I will lay out in the sun all day and ride my bike all season. However running outdoors in the summer, two words – No. Thanks! “I have to manage my sun exposure!” This the excuse I often give. Which by the way is somewhat true, therefore fair. However the real reason I hate running in the summer is I honestly feel like I can’t breathe. Something about the heat and hoofing it by foot makes me queasy. But I love running, so I’ve tried it all.
Running topless (as in just a sports bra silly), running with a hydration belt strapped around my waist (the worst) and even changing my route just so I can run through the sprinklers at a nearby park with the neighborhood kids. Yet still, I usually skip majority of my runs in the summer.
Welp, that was until I discovered these summer running tips. Hope you love them and can enjoy summer miles once and for all!
Be A Vampire
If I didn’t have clients to train and classes to teach at the crack of dawn, I would totally lace up and hit the streets bright and early. But since I can’t, this summer I started running like a vampire. I’m talking post sunset night runs yall! Don’t worry about my safety – turns out a lot of New Yorkers enjoy night runs during the summer (dang, why didn’t they send me the memo). No blazing sun scorching your skin and taking your breath away, just breath taking views and cool breezes. My favorite is running along the Westside Highway (because, hello, water obsession), but those Central Park runs (sans the raccoons, who also like vampire behavior) are great too. So either find a well lit route, strap on some reflective gear, grab a friend or two and hit the streets boo!
Drink Up
Hydration belts are genius. Too bad I hate wearing them. Something about bottles bumping up against my booty while I’m trying to clock miles is super distracting. I’ve tried so many and only run routes now where there are water fountains along the way. This, and I drink up before I lace up. By staying hydrated throughout the day I find that I can usually go at least 4 miles without feeling dehydrated. So if I am going for mileage beyond that I always map my run around those water fountains. However if you’re the waist wearing water bottle type, the one I wear when I absolutely have to (read half marathon training) is the Fitletic Hydra 16 Series. They even have handheld bottles, so check them out and stay hydrated out there.
Throw Some Shade
Okay, so there are some days where I can’t run at night and no matter how much water I drink I just dread running in the sun. These are the days I throw some shade into my regimen. As in literally only run in the shade. There’s this hill in Central Park that is probably comparable to a 7% incline on the treadmill (gauging by how tight my booty feels post run), and is most likely only a quarter mile long. So I run up it as fast as possible with a recovery jog down about ten times for a great workout. Yes the heat is still exhausting but at least I’m “managing my sun exposure.” Plus, since I’m not running that far, I can also bring a bottle (that’s not strapped to my body) along. Win win.
Have A Treadmill Party
I don’t know if it is all the Precision Running classes I’ve been teaching/taking at Equinox or what, but I actually don’t dread the treadmill anymore. For almost six months now I’ve been able to maintain a 20miles/week average, which would’ve been closer to 5miles/week in summers past. All because I be having a party on the treadmill. Literally using jams to make me jam out some solid miles. My resident DJ, Carver the Great makes me two 30 minute mixes a month for my classes (you can have three for free here) and I use them to create a non-boring run. The song changes about every 2 minutes, so I change my speed and/or incline every track. This helps keep things fun and my runs challenging. Try it and let me know what you think!
How do you maintain your mileage in the summer? Let me know below.
My summer running shoes are the Wave Catalyst (responsive, lightweight and supportive) courtesy of Mizuno Running. Seamless leggings courtesy of Lululemon and top courtesy of my sewing addiction 😉 Georgia’s Gems.
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