Posts Tagged ‘ Running ’

It looks like we’ve made it.  After enduring months of snow and sleet, summer has arrived in the Ocean State.  We’re feelin’ hot, hot, hot!  Sing with me, people.

Here is Rhode Island, the season’s have changed a bit.  We used to have the traditional four – fall, winter, spring, and summer – but I think spring has escaped us once again.  We go from cold ‘n snowy to cold ‘n rainy to hot ‘n humid.  No complaints, just observations.

Anyway, we’ve officially arrived at hot ‘n humid and it looks like it’s here to stay.

That means it’s time to make some adjustments to the summer workout routine.  It takes a little while to get acclimated to the changes Mother Nature brings us.  Complaining is no fun at all, so I try to adjust accordingly.

Drink lots of water.

My Camelbak, affectionately known as Big Blue, is my best friend.  My human friends know this.  They can’t compete.  I can live without Garmins and iPods and compression socks.  I can’t live without water.  And neither can you.  I’m not saying you need a Camelbak, but I am saying that we all need to be prepared with a solid water supply when working out during the summer months.

Schedule workouts during the coolest part of the day.

It can be tough to change your workout routine.  Believe me, waking up early is not my favorite thing to do.  But it’s so worth it!  As soon as the mercury rises, I start setting the alarm for pre-6 AM to get my sweat on before sunrise.  It’s much cooler and actually quite enjoyable once you get the hang of it.  As one of my favorite bloggers says, “You will never regret a morning workout.”

Set reasonable expectations.

It’s my dream to go out there and effortlessly run like the wind each day.  It’s my reality that heat slows me down, sweats me up, and tires me out.  Just sitting feels tiring on a hot, humid day.  Working out will be tough some days.  When I’m having one of those days, I do my best to get in a solid workout.  Today I planned to run 5 miles, but stopped at 4.5.  It was early evening, still hot, and I started to feel not-so-hot.  I didn’t see the need to push my luck.  4.5 miles in 41 minutes, I’ll take it.

Hello, summer!  It’s great to see you again.

Will run for ice cream.

Do your workouts change with the seasons?

Share your best summer workout tips!