Summer Training Question and Answer

Finn Melanson [00:00:10]: Hello, fellow runners. I'm your host, Finn Malansin, and this is the Run to the Top podcast. Podcast dedicated to making you a better runner with each and every episode. We are created and produced by the expert team of coaches at runnersconnect.net where you can find the best running information on the internet as well as training plans to fit every runner and every budget. Now that Memorial Day is behind us, it's time to kick summer training into full gear. Most normal people think of the beach, barbecues, and pools when they think of summer. But us runners know how summer is really about the long runs and grueling workouts that fortify us for a fall of new personal bests. With that in mind, in today's episode, our coaching staff, both current and former, are going to answer some of your questions about summer training. We're going to cover everything from how to adapt your speed workouts to the heat, dehydration, running on the beach, and more. Get cash rewards, live motivation, and coaching powered by chat GPT with kudos live the latest fitness app founded by 2 MIT runners and aerospace engineers. Download the kudos app today. That's K00 DOS. It's Totally free and available on Apple and Android. Start earning as soon as you download and get paid to run. Before we get into our conversation I want to talk to you about your skin. Running in the summer sun is definitely a skin and health hazard which is why we love Tannery Outdoors sunscreen. It's made specifically for runners and it doesn't feel greasy or burn your eyes when you sweat. I'll tell you more about them and how you can save 15% later in the episode. To kick us off, Coach Jeff is going to go in-depth on 1 of the most common questions we get and 1 of the issues runners struggle with the most in the summer, training in the heat. He'll go over the science of why it's so much harder, how it impacts recovery, and some neat tips you can use during workouts to optimize your performance.

Jeff Gaudette [00:02:21]: Dan asks, it's about to be summer here and I have a question about training in the heat. Is it advisable to do speed workouts when the weather gets in the 80s or 90s? Or should 1 continue only with aerobic workouts? So Dan, that's a great question. So everybody's going to start to deal with this if you're in the northern hemisphere pretty soon within the next couple months. And if you've been in the summer hemisphere, you're probably dealing with this right now or had to. And training in the summer heat can be very difficult. And before I get into some of the tips and tricks for training in the heat, I want to get into why training in the heat is so difficult. Because I think sometimes Understanding the science really helps you understand what exactly is happening in your body and how you can combat it. The reason that training in the heat is so difficult is that your body starts diverting resources from running to resources that need to keep you alive. For example, in this specific case, your body is taking blood that would normally go to your legs, heart, and lungs, and it's diverting it to the skin. And what it does by diverting it to the skin is it allows that blood to cool off, and it helps make sure that your body temperature stays cool. When you have less working blood in the muscles and in the heart, that means you're going to have, obviously, the ability to run fast is going to decrease. And so that's why 1 of the reasons that it is so difficult for you to run in the heat. And the other thing that I find with training in the heat is that it not only affects your performance for that 1 specific run, but it also affects your recovery throughout the week. And I like to think of it as like a traffic backlog, because what ends up happening is that Usually when it's hot out, it's obviously not just hot during your run. So what ends up happening is throughout the day, you're actually getting dehydrated and your body is working hard to keep itself cool. So in the winter or normal temperatures, you may be sitting around when it's 50, 60, 70 degrees and your body doesn't have to really work hard or provide any energy in order to keep your body at a comfortable temperature. However, when it's 80, 90 degrees outside all day, your body has to work consistently, constantly throughout the day and just to keep you comfortable. So that's something that also hampers your recovery. So actually getting back to Dan's question, should you do interval workouts when it's 80 or 90 degrees? Now of course if you feel like it's dangerous to get out there, if it's something where you can only get out in the middle of the day, it's blazing hot, it's 90 degrees, humid, and the sun's blazing down and maybe tomorrow is the day looks better, you can get out in the morning or the temperature calms down. Yeah, then it might be a good idea to go ahead and just switch a easy run day with your workout day so that you can get the workout in in better temperatures. But in terms of whether it's dangerous or not, as long as you're careful, you're listening to your body, you're hydrating, etc. There's no reason that you can't do your interval workout in the heat. Now some tips that you can use to make sure that the interval workout goes better. The first thing that is going to be really paramount is that you're going to want to slow down your paces. And there is a calculator, there's a calculation that you can use that uses the temperature as well as the humidity or the dew point to predict how much you have to slow down your training paces in order to compensate for the heat. You can find that calculator at runnersconnect.net slash temperature dash calculator. Or you can just Google runnersconnect.net temperature calculator and that's probably it's probably 1 of the first results and that will all you do is plug in your times and it'll actually automatically adjust those for you. And the cool thing is for those of us for those of you who are using our training plans when you log into your dashboard there's actually a little button under each day of your training plan that all you have to do is click that button, enter the temperature and the dew point, and it'll automatically change all your training paces for that specific day. It's a pretty cool little feature if you are using 1 of our training plans. So that's the first thing I recommend is make sure that your training paces are correlated with how difficult it is going to be to run so that way you can make sure that you're maintaining the right effort level. The other thing that I think really works really well is if you're able to do, especially with interval workouts where maybe it's 400 meters, 800 meters, mile workouts, is you typically do those in a place where, like a track, or somewhere where you're returning to the same starting point every time that you finish an interval. So what I like to do is the night before I will take a couple beach towels or big hand towels, I will soak them in water and then I'll put them in the freezer. So they basically become frozen towels. What I'll do is I'll pack those in the cooler and then I'll take those to the track with me. And after every interval that I finish, I'll throw 1 of those ice cold towels over my head. It feels amazing. But more important than just feeling good, it allows your body temperature to really, or to keep your core body temperature really cool. And so I will keep on that towel as long as I can. I'll also do it in the warmup. So I'll warm up and then while I'm stretching and while I'm kind of getting ready to go for my workout, I will keep that cold ice towel on me. I'll usually take 3, 4, or 5 of them depending on how long the workouts going to be. That makes an amazing difference. It really allows you to keep your core body temperature down even when you're doing really hard workouts. There's actually a lot of science to back that recommendation up. It's actually called pre-cooling. You would notice it in the Rio Olympics or the Olympics in China where athletes would be wearing these cooling vests. Basically, they're like vests that have these gel packets in them. And obviously this is a less technologically cool way to do it, but it allows you to kind of get the same benefits as pre-cooling without having to buy an expensive pre-cooling vest. So that's a really great way to stay cool this summer and keep your core body temperature down as you're doing your workouts. And then the other factor is obviously going to be hydration. And hydration is really important obviously because as you get hotter and hotter, you need to make sure that your body temperature stays down and you want to make sure that you keep it down. 1 thing that I always notice as well with water is that water on you when it's really hot is better than water in you. So kind of along the same lines as the ice towels that I mentioned is pouring water kind of on you between interval workouts. That's going to really really help a lot. So those are some really good tips I think to help you do your interval workouts in the heat and like I said you're definitely you're definitely okay to do those workouts in the heat, but if it's possible to switch them around, like I said, if the day looks better tomorrow, then go ahead and switch that workout. It's nicer to have it in a cooler temperature. But As long as you're listening to your body, you're adjusting your training places, and you're taking steps to make sure that you keep your core body temperature down, you're going to be okay.

