Workout Wednesday 7.25.18
Well, it’s consistently been ABOVE 100F for the past week in Texas. It’s gotten to the point where it’s just dangerous to be outside these days. Which makes it hard to do any outdoor activities like running, biking or any of the fitness things I like to do.
So today’s advice? How to still safely work out outdoors even when it feels like a furnace blowing in your face.
1. Don’t be outdoors in the heat of things. Either wake up early or stay up late if you want to workout outside. If it’s dark, bring a headlamp with you to you don’t only trip, but are visible to cars and other passers by. If neither of those is an option, get to a gym. Treadmills are not fun, but it’s more fun than heatstroke.
2. If you do have to be outdoors, be sure to hydrate! Water doesn’t just cut it either. Electrolytes are just as important. Bring some Gatorade or some Nuun with you on your workouts so that you don’t get an electrolyte imbalance while sweating like crazy.
3. Make sure you have the right gear! When I ran the Star Wars Half Marathon in Florida, I was 11 weeks pregnant and overheating was a big concern for us. So I made sure to have a hat and a cooling towel that I could get wet at the water stations and keep me cool during the run. I also had my water pack with me. I made my Nuun a little bit more concentrated that usual and then stuck a couple of ice cubes in before I headed on my run. As they melted, the concentration evened out and my water was still cool when I went to get a drink!
4. Make sure any passengers along with you are well taken care of! We use our Bob stroller for running and I make sure Rea has plenty of stuff to keep her cool. I give her a cooled down sippy cup, a frozen teething ring and attach a battery powered clip on fan to the snack tray. Then, we have popsicles when we get home to make sure we fight off any lingering heat.
Also, be sure to keep the canopy cover all the way forward to block any sun and keep that see through part covered as well! While I always want to make sure Rea is doing good, having that plastic part open basically makes the stroller a greenhouse and even hotter. I just peek in from the other side during a break to see how she's doing.
5. Be sure to use sunscreen! Not to mention the skin cancer part, it's super hard to get cool when your skin is radiating heat from a sunburn. They make great sunscreen these days that is light and not greasy for running so there really is no excuse for not putting it on!
Hope these tips help you beat the heat! Good luck with your workouts and stay cool!
This week's workouts:
- Monday: 2 mile run
- Tuesday: Hiking while camping
- Wednesday: Rest day
- Thursday: 3 mile run
- Friday: Strength training with Dustin
- Saturday: 6 mile run
- Sunday: Bike ride with family or rest due to heat