Woooo-weee! I don't know about you, but I am feelin' the humidity. I know that we've been under a rain cloud here in NYC for a week, but I have been sweatin' like it's August. Hot town, summer in the city! If this is any indication of what we have in store for us this summer, then this question will be incredibly helpful for all of you:
Q: Why do I get sooooo overheated when it's humid and how can I help get through my workout without keeling over?
A: The scientific answer to overheating in the humid weather is this: sweating is a way for your body to release heat, an internal cooling system, if you will. Normally when you sweat, the water evaporates off of your body and, voila!, your body has succeeded in lowering it's core temperature. Well, when there's an increase of moisture in the air, the sweat doesn't evaporate nearly as fast or at all. So, the sweat that is supposed to evaporate, leaving you cooler and dryer, now sits on top of your pores and acts like a blanket, thus causing you to overheat even more.
No good.
The solution? Well, I sweat like it's my job and more than any other girl I know and I've found a couple of things to be helpful:
-Dumping cold water on my head: Cools me down, cleans off the sweat and is mildly refreshing for a minute or so.
(followed by...)
-Carrying hankerchief with me when I run to wipe my face and neck. Tissues fall apart, my shirt is never dry past mile 3, and it's incredibly easy to hold onto while running. This helps to keep my internal A/C from getting overworked and protects me from overheating.
-Take my shirt off. I dry much faster when my wet tank top isn't sitting right on top of my skin, also working as a blanket. Now, I'm no Serena Williams and I've got a little extra cushioning around my middle, but I am not going to let a little vanity prevent me from finishing a run. No, sir!
-Run early. The air is typically cooler in the early morning and asphalt isn't nearly as hot.
-Hydrate and eat. When you sweat, you lose precious water, electrolytes and sodium from your body. If you don't replenish these in the form of sports drinks, water and Shot Block type running food, your body cannot rehydrate properly and you will bonk in a really bad way.
Heat exhaustion is not pretty, trust me. My personal recipe for heat exhaustion went something like this: Minnesota, July, 98 degrees and sunny. Professional athletes have died from the heat. Don't be a hero and kill yourself to finish a run. If you don't have the right stuff available, best to save it for another day.
The heat is no joke, people, and this summer isn't going to be any different. If you are training for a Fall marathon you will find lots of your longest runs happen in August. Please, please, please be safe out there. Make sure you have identification on you, someone knows where you are and when you should be expected to return and you should always be prepared with some cab money in case you start to feel unwell.
What are your stay-cool summer secrets?? Feel free to share them with us!
Run strong, friends. And stay cool!
Coach Abby
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