Finn Melanson [00:09:09]: Coach Jeff did a great job with covering the training and workout side of running in hot conditions, But what about racing? That's where Coach Sinead comes in. She's going to give you an elite runner's insight on maximizing performance when racing in hot conditions.

Coach Sinead [00:09:25]: So today we have a really great question from Angelo on racing in the heat. Angelo says, How should you prepare for a marathon or a half marathon differently when race day forecast is hot and humid? Any tips for the day of the race and warm up routine? OK, great question, especially as summer is upon us. A lot of us are going into races that may not have the most desirable of conditions. So great question, Angelo. And there are some tricks to running a marathon and a half marathon in the heat. First off, you mentioned warmup routine, Angelo. So I'm going to talk about pre-cooling a little bit. Pre-cooling is a technique used to slightly lower a runner's core body temperature before they start running. And this in turn extends the amount of time a runner can run hard before hitting that critical temperature threshold. Studies have confirmed that pre-cooling can really significantly improve performance in hot and humid conditions. 1 study in particular actually reported that pre-cooling can boost performance by 16%. And another 1 actually showed a 2.6 degree average core temperature difference after a 5K race between subjects who pre-cooled with a vest and those that did not. And so if you want to invest in a cooling vest, you can certainly do that. There's a good 1 made by Cool Down USA and also another good 1 made by Glacier Tech. So there are some really good ones out there. I will admit that they are a bit pricey and so there are some creative ways to to get the same benefits without actually buying a vest. First off, you can buy a disposable cooler bag, and you can get these from any drugstore. You can get them from CVS or Walmart. Basically just something that is going to keep ice frozen for a few hours. And so then what you wanna do is freeze a paper cup of Gatorade or even buy some freeze pops and put them in your cooler. You can eat the freeze pop or Gatorade slushie 10 to 20 minutes before your race. This will really help to cool your core temperature down from the inside. Another thing that I have done in the past and I continue to do to this day is wet a small hand towel or bath towel and place it in the freezer overnight. And the next day you can put it on your neck, head and back 10-15 minutes before the race starts. I personally like to put it in a plastic bag so it's not getting everything I own wet on the way to the race, but that's a really good way to, again, lower your core temperature before the gun goes. And just to be clear, you do want to do this after you do your actual warm up, after you've done your jog, before you get on the starting line. You want to do this after that so you can cool your core temperature down a little bit. Another thing you want to be really conscious of when it is hot and humid out is your electrolyte intake. So it goes without saying usually that you want to make sure you get all the electrolytes you can before a lengthy race like a half marathon in a marathon. Electrolytes will really prevent cramping and help you to maintain better fluid balance. So it's not all just about hydration. Obviously hydration is crucial, but if you're only drinking water, you're actually doing yourself a disservice. You do need to make sure that you are taking in some sports beverages to get your electrolytes up and try to even get some electrolyte tablets or powdered mixes as well. I don't recommend experimenting with something new the day of the race. So if you have used anything like these in the past, stick to those. If you want to practice and test out a few in training, obviously you're training in the summer now, so you can you can kind of determine which ones work best for you and which ones your stomach can tolerate, especially when your stomach is a little bit more vulnerable in the heat. I will list out a few electrolyte products that have been tried and true and a lot of runners swear by them. So a few are Hammer Fizz, this one's a really good 1. It's got all the electrolytes you want, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. That's a really good 1. Noon is also a fantastic 1. This is the 1 I use personally, and I not only love the effects, but I love the taste of it as well. So it's a really good 1. It's got loads of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, the 4 main electrolytes you really want in any electrolyte drink. A few more are Nathan catalyst. This 1 also has all the electrolytes you want. Hammer and Duralytes is another really good 1. And Salt Stick Electrolyte Cap. That's another great 1 if you want to try that 1 out. So getting back to your core temperature, throughout the race you do want to make sure that you are throwing some water on yourself here and there. You should be dumping water on you as often as you can. While this isn't a revolutionary tactic by any means, sometimes it's good to be reminded. I have gone through plenty of hot races where I've I've just kind of skipped the water stations because I thought it would take too much time veering out and then veering back in whereas it probably would have actually benefited me more than Then just trying to push through So make sure when you get to a water station, you do take a cup and just dump it right over your head. If you're in a marathon, you can also carry a bottle of cold water to keep squirting on yourself every 5 to 10 minutes. Like the pre-cooling strategy, the longer you can keep your skin and core cool, the better you'll be able to run at the end. Also, if you have some very good friends that can position themselves on the course and hand you a cold bottle of water late in the race, that's also a really great way to lower your core temperature when it has when it has begun to truly elevate. So back to hydration, like I said earlier, hydration is obviously crucial. Most every runner knows that by now. I myself have learned that the hard way too many times to count. So generally you do want to drink about 10 to 12 ounces of fluid every 3 miles in a marathon and a half marathon as well if it's hot out. While it may make sense to drink more than this you also have to be wary of how your stomach will react to drinking that much fluid and still trying to run. Obviously, your stomach is being jostled around while you're moving, and so putting too much fluid in it can upset it. So a few tips for spacing out your hydration on a hot day in a marathon is to try to spread out your fluid intake so you're taking small amounts of 4 to 5 ounces every few minutes. This might mean you have to carry a bottle or or even just be adept at carrying a cup But it's it's worth it in the early miles. It's good to take preemptive action. Obviously you want to Hydrate well before the race as well in the days preceding the race but you also want to make sure that those early miles you are taking some preemptive action with your hydration so you don't suffer in the later stages of the race. And again, don't be afraid to slow down through the aid stations. Like I said before, I in the past have skipped water stations and paid the price later on in the race. At the end of the day, the benefits outweigh the costs and you'll be thanking yourself later in the race for having done what you did because again, it's just not a good idea to skip water stops when it's upwards of 85 degrees out. If you feel sloshing in your stomach, this generally means it's full. So don't push this limit because if you do, you might end up cramping. So just make sure that you are staying conscious and don't overdo it with dehydration, but do continue sipping throughout the race every few minutes just to make sure you are setting yourself up well for the later miles of the race. And 1 more thing I'll really say for running races in the heat and the humidity, don't be afraid to adjust your pace. I personally have grown up in South Carolina where it's almost unbearable during the summer and I know a lot of our listeners know the struggle. So You do have to accept the fact that you're going to be running slower than your desired pace on a day where the conditions are just not ideal. Starting out too fast and overheating is definitely not the strategy to run your best race and stay safe. So you do want to make sure that you go out conservatively. We do at Runners Connect have a free temperature calculator for members. So if you are a member, go check that out. It's in the download section and it will help you adjust your pace to accommodate for the conditions. You might not like to see the numbers that come up, but believe me, it will be a godsend when you get into the later stages of the race to have gone out more conservatively than you would if the conditions were absolutely ideal. I actually just interviewed 1979 Boston Marathon champion Jack Foltz a few weeks ago and if you want to check that out it's on our Run to the Top podcast. But for those of you who aren't aware, the 1979 Boston Marathon is known as the run for the hoses and this is because it was the hottest Boston Marathon in history. It was something like 102 degrees that day and spectators came out with all their sprinklers and garden hoses to cool off runners as they passed but Jack Fultz had a lot of great tips for running in the heat. He went out very, very conservatively in that race and ended up and ended up working his way gradually into the lead at 18 miles. So he definitely took his time and that's, as he said, the name of the game when it comes to running a marathon in the heat. So if you want to check out that episode of Run to the Top you can find it at runnersconnect.net forward slash rc8211. Again runnersconnect.net forward slash RC8211. Jack Fultz had some great things to say, especially on how to alter your race plans when you're running in the heat. So make sure to check that out if you're interested. And Angelo, thank you so much for submitting this question. Really enjoyed answering it. And it's a great question considering the time of year. So thanks again. I hope what I've said has helped you and our listeners today.

