Looking at a national weather map it appears pretty much everyone is dealing with record high temps, and I know here in the south at least, the humidity is soaring as well. If you subscribe to Running Times you can read a couple of good articles on running in the heat and hydration. If you don't subscribe, I encourage you too! Every month there is some really good information in each issue. The two articles this month are interesting. While emphasizing being smart and staying hydrated, both articles also challenge conventional wisdom regarding the subject. One article sort of says embrace the heat and humidity. Not only will your body become more efficient dealing with extreme weather conditions, but also that your body will perform even better in the good weather conditions. The author gives some hydration guidelines (20-24oz of water or sports drink before run / 4-6oz every 20 minutes during run / and 24-32oz of sports drink post-run) but also says it is mind over matter so be positive and don't focus on how uncomfortable you might be. He also floats the idea of training in a long-sleeve shirt or even a track suit - though you might save that idea for the non-record temp days! That last idea might have some merit particularly for those of you from the north as you prepare for the late August to late September days of training once back at school. The second article, written by a world-renowned exercise scientist, basically says thirst is the best indicator of dehydration. If you're thirsty, drink. If you're not thirsty, don't force the issue. The bottom line, though, is that every athlete needs to pay attention to how they are responding to the weather conditions and develop their individual plans for hydration.
Lastly, this is our last week of just easy aerobic running. The following week you should begin using the aerobic conditioning schedule contained in the summer notes. If you want to however, you could do an aerobic speed fartlek workout this Tuesday as a little extra credit and to get a little jumpstart on the training schedule.
Now, if you've read this far, please put an * on your mileage number in the comment section : )
