Using common sense to know when not to run
One of the best things about the activity of running is that you can do it anywhere at any time. You can run on vacations, in other cities, in mountains, forests or far-off countries. If you are traveling, a pair of shoes and a running outfit takes up very little space in a travel bag.
Runners are often compulsive about their sport and will occasionally get on a “streak” of consecutive days out on the roads and will do almost anything to keep that streak going. This is good for keeping in shape and getting some exercise on a regular basis. The problem with many runners that are compulsive and need that daily fix of exercise to make their day complete is that this attitude sometimes overshadows common sense about going out for a run.
Lately here in central Texas, the temperatures are hovering around 100 degrees and stepping outside, it feels like 106 degrees. Adjustments need to be made to handle this temperature and to be able to run safely. Lots of fluid, try for a morning run and maybe shorten the mileage to prevent overheating. The problem of heat exhaustion is that it is a subtle thing and can happen much quicker than runners may realize. One minute the pace may start to slow down and the next minute you find yourself laying on the ground wondering what happened. Common sense tells you to back off and maybe go for a swim in the river instead of doing a long run.
Another thing that may limit continuing that streak is the day it rains hard. Now in the summer, this isn’t much of a problem as it keeps a runner cool. You are going to get wet, but runners’ clothes are mostly high-tech material and will dry in a short time in a dryer. The shoes are a little different as they don’t dry out as fast. You take out the laces, open the tongue of the shoe, and put them somewhere the breeze can help dry them out. Some runners put them in a clothes dryer on low heat or air dry. The caution here is putting them in with high heat as the shoe will never be the same after that. If it is raining and the temperature is cold, a rain outfit can still make running comfortable.
One other weather problem that makes running difficult is a strong wind. Running into the wind is tough and pace and energy are challenged. Most runners will start the run into the wind and look forward to running back with the wind blowing at their backside. The pace is faster, the energy level is easy and you finish the run feeling refreshed.
Common sense is needed when the weather has lightning flashing around. Organized races will hold the race if it is raining, but if lightning is with the rain, the race is delayed or canceled. Running when lightning is around is not a good thing to do.
I have had a few runs that took some time to let common sense tell me that this is not the best time to finish the run. The one that stands out is a long run training for a marathon. We were going to do an 18-miler for the distance. The weather was cool, raining, and windy. The course was an-out and-back of nine miles out and nine miles back. Running into the wind, uphill, rain beating down on us made the run not fun at all. Neither of us wanted to be the first to say, “This is really not fun and let’s turn back.” I was really getting cold and started to shiver and shake and let common sense finally rule. I said, “Let’s turn around and settle for 15 miles instead”. There was a fast agreement from my running partner and common sense ruled over a compulsion of finishing the designated distance.
One other run was again on a cloudy day with lightning in the area. No rain but we figured the lightning was a good distance off. The old adage of seeing the lightning flash and then counting the seconds before you hear the thunder told us that we would be OK. At the top of a hill, the flash of lightning and the sound of the thunder were measured in hundredths of a second. The scary thing was we saw the lightning strike the ground very close to us and common sense made a very fast decision that this was not a good time to be running. A quick turn around and a fast run back to the car was our common sense adjustment to our running.
Run safe and have a great summer, but try to listen to common sense a little closer and there is always tomorrow to get a run in.