Finn Melanson [00:19:58]: Experience live motivation, coaching, and real cash rewards with Kudos Live, the latest fitness app founded by 2 MIT runners and aerospace engineers. Kudos is the perfect motivational tool for any fitness journey. It's easy to use, immersive, social, and a lot of fun too. Use Kudos the next time you head out on a run and experience the thrill and motivation of receiving real-time cheers and challenges. You'll find yourself pushing extra hard each time you head out. Collect Kudos tokens from your followers to earn badges and real cash rewards. Cash out your rewards or donate to charity. You can do it all with the Kudos Live app. Download the Kudos Live app today. That's K-O-O-D-O-S. It's totally free and available on Apple and Android. Start earning as soon as you download the app and get paid to run. The feeling of warm sun on your face when running outside on a picturesque sunny day is probably 1 of the best feelings in the world for any runner. But there's a dark side to those beautiful sunny days. The toll the sun can take on your body leading to wrinkled, weathered skin at best and a significantly increased risk of skin cancer at worst. That's why it's essential You protect your skin during your run. And our favorite way to do that is with Tannery Outdoors Active Skin Care. Tannery offers clean sun care made for runners by runners, including their traditional mineral and spray sunscreens, as well as SPF lip balms. Unlike most chemical sunscreens, Tannery protects from both UVA and UVB rays. Plus, they use ingredients that are better for you and the environment. The biggest reason runners like you would love it, it goes on smoothly, is lightweight, and won't burn your eyes during a heavy sweaty workout. This is active sunscreen that can support your active lifestyle. Tannery's newest product is the traditional spray version which comes in a recyclable aluminum container. They offer a small refillable container that's perfect to take along with you on a long run, in a vest pocket, or any other adventure. If you want to give Tannery a try, head over to tannery.com and use the code RTTT15 to get 15% off your entire purchase for the entire month of June. Now flipping this hot weather running thing on its head. What happens if you're actually training for a race in cold conditions? Maybe your race isn't until the late fall or you're traveling to a colder destination Is there any performance benefit the training in the heat and racing in the cold coach Michael discusses the science?

Michael Hammond [00:22:42]: Michael here to answer a question from Logan about training in the heat but for a cold weather races

Guest [00:22:48]: Hi, this is Logan with a question about training and racing in the heat. Right now I'm training in hot weather because, well, it's summer. So it stands to reason that that would produce some sort of a benefit of heat adaptation for a race that's being held in warm weather? My question is, does that same concept translate to a race held in cooler weather? In other words, if I'm training in 95 degree Fahrenheit heat and the race is being held in a cooler climate, let's say 60 degrees Fahrenheit, is that same benefit carry over? For example, should I adjust my paces to compensate for the cooler temperature? Thanks for answering my question.

