Wednesday, June 20

Odd advice for beating the heat

Last summer was my first Florida summer. I've lived in hot places before (Hello, Phoenix!), though I'd prefer to forget about that bad-and-short-lived decision...

I won't give up running.
The Florida Panhandle won't give up being hot and humid.
So summer running and I have had to come to an understanding.
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Here are some of the tricks I use to help beat the heat:
  • Carry a frozen water bottle. The bottle gets bathwater warm by mile 3, but at least I have cold water for the first 20 minutes or so.
  • Wear a headband to keep the sweat out of my eyes.
  • Chew mint gum. Sounds crazy (be careful not to inhale the gum!) but it does have a psychological cooling effect.
  • Run very early in the morning.
  • Move to the treadmill when temperatures rise into the mid-90s.
  • Take walk breaks. Yes, folks - I'll take a walk break from time to time on the hottest days. You can call me a wuss if you want, but I know my limits. That's not wussy. It's wisdom.
I thought my list was pretty solid, but every once in awhile someone gives a little advice that seems counterintuitive.

Miss Zippy provides some guidance on acclimating to the heat (which I, admittedly, do - but I don't often write into my list of "beat the heat" strategies.

To date, the award for "strangest advice anyone has ever given me" goes to the gentleman I met at Jazzfest who told me he "loves running in the heat and loves the sweat." His trick is to cut up a lemon, and put a wedge in his mouth before he heads out the door for a run. That keeps him feeling refreshed during his sweltering summer runs.
When life gives you lemons... suck on them while you're running!
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Skeptical?

So am I, but I might try it anyway. Who knows? I thought chewing gum while running sounded dumb, too. Until I tried it.

What tricks do you use to beat the summer heat?
What's the weirdest advice you've ever gotten from a stranger?

4 comments:

  1. Haha that's hilarious about the lemon! It's like a sweat cocktail.

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  2. Having converted to almost all trail running, I have no qualms with walk breaks, which seem to be more acceptable among trail fans. Good call on the frozen water bottle. Cheers!

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  3. Move to the treadmill? Blasphemy!

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  4. Fortunately here in Ireland it never really gets that warm. That said, I struggle even when it hits the 70's.

    I agree with the bit about walk breaks but I'm too stubborn to actually do it myself and I find it infuriating. End up feeling half dead sometimes when I'm finished.

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