The Heat!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013 · Mike Davis

Over the weekend I received an email from a client who stated that she was really disappointed with her running and that she doesn't feel as strong as she did in May. Another text me last night asking if I had any advice for running in the heat as she was struggling. This morning I met with the first aforementioned client and again she talked of her frustration with her current running. I wrote in my blog about 4 weeks ago about the effects of heat on our bodies and the battle for our glycogen (fuel) between our muscles and or cooling system. Thankfully our cooling system win this battle because if our muscles took all of our glycogen, we would run maybe a mile and collapse. Our cooling system protects us from over heating and the severe results that come from our body temperatures rising. In a perfect runners world we have ample glycogen that fuels our muscles and cools down vital body extremities. However that's not the case and we have to adjust our diets (more hydration and good carbs), adjust our training (slow down or shorten the route), pay attention to better running conditions and practice by doing. If it looks like it might rain some, that's always a good opportunity to run with some assist from Mother Nature. Practice running in the heat means just that; run as regular as you can and let your body adjust and become better at managing the glycogen. Run smart and don't be reckless, some days you have to handle what your body is giving you. Enjoy your morning coffee!