Surviving the Summer

It has been a while since I put some "running tips" on the blog. After three ugly runs in the heat I thought it was time to share a few. These are not "expert opinions" pulled from another site. This is just my two cents. . .

Body Glide: In the summer time your running gear is likely soaked at the end of a run. When this happens your clothes stick to your skin and you can get chaffing. Body Glide is the best option out there to put on before a run in the areas that may get chaffed. This includes your chest, your feet and toes, your crotch, your rear, and your inner thighs. You may not realize you are getting chaffed until it is too late. Once the shower hits your body after the run. . . you will know it!

Shoes and Feet: Sweat runs down your body and into your shoes in the summer. That squishy noise you hear while running is not the ground. . . it is your socks and shoes. Use body glide (see above) to reduce any chance of blisters. Be sure to use technical socks too. Wet cotton socks can tear your feet up on long runs. If your shoes are soaked after a run, loosely ball up newspaper or paper towels and shove it in the shoes. This will help them dry quickly. You may need to change out the paper later in the day if they are really wet. This will also help with the smell of your shoes.  Additionally I recommend rotating shoes in the summer. You don't ever want to start your run in wet shoes.

Clothing: Leaving your running clothes filled with salty sweat for a period of time will a) cause your clothes to stink, and b) cause they to dry rot. The easiest solution for this to me. . . get in the shower with your running clothes! Rinse them out, and put them on a hanger to dry. They still need to be washed like normal, but this will get the salt out, and make them last much longer.

Shower: I suggest taking your post run clothing in the shower with you.  It will wash out the salt and sweat that will create odor and break down the fabric.  Rinse them out and hang them to dry.  Of course you still need to wash them, but this is much better than letting the soak in sweat for a few days.

Body Inspection: Many of you are beginning to ramp up your miles. You need to pay attention to how your body feels after the run. If you have a small blister after 10 miles. . . how is that going to look after 20 miles? If your favorite running top chaffed you on a tempo run. . . how will you handle it on race day? If your calf muscle is cramping at mile 12 . . will it make it to mile 26? You need to pay attention to these small problems now and correct them. Maybe you need to put more Body Glide where you got the blister. Maybe that running top is not a good race option. Maybe you need to stretch your calf a little more before and after your runs. The bottom line. . . correct potential problems now. Once a small problem begins big, it can completely derail your training.

Rest: The heat and humidity can make you feel like you are moving backwards. Not to mention we are all adding miles to our week. Don't forget that rest and recovery are critical to any race training. This doesn't mean to eat a gallon of ice cream while doing couch palates, but taking a day to let your body heal and repair your muscles will go a long way to your long term success. If you are constantly falling short on your workouts, it is time to take an extra day of rest.

That's my two cents. . . take it or leave it! Anyone else, please feel free to share your own tips and suggestions.