While we had summer practices I was perfectly fine(it was in the morning) but now that the official practice has started which is in the hottest part of the day(I live in Florida) I can't seem to keep up. I went from running with the best on the team to being last. I was wondering if you had any ideas on how I could keep cool. It's so hot we've had people pass out or go to the hospital. I was thinking of buying a revit liquid cooling vest but it's so expensive. Please help😫
Aw, I’m super sorry! Florida is crazy humid and hot so that must be rough! It’s humid and hot where I live though as well and I am so bad with heat, so I feel you!
It figures that you guys are running at the hottest part of the day, it helps you train but it also hurts you because you can’t run to your full potential! First off, I don’t know if your coach allows it or if you’re comfortable with it, but running without a shirt can help with the heat a little!
What’s also super important is hydrating, so make sure to ALWAYS have a water bottle by your side that you can sip from throughout the day. It’s gross, but your urine should be similar to the color of lemonade. But you can’t just drink water, you also want to make sure and drink beverages with electrolytes! Without electrolytes, the water you drink just goes through you and doesn’t serve as much of a purpose, so having electrolytes is very important! Gatorade has electrolytes, and is very yummy!
I would hope your coach understands that drinking water during practice is very important too. It’s very harmful to be outside in harsh heat for long periods of time without water, so make sure to get a drink every now and then to keep your body hydrated and replenish the water you’re losing in sweat! Also, don’t be afraid to maybe bring wet dish rags or towels in a bag or something to apply to your wrists and neck to cool yourself down a little.
Lastly, make sure you know when enough is enough. If you feel heat exhaustion setting in, don’t push yourself, stop! Early signs of heat exhaustion are headaches, dizziness, nausea, flushed skin, weakness, and heavy sweating. Late stages include red, hot, dry skin, changes in level of consciousness, or vomiting. If you really feel like you might pass out, listen to your body and rest!
Running in heat is hard because there’s not much you can do, and some people are able to withstand more heat than others. I know that’s discouraging, but trust me, I’m horrible in heat too! And remember your mile pace can increase by about one minute due to heat alone, so don’t be discouraged about your pace worsening in heat! That’s normal! Good luck with everything, and if you ever wanna talk about running, I’d be happy to!!❤️