"Hot and humid weather puts all kinds of stresses on your body. So the more you can do to minimize the heat and the effect of the sun, the better off you are."

- Grete Waitz,
9-time winner of the New York City Marathon

Keep cool when the weather turns hot
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After a long, cold winter nothing is better than to go running on the first days of spring. Soon spring becomes summer and summer becomes an oven. Heat is the enemy to most runners and the training runs that made you feel great earlier now have you panting like a dog in July.

Living in Norway I never had to think about how running in hot and humid weather would affect my running. I learned that when I started racing in the United States in the summer months. Running in hot weather can be trouble. Racing in it can be dangerous. That is why the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge® occasionally turns off the clocks during the event or cancels the event. Running is supposed to be a healthy activity, and there is nothing healthy about an amateur athlete extending him or herself on a day with very high heat and humidity.

Hot and humid weather puts all kinds of stresses on your body. So the more you can do to minimize the heat and the effect of the sun, the better off you are.

Use light-colored and loose-fitting clothing
The fabrics used for summer running gear is polyester, coolmax and supplex. They are breathable and soft to the skin and designed for removing the moisture you generate as you heat up. This will help you stay cooler and the garments won’t feel soaked and clining to your body. The cotton T-shirts that runners like yourselves have plenty of, should not be your choice of a running top on a hot day. They love moisture and refuse to let go of it! Use a singlet, tank top or for the women a running bra and a comfortable pair of lightweight shorts.

If you run in the sun make sure you cover all exposed skin with sunscreen
Use a waterproof product so it won’t wash off when you sweat, and make sure the SPF is at least 15 . I can’t guarantee it will improve your running but it will protect you from skin cancer. You’ll also need sunglasses to protect your eyes. There are a lot of great running glasses on the market, and you’ll look very cool in them, too.

Try to schedule your training runs to early morning before work or evening hours
Avoid middle of the day if you can. Seek the shade, it will keep you much cooler than running in the sun.

Drink plenty of fluids, before, during and after your run

Check the temperature and the humitidy before you run
Humid heat is very hard on your lungs and heart. The closer it is to 100% humidity the more you should think about making the run short or go indoors. Having access to an air-conditioned gym may be a better choice on very hot days.

Use strategy when racing
You very seldom run faster in the heat, but you can prepare yourself to be more competitive in the heat than the other runners. Adjust your pace, run within yourself, and try to outsmart your opponents rather than outrace them. That’s the key to winning in the heat. Make sure you warm up and cool down in the shade and try to keep you body temperature as low as possible before racing.

A few DO’s and DON’TS to wrap up this piece.

• DO wear light-colored, lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.
• DO drink plenty of fluids before, during and after a run or race.
• DO schedule training runs early in the day or late evening.
• DO apply that sunscreen and wear those sunglasses.
• DO consider running indoors if the humidity approaches 100-percent
• DO warm up and cool down in the shade.
• DON’T wear tight clothing.
• DON’T tuck in your shirt.
• DON’T wait until you are thirsty before drinking.
• DON’T aim for a personal best in a hot-weather race.
• DON’T run at your top speed.
• DON’T run if you have a fever, flu or cold.
• DON’T ignore the symptoms of heat exhaustion.