Michael Hammond [00:23:27]: That's a great question, Logan. First off, I have to start with, this is definitely the better situation to be in. In terms of the 2 extremes, I don't want to diminish this at all, but this is definitely the easier situation to deal with. For people who train in cooler weather, colder weather, and have to go race in the heat, That's a very, very tough situation to be in. And to be honest, from my own experience and the experience working with probably hundreds of different runners on that exact type of scenario, you can honestly, the only thing you can really do is diminish the impact. That's all you can really do is minimize. You can't really ever totally acclimate if you are training every single day. If you don't have the option to go somewhere warmer to train, which most people don't, then there's really not a whole lot you can do. Of course, there's things that people try. Some of those are, we're talking about run at the hottest time of the day or run with way more clothes than you need, crank up the thermostat in your house, which I've seen some people do to get used to a warmer temperature. All these things are really just attempts at acclimating that don't really accomplish it unless you actually go train in the heat and really do those those long runs and long workouts in the heat to acclimate to that. So that's a tough situation right there. But I won't I won't diminish the situation at hand for Logan here, which is training in the heat, training in hotter conditions and racing in much cooler weather. I'm not going to diminish this. And for instance, it's definitely not easy because actually the East Africans, you know, Kenyans, Ethiopians are pretty far and away the best runners in the world. I mean, they dominate the Olympics, world championships, all the major marathons, all the world records. They just totally dominate ever since they really started being competitive. I don't know exactly how many years ago, but they've been incredibly dominant since then. So the Africans obviously train in a pretty hot climate for the most part, of course, you know, East Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, and the only time that they're really rendered all that vulnerable, at least on a greater scale than just a couple of individuals, is when they're racing in colder conditions. For example, a few years ago, the World Cross Country Championships, I believe they were in Poland, and it was real nasty cold. I think there was some snow. The Kenyan team, which is usually very dominant, didn't really do very well. They got kind of beat. I believe the Americans beat them and nothing against us Americans, but we usually don't beat the Kenyans in cross country. So it just kind of shows you that this is not an easy situation either. So the stuff we're talking about with people who are training in the cold and running the heat, the run at the hottest time of the day, running with way more clothes on, it doesn't apply quite as much to the situation we're talking about. Of course, you could run at the coolest time of the day if such a thing exists. If you're somewhere really hot, then there's not really a cool time of day. I mean, the low for you could be 70 to 80 degrees, which obviously you're not really getting anything cool, but nonetheless, you could try running at least at the coolest time of the day, maybe a lower humidity time of the day if something like that is applicable, just to make some attempt at acclimating. But in the end, the other people there, the people who are training in the cold running in the heat, obviously they're doing different things to, they're trying to run with way more clothes and all that. You can't really do that in this situation. You can't, you know, you can't really take off clothes down to a certain point if you're just wearing your running shorts, or at least I hope you're not taking off much more than that. But obviously there's only so far you can go. And some of those other situations don't necessarily apply to this 1. Probably the most important thing, honestly, is preparation in terms of both gear and fueling. So gear, we're talking about the cold weather gear. You might need it more than most. If you're training constantly in heat, you're living in heat, you're not going to be used to it, anything cold. I mean, my brother, for instance, lives in Miami, Florida. If he comes and visits and is running and it's 60 degrees, he thinks it's freezing. He'll wear gloves and a hat. It's ridiculous to me, but that's just kind of how it goes. You acclimate to your own conditions. The human body is very good at that. But if you are training in the heat much more often, you might need that cold weather gear much more than most. So if you get to the starting line and most of the people are not really wearing gloves and hats and stuff, that doesn't necessarily mean that you don't need that stuff because you're not as acclimated for that type of condition. So you might just need a little bit more. We're talking about gloves, hats, you know, moisture wicking fabrics are still very important as well whether it's heat or cold You don't want to be wearing a bunch of cotton or anything like that. That's not gonna work So you really need to make sure you're prepared, you know, look at the weather conditions as the race gets closer I think The good thing is, you know, if it's if it's 60 degrees, maybe 65, even 55 degrees, that's not really going to be that huge of a deal. It's just not going to affect you to the point where it's even worth talking about. Of course, it's different than what you're used to training and Of course it is. But some of the real cold weather advice doesn't matter as much until we're talking about really cool temperatures. So 50 degrees or under, especially you get down to 40, 45 degrees, that's where you're talking about cold weather, especially somebody coming from a very hot climate. But again, even 60 can make a difference for somebody who's used to much hotter conditions. You want to plan out your hydration as well. You might not need this quite as often as you do in the heat, but that does not mean that you don't need it. This is kind of what I'm referring to when I say I think this is an easier situation because people who train in cooler temperatures, they get away with not hydrating quite as much, not being quite as diligent with fueling and hydrating. Whereas when you're training in the heat, you're not going to make it through a run if you're not focused on your hydration. You're going to feel like crap day to day if you're not hydrating throughout your day. So you're already used to it. That's the better situation to be in. You'd rather be in this situation where you kind of have to like almost scale it back in a way, that's a good situation to be in. That's much better than the opposite. But yet again, just because it's cooler does not mean that you don't need to hydrate really, really well, both water and electrolytes. So it's good you mentioned adjusting the pace. Heat adjustments are incredibly important. And This is where, honestly, in this situation, another factor of this where it's much nicer to be in this situation is that you go faster when it's cool. If it's 60 degrees and you've been training in 90 degrees, you're going to run a lot faster just by default. Again, going down to 40 degrees, that's a difference that I still think you're going to run a lot faster. I mean, the ideal temperature for a marathon is actually pretty low, but you're still going to run faster. But especially we're talking to like 60, 55 degrees, you're going to run so much faster just by default, because you've basically been training with a handicap when it comes down to it. I mean, you've basically been training it's like you're training with a with a weighted vest. When you're running in that kind of heat, especially if there's humidity on top of it, That makes a huge, huge difference. So when you're training in the heat, you have to adjust your paces. You do. At Runis Connect, we have kind of a, something of a formula that we use, but even that is not perfect. Basically what we do is we have our clients basically input the temperature, input the dew point, and then we automatically adjust paces. This is great But really you have to go by effort as much as possible What paces give you the appropriate training effort as its intended? So let's say you have a tempo run schedule and you look on your tempo run and you see that it's intended to be maybe like 80 to 85% effort tops. Okay. Obviously not everybody lists these type of workouts in terms of percentage, but that's roughly where I'd put a tempo somewhere like 80% maybe effort, something like that. Whereas a hundred percent is all out running as hard as you can, not 80%, maybe 85 towards the end, maybe the last mile or so. So you look at that effort and let's say you're prescribed a 4 mile tempo at 8 minute mile pace. Okay. Let's say 4 mile tempo, 8 minute mile pace. If it's 90 degrees with a hundred percent humidity, if you run that pace, you're going to, I mean, obviously it depends on your fitness, but if that type of effort, that type of workout was designed based on normal weather conditions, like regular, more like 60 to 70 degree weather conditions, you're not going to be able to run that pace. Maybe you will, but it's going to be an all-out effort. It's going to be way too hard. You have to say, okay, sure, you can do an adjustment. You can just basically say, I'm gonna add, you know, 10 to 20 seconds a mile just by default without even thinking about it. Just add that without hesitation. But even then, if you get out there and it's really hot and humid, then even that might not be enough. You might even need to adjust a little bit more. You might need to cut some things a little short. I hate to say that. I hate to say cut your workout short, cut your run short. At the same time, if you're out there just killing your body, which you are when you're in the heat and humidity, especially if you're not well hydrated, you're just killing your body. You almost don't want to put it into that much of a hole recovery-wise by doing a super hard workout that's way higher than the effort that's intended when you're in the heat and humidity. Definitely adjust your paces, be more conservative than you need to err on the side of caution and and you're still going to get the training effort you'd rather under train a little bit you'd rather under do a workout and overdo it especially when in the heat and humidity. Last big piece of advice here don't go out too fast in the race. The cooler weather will tempt you big time. I mean, big time. If you're training in 90 degrees, you go out there and it's 50 or 55 degrees, you're going to feel so good. The pace is going to feel so incredibly easy. The first 5k that you're going to probably going to fly out the gate and be sprinting past people and feel great and just say, man, this is incredible. What have I been missing with this weather? And unfortunately, you'll still bonk If you go out too hard, even if it's cooler, it doesn't matter. You know, obviously at some point effort is effort and, and, uh, energy stores or energy stores. And if you go out too hard, you're going to bonk. So you want to make sure you avoid this and go out with a plan, have a plan going in, go out conservatively. We always recommend doing the first 5 K slower than your goal marathon pace, a good amount slower too, and then kind of settling in closer to your marathon pace after that. What that does is just kind of prevents you. It just makes it to where you're guaranteed not to go out too fast. You're going to be holding back. You're definitely going to be holding back, especially when it's cooler, especially when you're talking about training in, in hotter weather and kind of racing and cooler weather, but nonetheless

