Man, it's hot out there...

This week in Houston we are experiencing near record highs during the day... with our humidity, that makes it super steamy.  Each day this week so far, we've had heat advisory warnings.  While I would prefer being warm to being cold... this is HOT!

The heat can really be harmful to you... dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke are not things to take lightly.  What would happen if you were out on a solo run and that happened?

Several precautions can be taken to minimize any impact the heat may cause to you.  I feel that I have acclimated my body to working out in the extreme heat.  These are a few things that I do to help .

1. Run when it is cooler out... this means getting up at the @ss crack of dawn or running in the evenings.  I'm not a morning person, so I'm getting out for my runs around 7:00 or 7:30 in the evening.


2. Start slow... as the temperature outside increases, refrain from adding mileage or time to your outside workouts too quickly.  Take it back a notch and do some easy runs or low mileage runs until you get used to running in the heat.


3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! I hydrate all through the day... drinking between 80-100 oz of water and keep it up until an hour before I run, and then start the process again when I am done with my run.  I usually don't bring water on my run unless I'm going over 4 miles.


4. Shade is your friend... in the shade it doesn't seem as hot, try to pick routes that are heavily shaded.


5. Set your expectations with your pace, it isn't going to be fast!


6. Keep your body temperature low before you run.  I hang out in the a/c with  my running clothes on an hour before I run... I'm freezing by the time I get out to run.

When in doubt, use common sense and stay safe!