as I'm Irish and German, and therefore naturally rather hot-headed. tomwhite - I'll make sure the hat is a really cool one evryday - I was thinking about maybe trying shorter runs on more days. I've been running 4x/week consistently for about 3 months now. Will try switching to 5x/week, but for shorter distances, since my body is giving out after 5 miles, anyway. nono - early a.m. will happen on June 20, after 14 more school days! Tramps - shade is possible when I run in PA; not so easy on the boardwalk in NJ, so I guess I'll have to try for even earlier early mornings. It WILL be nice to watch the sun rise over the ocean again. Laurie - good advice about leaving a "run plan." I never get into a boat without leaving a float plan. A few of you mentioned hydration. As a singer, I'm pretty consistent with that, and I did just get a carry-with-you-while-running water bottle. Feeling and hearing it slog around really bothered me the first time I used it, but I'm used to it by now. As to clothing, a huge THANK YOU for an excuse to go gear-shopping! Whoo hoo! My singlets are cheap-o Kohl's store brand - double layered. Good for sailing, when you can count on getting splashed on a windward tack, bad, bad, bad for running. So it's off to the running store after school tomorrow for a cool hat, a singlet or two, and maybe some of that powder stuff they're advertising to add to water for the benefits of gatorade without schlepping all of those bottles from the grocery store. Thanks again! Eliz