Finn Melanson [00:34:10]: go out conservatively, have a good plan going in and don't bonk. Now, 1 final question on training in the heat is a listener question about chills and goosebumps when running in the summer. Coach Sinead digs into what this might be and how to fix it.

Coach Sinead [00:34:29]: We are back with our question from Maryak, and Maryak says, I am training for my first marathon right now and despite the fact that my training is getting along well I have noticed lately that towards the end of my long runs I am getting cold and have goosebumps. What can I do to prevent this? Do I have to drink or eat more? Or is it a lack of electrolytes? Am I maybe training too hard? Once I finish my run and drink and eat and recover, I'm feeling fine. No major issues. But it happened a few times now and looking forward to a way to prevent the chills. I definitely hear you, Maryak, and I've been there myself. I have grown up in a pretty hot and humid environment all my life, and There have been summers where I've had just exactly what you explained, these chills and goosebumps. And usually this is a product of dehydration, especially if you are training in a hotter and humid climate like you might be, Maryak. So First off, I do want to talk about why chills occur. They do usually occur when you are running in high temperatures and humid weather. The way it works when you are running in these conditions, your sweat evaporates and subsequently regulates your core body temperature so that you're able to adapt to those conditions. That said, when you are dehydrated or maybe something, another factor interferes with your body's natural perspiration response, You can experience a state of stress similar to having a fever and that's where these chills and goosebumps come in. When your core temperature continues to rise you you'll start to notice these symptoms. And what you want to do if you do notice these on your run, Maryak, you want to first off take immediate action. You do not want to continue running if you experience these symptoms. Chills are often a warning sign from your body and so if you're experiencing these it's best to stop running immediately. What you can do is continue walking and that's a good way to do an active cool-down and you can do this as long as there are no other symptoms of heat injury, like dizziness and nausea. These symptoms mean that you are on your way to a more serious condition like heat exhaustion which I've been there myself a few times and it is not pleasant. You definitely want to avoid this at all costs. And it can be very, very serious too. It can be even life threatening. So if you do experience these symptoms on your run, that's what you wanna do is immediately stop and walk and get to an air conditioned place, get some water in you. Because oftentimes this is a product of dehydration, like I just said. So that said, while I did just talk about what to do if you do experience these symptoms, ideally you want to prevent these from happening in the first place. So luckily there are some really easy ways to prevent this from happening. First off, it's pretty obvious, make sure you are dressing appropriately for the weather. If it's hot and humid out you don't want to be running around in a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Make sure that your clothing is lightweight, it is moisture wicking so that your sweat isn't just sitting on you. You do wear some sort of dry fit clothing so that it does wick a little better. And make sure that for runs longer than 5 miles, if it's really hot and humid out, you should drink about 15 oz of water prior to running, and then again every 20 minutes while running to help prevent dehydration. What happens when you're running in these conditions is you are just losing so much more fluid than you would in more ideal conditions. So you're excreting a lot of your fluids and your electrolytes through your sweat and you need to make sure that you are replenishing both your fluids and electrolytes so that you aren't putting yourself at risk for dehydration. Another thing I'll say is that a lot of us runners will start to hydrate a little too late in the game. This has been something I've been guilty of in the past is I'll start drinking water about an hour before I run. Whereas when it's hot and humid out, you actually need to be hydrating pretty consistently throughout the day to ensure you are replenishing your fluids from your last run and just taking preemptive action, making sure that your fluids are nice and balanced before you go out for your next run. So just make sure that you are sipping throughout the day and also make sure that you are getting a good amount of electrolytes in, especially if you are running somewhere hot. You are losing a lot more electrolytes than someone who's living in a cooler climate. So make sure that you're getting about 8 to 16 ounces of some sort of electrolyte drink every single day. Doesn't really matter when you get it in but preferably after you run just to help buoy up your electrolyte stores after you've lost so much of it during your run. A few more tips I'll give you are a little bit obvious again, but make sure that you do plan ahead. Try and run when it's cooler out and a little less humid. Oftentimes if you're running somewhere hot it will be a little less humid in the evening. And so you can always wait and do your run in the evening when it's kind of cooled down, the humidity has dropped a little bit, or you can do it first thing in the morning when it hasn't quite gotten too hot, but either is good. You never wanna go in the middle of the day when it's like that outside because again you're just putting yourself at greater risk for these symptoms and symptoms again that can lead to much more serious conditions like heat exhaustion, heat stroke, all sorts of different kind of heat injuries that you just really do want to avoid. And Maryak, as you continue to ramp up your mileage and prepare for this marathon, your very first marathon, you can also do what is called pre-cooling. Uh, when you have a workout day, or even if you're about to do a tune-up race. So what pre-cooling is is it's a good way to cool down your core temperature before you do any sort of intense exercise. So there are a few ways you can do pre-cooling. The 1 way that I usually do is that I will wet a small towel or a hand towel and then put it in the freezer overnight. Then the next morning or later that afternoon when you are about to do your workout you go for your warm-up run go ahead and do that and then when you come back go ahead and put that icy towel on your head, your neck, your wrists, and even on your chest a little bit and that's really going to help cool down your temperature before you jump into more strenuous exercise. You can also do that on race day if you're doing a tune-up and it's hot out. Make sure that you do go for your warm-up, come back, and then go ahead and put that icy towel on you. That's again just going to help cool down your core temperature before you jump into your workout or race. Another way that you can do pre-cooling is that you can get a paper cup, either fill it with water or Gatorade and then freeze that and then the next day when you go to do your warm-up, get back from your warm-up, drink that and it's actually going to be a good way of cooling your core temperature from the inside out. It's a nice little slushy before you go and it's not going to cool down your extremities, the areas that you're going to be recruiting while you're running. So for instance your legs and your arms, these will remain warm while your core temperature will drop a few degrees before you enter some more intense exercise. So that's a great way to ensure that your body regulates this temperature and doesn't get too hot usually when your body goes over about 104 degrees Fahrenheit. That's when these symptoms like goosebumps and chills tend to occur. So you want to make sure that your core temperature stays fairly low and you can even stop throughout your run and put a little bit more ice on yourself, maybe dump some water on your head to just kind of cool your core temperature down again. Thank you so much for submitting that, Mary Egg. That was a fantastic question and 1 that I think a lot of our listeners have probably dealt with in the past, myself included. So again, thank you for submitting that 1. Really did enjoy answering that for you today.

