I am NOT a summer runner. Whereas in the winter I run up to eight miles a day, in the summer I struggle to break two miles. It's frustrating, and an activity that calms me quickly begins to stress me out. To combat this hurtle, I found some weird tricks to beat the heat; the tips are from runners world.
Miami Ice: Steve Brookner of the Bikila Athletic Club in Miami came up with this idea while running the marathon leg of Ironman Arizona. "They had thin sponges at each aid station," he says. "So I took one and grabbed a couple of ice cubes." He put the cubes on top of the sponge, then put his hat on over both. As the ice melted into the sponge, it created a cool spot on his head and a nice trickle of water running down his neck.
The Tucson Cold Cap: Randy Accetta, president of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners and a 1996 Olympic Trials marathoner, keeps his head cool in the extreme heat of Tucson with his "cold cap." "I'll soak a baseball cap in water and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight before a morning run," he says. "An old baseball cap retains the moisture longer than the new technical hats."
The Badwater Bandanna: For years, Denise Jones puzzled over the best way to keep the competitors in the Badwater Ultramarathon cool. Finally, Jones--considered the "dean" of Badwater aid-station volunteers--came up with the answer: Lay a bandanna out in a diamond shape. Place a row of ice cubes in a horizontal line, just below one tip of the bandanna. Then roll it up "like a burrito," and tie it around your neck. "We've found that this is the best way to keep runners cool," she says. "It feels wonderful."
The Tucson Cold Cap: Randy Accetta, president of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners and a 1996 Olympic Trials marathoner, keeps his head cool in the extreme heat of Tucson with his "cold cap." "I'll soak a baseball cap in water and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight before a morning run," he says. "An old baseball cap retains the moisture longer than the new technical hats."
The Badwater Bandanna: For years, Denise Jones puzzled over the best way to keep the competitors in the Badwater Ultramarathon cool. Finally, Jones--considered the "dean" of Badwater aid-station volunteers--came up with the answer: Lay a bandanna out in a diamond shape. Place a row of ice cubes in a horizontal line, just below one tip of the bandanna. Then roll it up "like a burrito," and tie it around your neck. "We've found that this is the best way to keep runners cool," she says. "It feels wonderful."
I am considering the Badwater Bandanna. The other seems a little silly. I hate running with hats on.
This is an amazing article about a heat running experiment. It's definitely worth a read. Here are some highlights:
During the hot run, my heart rate soared to 175, about 96 percent of my max. My temperature spiked to 103.5, close to the edge of heatstroke, which can potentially occur when your core temperature reaches 104.0. My lactic acid climbed above 4.0, the point most physiologists define as the lactate threshold where the leg muscles no longer function efficiently. And my plasma volume contracted by more than 10 percent, which, coupled with a 2.6 percent total dehydration, forced my heart to work harder to push blood to my legs. All this at a pace I considered comfortable. If I had run much longer or harder at 90 degrees, it's possible that I could have staggered into heat illness, the precursor to the heatstroke hurt zone.
Now onto the good stuff:
Recipe of the day:
Turkey Shepherds Pie with Scallion Mashed Potatoes
Recipe of the day:
Turkey Shepherds Pie with Scallion Mashed Potatoes
Anytime a comfort food has a healthy option, I'm happy. This one is worth a try!
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