How to run when heat is making it difficult

With the summer temperatures at high levels it makes it difficult and often dangerous to run.

The dangers of heat problems such as heat exhaustion can affect anyone at any given time. Recognizing the signs of heat problems vary from excessive sweating to feeling the hairs on the back of the neck stand up. One of the most subtle signs is a decrease in performance. It might be trouble with tasks using your hands, trouble walking on uneven surfaces, or simple jobs taking a much longer time than usual because of mistakes. In running, the warning signs include a pace that is slower than usual and it may seem as if more effort is needed to maintain the usual running speed.

Training for longer races is really hard in hot weather. With a slower running pace, the time spent out in the heat makes the possibility of heat problems much more likely. The training can be shortened and the benefits of a faster running pace can be done by increasing the intensity of your run.

Run faster for a shorter period of time is a good method to try in hot weather.

One of the best methods I used was running intervals on the track. There are enough varieties of speed work in intervals to make runs enjoyable. One other benefit of running on the track is the practice of putting a cold water bottle at one location, to take advantage of with every lap. The pace for the speed work can vary. If you are trying to run a certain time in a race and you know how fast you must run to meet that time, the running speed is about 10 seconds faster per lap.

If you just want to run faster, any increase above your normal running pace is good. The increase does not have to be a sprint speed, but just faster than the usual pace you run.

The interval variations make each workout a challenge, and can actually be a fun time. It helps to jog a couple of laps to warm the muscles up and regulate the breathing. The number of laps may vary from 8 to 12 laps. Since much of the running is at a faster pace, the time spent in the heat is less.

The easiest interval is run fast on the straightaways and jog or walk the curves. The distance is slightly over 100 yards and just needs to be a faster pace and not a sprint. Concentrate on a higher knee lift and pushing off with each step. Eight laps gives you two miles of faster running and conditions the muscles in the legs for faster movement. The next step up can be running 200 meters (220 yards or half a lap) and jogging 200 meters. If you want to walk for 100 yards and then do a slow 100-yard jog into the next speed interval, that is okay.

The next level is running a lap and then jogging half a lap to recover. If you are trying to run a specific pace I recommend breaking the lap down into four segments. As an example for running an eight minute pace. Starting at the 50-yard line the time at the curve in line with the goal posts will be 30 seconds, at the opposite side of the 50 yard line the time will be 1:00 minute, and at the far goal posts the time will be 1:30 and the finish at the starting point is 2:00 minutes. The time at each point is critical to learn pace. Even two seconds difference at each point is 8 seconds faster per lap and over a minute faster for a mile time and over 3 minutes faster in a 5K race.

If you are trying for a specific pace it is important to learn how that pace feels and not run too fast or too slow at each point. I have experienced running too fast a pace in a race only to find the finish pace much slower and the end result was a slower time.

I have known runners who went out too fast at the beginning of the race with faster runners and end up a slow jog or walking at the end. It is important to know your pace.

A good training run that I found enjoyable was to vary the types of intervals. The first two laps were running the straightaways and jogging the curves.

The next two laps were running the 200 meter intervals and jogging the 200 meters.

The third two laps were the 400-meter laps with a 200-meter jog between intervals. Then reverse the order of the intervals so you run the next two laps of 200-meter intervals followed by two laps of the fast straightaways and jogging the curves.

The total distance is around three miles of speed work. Adding a warm up lap and a cool down lap makes for a fun workout. The time will be shorter and the benefit of increasing your pace for the next race will be worth it.