Finn Melanson [00:42:55]: OK, time to tackle some more fun questions and topics when it comes to summer running, Running on the beach may seem like the best idea ever, but it can quickly put a halt to your training if you're not careful. Former Runners Connect coach Claire Bartalek discusses some strategies to enjoy running at the beach without putting yourself at risk for injury.

Coach Claire [00:43:15]: This is coach Claire Bartalek. Our question today is from Mark about beach running.

Michael Hammond [00:43:22]: With a Caribbean vacation coming up, I'm wondering if there are any strategies for running on the beach or if there are any good cross-training activities that I could do.

Coach Claire [00:43:32]: Great question, Mark. Running on the beach sounds amazing. Imagine it, you'll have a beautiful view of the crystal blue Caribbean waters, soft powdery sand cushioning each step as you glide effortlessly along, A gentle sea breeze to keep you cool and an entire ocean to jump in when you're done. But in reality, like most things at the beach, it's not quite as romantic a picture in reality. Beach running can quickly put a halt to your training and your vacation if you're not careful. If you're not training for a specific race and just out to enjoy the sand between your toes and a refreshing breeze, the beach is a great spot to get in a little jog and to have some fun. But if you're training seriously or preparing for a big event, beach running is a great way to get injured, even for a short run. But how can that be? Well, the first reason is the slope of the beach. Even at the very lowest of tides, there still is an angle to the beach sand leading to the ocean. Just like running on the road with a significant camber, running on an angled surface throws off your body's natural alignment, which poses a great risk to your knees and your hips. Even if you can't see it, the slope is still there. It's sort of like running with 1 shoe on. Here's what happens. The leg that's on the upper side of the slope will often become tight from having to shorten the stride, which may inflame your IT band or your piriformis muscle. Likewise, the leg that is on the lower ground will have to stretch more than usual to maintain proper foot strike, and this puts excess strain on your hips and your knees. While the slope might be slight or you may be running only for a short period of time, when you're training really hard and pushing your body to its limits, it only takes a slight change in your form or a tight muscle to start that injury cycle. The other reason that beach running isn't such a great idea is because of the sand. The sand at the beach is often loose or very wet, which creates a surface that might be too soft to run in if you don't typically train on very soft surfaces. Loose sand forces the tiny muscles in your foot and your ankle and your shin and your knee to work very hard to stabilize your body. And when you're not accustomed to the excess stress, you can easily strain a muscle. Likewise, loose sand changes your foot strike and requires your foot to remain in contact with the ground longer as you attempt to solidify the foot and ankle before takeoff. Very few runners actually train in these conditions all the time, so the increased demand on the smaller supportive muscles can lead to injury. Even during a short, let's say, 2-mile run, you can put a lot of strain on muscles that aren't used very often. This is sort of like going to the gym for the first time in years and busting out 20 minutes of heavy biceps curls. You are going to be very sore and maybe even injured if you go and do that. The other part of the equation is that you are running barefoot. Now running Barefoot in short sessions can be good for you, but it's something that has to be adapted to over a long period of time. So if you just jump off the plane and kick off your shoes running even a mile or 2 on the beach will put a massive amount of strain on your plantar fascia, your ankles, your Achilles, and your calves. We advise runners that are transitioning to barefoot running to spend a week running no more than 400 meters or about a quarter mile 3 or 4 times during that first week. And even if you are already a seasoned barefoot runner, that loose sand can require more effort from your foot and ankle than you're accustomed to, and you still have the issue of the slope. Not to mention, sharp shells and beach glass can quickly send you to that beach chair for the rest of your vacation. So what do you do instead to keep fit? Well, choice number 1 is to run on the local roads or trails. It's a great way to sightsee and explore your new surroundings. If you're not comfortable with that, of course there's always the hotel treadmill. And if you're on a serious training schedule, you may have to resort to that if necessary. But hopefully you can alter your schedule a bit so that your important runs and workouts are done before or after your trip, and you can actually enjoy your vacation without stressing about getting all your runs in. Kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, hiking, biking, you name it, there are a lot of ways to stay active and work up a sweat on your trip. So take advantage of the time to try something new and stick to walking on the beach.

