The H is O! The heat is on!
How was your long run this weekend? I set the alarm extra early to try and get a head start on the extreme heat, though still didn’t make it out the door until 7:25, so we were already at 90 (heat index 98) by the time I approached the Art Museum circle and I felt my energy diminish quickly, so I cut the run a bit short and walked it in the rest of the way.
A few week’s back, I wrote a blog about running through the heat and humidity and want to follow it up today, with a bit more focus on recovery from heat running, which really comes down to hydration and cool down...along with some actual benefits of running in the heat!
COOL DOWN
After a long, hot run, a nice long cool shower not only makes you feel better but also helps your heart rate return to normal and allows your muscles to rest and begin recovery. Stay in the shower as long as you need to feel back at your normal body attention, while making sure to include your head in the flow of water!
HYDRATION
The most important step to recovery from a long, hot, run is hydration. After a long run in the heat, you’ve sweat out a lot of fluids and electrolytes. The general rule of thumb for this is weighing yourself pre-run and then post-run and drinking 16-20 ounces for every pound lost, while also incorporating a sports drink into that mix. (This also assumes you were properly hydrated before your run, as you’ll need eve more fluid if you started your run a bit dehydrated.
MINERAL REPLACEMENT
A post run mineral replacement snack is also important. Most articles I’ve read suggest a 150 calorie snack which will help replace the minerals you’ve lost through sweating. Good mineral replacement foods to consider include whole grains, bananas and dried apricots
And after you’re re-hydrated and cooled down and have your minerals replaced, feel good that your hot weather workout actually offered some additional benefits. According lifehacker.com, these are some benefits of running in the heat.
- Your body becomes more efficient at sending blood from your core to your skin, helping to dissipate heat.
- Your body produces more oxygenated blood, as compensation for all of the blood rushing to your skin.
- The body becomes more efficient at controlling its core temperature and it won't increase as much after you've acclimatized to heat running.
- You begin sweating earlier and at a lower body temperature to improve your body’a cooling process.
- Your sweat will contain less salt so you'll maintain improved electrolyte balance
Thanks for reading this week's #RunWithRadio1045Johnny post! Please Tweet me if you have additional ideas to add to this post or ideas for future posts! Also, I will be exploring running shoes in an upcoming post, so tweet me and let me know your're running in!
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June 30, 2019:Running in the heat and humidity! #RunWithRadio1045Johnny
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