It feels like I hit a wall when I walk outside my air conditioned house. It’s 32°C outside, 34°C with the humidity. Is it crazy that I’m looking forward to my next run in this heat? I like the extra level of difficulty added by the heat. It feels good knowing that I can run in weather which makes most people want to stay inside. I didn’t always enjoy running in the heat – it’s taken me a few years to figure it out. I got severely dehydrated during the Sulphur Springs 50km race back in 2016 (link to race recap). It was a hot day like today and I ended the race peeing blood and feeling awful. I was really shaken up after that race but I’ve learned some very important lessons as a result.
I was introduced to Salt Stick salt pills by my good friends Chris and Joe shortly after my disaster at Sulphur Springs. Salt pills for me are like spinach for Popeye. I’ll take a salt pill with 750ml of water one hour before a long run and will take a salt pill every hour or two during my run. I’ll increase my intake of salt pills if I start to cramp. I haven’t experienced anything close to severe hydration since I started taking salt pills and I have run some very long and hot races in the past few years. This includes two 100 mile races, Sulphur Springs in 2018 when it was 34°C and the Midnight Moose in 2019 when it was 27°C.
I’ve also learned that it’s best to train in the heat if you suspect that your race is going to be hot. I got into trouble during the 2016 Sulphur Springs 50km race because I only trained in the morning when it was cool. Now, I make sure to do longer training sessions in the full heat of day. I start with shorter training sessions in the heat and build my way up to longer ones.
The biggest lesson that I’ve learned about running when it’s hot is to listen to your body. If I start feeling sluggish or dizzy, I know it’s time to slow down or to start walking. I’m paying close attention to how often I’m peeing and to the colour of my pee. If I’ve gone more than two hours without peeing or if my pee is dark – I know that I should start loading up on water with one or two salt pills.
Running in the heat can be dangerous and extra precautions need to be taken but you don’t need to be afraid. The human body can adapt amazingly well to all climates on earth. There’s no reason why you can’t become a heat adapted beast of a runner if you take care of your hydration, train properly and listen to your body.