Finn Melanson [00:48:24]: Like the beach, running with your dogs can be a lot of fun, but it doesn't come without risks and things you need to watch out for. Coach Michael discusses some great tips and tricks you can use to turn your dogs into enthusiastic running partners.

Michael Hammond [00:48:39]: Ok, on to today's question from James. I like to run with my dog a Labrador Retriever, but I want to make sure I'm getting my training in correctly. Any advice on training with your dog?" So I love this question and honestly I'm to the point where I really don't like running without my dog. I've been doing it for quite a while now and really, really enjoy it. I feel like it makes runs go by so much faster, just so much more enjoyable when I have my dog out there, plus he loves it, it gives him some great exercise. So I have a Lab Pit Bull Mix. He's actually an incredible running partner and I'm absolutely happy to share some tips today. So first off, ideally you're going to run with your dog on easier runs and long runs. This probably sounds pretty obvious, but workouts are definitely going to be a little tough. Easy runs, long runs, those are usually going to be a lot easier on you and on your dog because you're going to be just running mostly the same speed, not going to have any big changes in pace throughout the run and overall it's just going to make it a lot easier if you're running just the easier runs and long runs. Workouts can probably be done, but to be honest, I haven't had great experiences trying it maybe like fart licks and and tempos But if you're if you're on a real fast speed session Then I would generally recommend not trying to do that with your dog just because it's gonna be tough if you can get an area That's pretty You know open and doesn't have a lot of foot traffic, then hey, go for it. But, otherwise, typically, stick to the easy runs and the long runs. So real quick, let's talk about leash versus non-leash. So I have to mention, first off, you have to make sure it's legal if you're going to let your dog off your leash. There are a lot of places that will actually find you if you have your dog off your leash, which is actually a pretty good rule because, you know, in the end, unless you have total control, we don't really know what's going to go on with the dog or if somebody doesn't like them, whatever. Either way, you got to abide by the local rules. So make sure you're always down with that. Now, if you can train them off leash very, very well, and again, it's legal, that's obviously gonna be best. It's just nicer for you, you don't have to actually hold a leash. And another issue with holding a leash is that you're actually gonna slightly alter your form. Not gonna be anything that's gonna make a huge impact unless you're doing it every single day, severely changing your form. But basically, if you're holding a leash, obviously it's gonna be kind of pulling on your arm a little bit, and it's definitely not the best thing to do. So again, if you can train them off leash very, very, very well, I mean total control, then that's definitely gonna be best. I'd recommend at least considering a GPS collar. Basically what this is, several different companies make them. I know Garmin makes 1. And what it does is it basically has, it sends, you know, like a beacon that you can pick up with your phone or with a device that maybe it comes with. And in addition what these will have a lot of the time still have maybe like a vibrate or shock feature. I know that sounds intense but hey if you're talking about especially if you're running on the road and maybe there's a car coming, that could be very, very helpful if you're, especially if you're doing off leash, even if they're on the leash and maybe they get off or you accidentally let go of the leash, then something like that could definitely come in handy. But of course, the GPS feature could really come in handy because of you know you don't want to lose your dog and you want to make sure you know exactly where they are so that could definitely come in handy. Now in terms of training you know heel is the number 1 you got to teach your dog to heal if your dog doesn't know how to heal then really you shouldn't even be running at all, but certainly not off leash. Heel is absolutely number 1. You need to get to the point where your dog will walk either directly beside you or right behind you. That's almost more ideal if you're talking about like single track trails, but this needs to be done very, very well. You need to make sure that your dog can heal perfectly on leash and even off leash. Practice a little bit off leash because that'll make sure that they really know how to do it and they're not just making sure that the line of a leash isn't tight. You also need a safe word. So something like for me what I do with my dog, I just yell stop. If I yell stop really loud, then my dog just freezes. He knows that that means something is serious. So that's the only time I use that. I try to keep that pretty spare because obviously you want to save it for, you want to train it of course, you want to train your dog very well to understand the word, but at the same time you really do want to save it for the times that you really need it. So what I would recommend doing is train your dog to do it. Basically you want to yell it really loud, like stop. You wanna yell it very loud to where they almost get like a little frightened by it and frightened by the tone of your voice to the point where they just stop. And that's eventually, then you reward that, they're gonna learn that that's the right way to go. And something like that obviously comes in handy when you're talking about running because even if they're on the leash, let's say they get off. Let's say they pull a little hard and you let go and they're running towards the car. If you have your safe word, that's really going to come in handy. Stay is of course a very important 1 because at some point you're going to need to stop or maybe you're going to need to use the bathroom and you need your dog to wait for you. Whatever it is, stay is obviously important. Then I'd also recommend train them, give them some sort of command that's gonna help them to know to get off the trail. So If you're on more single track trails or even like a bike path, you're going to deal with bikers. You're going to deal with people running fast towards you, especially bikers because they're the most dangerous. So you need to have some way of training your dog to get off the trail. I don't know what word exactly works. I think mine, I literally just yell like off and my dog just happens to know to kind of jump off and I jump off too, so he just follows me. That's what's gonna happen most of the time. But nonetheless, you don't want your dog to be in the way of a bike or whatever's coming at you. You wanna make sure they have a good command that'll help them get off the trail. So again to reiterate, training is key. You have to train the key commands like heal, stay, and then again a safe word to make sure that your dog doesn't get in danger by traffic or bikes or anything like that. Make sure sure it's legal where you're running. Consider a GPS collar. And make sure you're doing it for easier long runs. Maybe some tempos, steady runs, but shorter speed work, probably best to leave the dog at home.

Finn Melanson [00:55:00]: Finally, 1 question we often get when runners shift to summer running is how to approach trails and specifically how to tell when trail shoes are needed. So coach Michael is once again going to share his experience and expertise. Okay, on to today's question from Bill.

