It is officially autumn on the calendar. For most of the country, that means much cooler weather and time to wear light jackets. The leaves in the Northeast are turning into multiple bright colors and will start falling soon. In Colorado, there is snow on the ground and roads are being closed. In North Dakota, there has been a record number of tornadoes, with 80 so far this year. Here in Central Texas, it is still hot, with a promise from weather forecasters to be a little less hot but still in the upper 80s and lower 90s on the thermometer. The leaves are starting to fall, not because of cooler temperatures, but because of heat and lack of rain. For runners, the official cool fall is still a couple of months away.
Runners still have to put their daily run in under what the rest of the country calls excessive heat. I was looking over old logbooks of my runs, and I had some of the most runs in this part of the year. This is when you start putting in extra miles to the long run because marathon season is just around the corner. I usually never went below six miles as a long run, and after one year of building up from that number, I never went below 10 miles. The key to running long runs in hot weather is to have water stops every three miles and select a course that is “cooler.”
One of my favorite runs was a three-mile run along the River Walk. I would run down to the Cock House, get on the trail along the river, and head toward the Little League fields. Running beside the river in the shade of the trees made for a slightly cooler temperature. The loop around the park behind the Little League fields had lots of shade cover from the trees, and the river was next to the trail. Not only was it slightly cooler, but it was a very scenic and relaxing run on a hot day.
For longer distances, we changed scenery. We would start at the Tanger Outlets and head up Center Point Road to Old Bastrop Road. It was slightly higher in elevation and usually had a breeze to help keep it cooler. When we reached York Creek, the shade of the trees made it almost like running in a tunnel of branches overhead, helping to keep the sun off us. Between the open spaces allowing a nice breeze and the one section of tree shade, it was good for early long runs.
In addition to choosing routes carefully, a few tricks made hot runs more manageable. A wet bandana around the neck was one method of adding a cooling effect. One of the best was taking a plastic sandwich bag full of ice, wrapping it in a bandana, and tucking it under a runner’s cap. It took a little planning and some extra work, but driving the course before the run and placing bottles of cold water along the route was a necessary precaution. Water packs that strap to your back and include a drinking tube have made the old water-drop method less popular. The only problem is how much water you can carry, as water will add weight to your body. Too much and it is too heavy. Not enough and you become dehydrated before the run is over.
One other cooling technique is to wear a mesh fabric tank top. The mesh allows air to circulate in the fabric, and evaporation provides a cooling effect. The mesh prevents sweat from building up on the skin and acting as insulation. Running without a shirt causes sweat to build quickly, and that moisture acts as insulation, restricting the cooling effect of evaporation.
Autumn running in Texas doesn’t change as much as in states with mountains or farther north, where snow is already accumulating. The weather eventually will be cooler, and with proper precautions a run can still be very comfortable as you start to train for marathon season.
