Triple H: Hot, Humid and Hilly

I do not do heat well.  At all.  So trying to run in the heat has been interesting.  I've been reading lots of articles and working on acclimating myself to the heat, but it's definitely a challenge. My running partner and I have been doing our runs at 6:30am to try to beat the heat and I've been running at a slower pace to get my body used to it.  Here are some things I've learned so far: 1. wear shorts (I don't like running in shorts because they inevitably ride up and then I'm trying to run and get my shorts to cooperate-I've tried 2-in-1's, short shorts, longer shorts and have settled on pair and have sucked up my issue with them riding up) 2. carry water 3. wear a hat and/or sunglasses 4. liberally apply sunscreen. Or run inside.

So I did Body Pump yesterday morning and then did a 5K race last night.  The race was at 7:30pm, there was a nice breeze (82 degree, 60% humidity, compared at 90 degrees earlier in the day) and I felt alright so I lined up and off we went. I felt pretty good at the first mile and my pace wasn't too terrible.  Then I saw the first hill. If I had planned ahead I would have looked at the course to see that it was going to be hilly but alas, I did not. So I tried to push through the first one, "I can do a hill, no problem" I said.  But it didn't end. Once I got through one, there was another around the bend. What goes up, must come down, right?  Well the downhill only meant another uphill.   So it probably wasn't the best idea for me to do Pump in the am.  Since it was so hot, I ran with a bottle of water (which I finished before the race finished) and was pouring sweat and sunscreen when I finished.  I finished the race. So I won against the heat. Now I have experience to know how to run smarter for the rest of the summer.