Michael Hammond [00:55:16]: I do a lot of running on trails, some of them fairly rough and rocky. Do I need to wear trail shoes or are normal running shoes okay? This is a really good question Bill and it definitely gets a little bit murky when you look at it. I think a lot of the times what most people think is okay trail running, if I'm on a trail obviously I need a trail shoe right? Not necessarily the case. I mean, because a trail could mean a lot of different things. There's just a gravel road is kind of can be considered a trail. There's a very even bike path that can be considered a trail. Then on the other hand, there's, you know, very rocky, very mountainous, very hilly, very uneven terrain. And that's very different. Obviously, these are 2 very different scenarios. So it really comes down to the specific situation. But real quick, I want to talk about the difference between a regular running shoe and then a trail running shoe Basically, the main difference is going to be the tread on the bottom is gonna have a lot more grip. It's gonna be a lot more rigid, I should say, than a regular running shoe. And if you put your hand and move your hand across it, you would feel that it's much more rigid and generally provides just a much better grip on the ground on whatever surface it is you're on. So basically if you were to take a trail running shoe, a real trail running shoe with the real grip on the bottom, then if you were to run on a regular road or sidewalk or path or anything like that, it's going to feel a little bit weird because it's got a lot more grip than you really need for that specific situation. So they're definitely situational type shoes. They're best for trail shoes, the best for trail road shoes, the best for the road. Another big difference that you'll find is a lot of the times trail shoes, they'll really build up the material on the actual shoe part, not necessarily the sole, but the shoe that's around your foot. They'll really build that up. Some of them will add like a Gore-Tex material, which is waterproof, very thick. So sometimes they'll be heavier, But again, those types of shoes, you know, Gore-Tex and real heavy tread on the bottom. Those are definitely situational and we're going to talk about that in a second. So in terms of finding which shoe is going to work best for you in each given situation, obviously if you're doing most of your running on the roads and sidewalks and maybe the occasional light trail, maybe like a gravel path or a very smooth dirt trail, something like that, running on roads, sidewalks, on harder surfaces, and then even get on trails just a little bit and mostly even, I'm not talking about real treacherous, but mostly even trails, you're probably not going to have any problem with just using a normal running shoe. And even when we get into talking about actual trails, okay, so let's talk about running trails, you know, single track, almost more like bike type trails. A lot of the times these are not necessarily so treacherous that a trail shoe is a necessity. I'm not saying that they wouldn't make any sort of difference, but at the same time, they're not a necessity in every given situation. What I think in terms of what is absolutely necessary to have a trail shoe is if you're really doing some serious mountain running. Okay, if you're really getting into some pretty serious trails where it's real rocky, real uneven, those are situations where a trail shoe really does make sense because it's gonna help keep you safe, it's gonna help keep you on your feet, it's gonna provide a lot more grip, and you're just gonna feel a lot more comfortable running on those types of trails. Rocky trails especially is a big 1 because normal running shoes, if you kind of run on a real rocky terrain, what you'll find is a lot of the times some of the rocks will literally jab up into your foot in between kind of the cushion of the shoe because it's not really designed for that type of surface. A trail shoe on the other hand, that will definitely not happen. So we know where they're not necessary. We know where they are necessary, but there's kind of that middle ground where it gets a little bit murky that I alluded to at the beginning of the episode. Basically, when you're maybe you're doing like half you're running on roads and maybe half you're running on various trails. You like to go explore some other trails. You like to run new areas. You like to do some different things, maybe go off the beaten path a little bit. And in these situations, again, it really does come down to the exact situation. In most cases, in the vast majority of cases, just from my own experience and with a lot of runners, most of the time you're going to be okay with a normal shoe. It really is the case. As long as the shoe isn't like horribly worn out to where the tread on the bottom of the shoe is just completely beaten up like a bald tire, then most of the time you're probably gonna be okay if you're careful with your footing. But that said, if you're somebody who maybe doesn't have the best balance or honestly you just go try on a trail shoe and you'd feel more comfortable with that, then go with that. Go with whatever you feel the most comfortable with, but basically, once it starts getting rocky, once it starts getting, especially if it's muddy, if there's bad weather out, then those are definitely situations where I would highly recommend a trail shoe just to keep you if anything just to keep you safe. Real quick I want to talk about hybrids. So basically there's there's real real trail running shoes that are just totally designed around trail. There's obviously regular running shoes And then there's kind of these shoes that are a little bit in between. I know several of the different companies make them, but basically what it is, is everything about it is just a totally normal running shoe, except with a little bit extra tread on the bottom. These types of shoes could be a great alternative for those people who we were kind of talking about who are in the middle where maybe most on the roads, but also do a decent amount of trail running. These types of shoes are designed for both of those and could actually, they can do both. They can, they're going to be comfortable on the road they're going to be comfortable on the trail whatever it is you do I know Brooks makes a shoe called the Cascadia that's 1 of them pretty much all the different companies make 1 of these types of shoes because they've gotten very popular but I would definitely recommend checking those out if you do maybe half and half like half road running and a little bit on the trails as well. So real quick to conclude, sometimes trail shoes are necessary and sometimes they're not. It really depends on the individual situation. There's not necessarily a hard line where after this point you have to have a trail shoe and before that point you're completely fine without 1. It gets a little bit gray, really depends on the individual situation. You know, if it's a real rocky area, really uneven surface, if you're changing surfaces a lot throughout the trail, that's definitely a situation trail shoes can help. And they're almost always helpful. That's really the case. The trail shoes, it's never gonna be necessarily like a bad choice if you do a lot of trail running. It's 1 of, this might be 1 of those questions where if you're asking the question, then a trail shoe might work best for you. And then the last thing is to try some of those hybrid shoes. If you're somebody who's kind of on the fence, maybe not a hundred percent sure if you want to commit to a full trail shoe, because to keep in mind, they don't do very well on the road. They're definitely very much intended for the trail. They're going to feel a little bit weird on the road. Then I would highly recommend trying those hybrid shoes out.

Finn Melanson [01:02:49]: Thanks to all those who submitted questions and I hope you learned as much as I did about summer training. If you have questions you'd like our coaches to answer on the podcast, you can head to runnersconnect.net forward slash daily and submit them to us. You can send an audio recording or type in your questions. We'll do our best to get your question featured on the next roundup show. Thanks for listening to the Run to the Top podcast. I'm your host Finn Malansin. As always, our mission here is to help you become a better runner with every episode. Please consider connecting with me on Instagram at Wasatch Finn and the rest of our team at Runners Connect. Also consider supporting our show for free with a rating on the Spotify and Apple Podcast players. And Lastly, if you