Running in the heat is one of the hardest things to do, but some runners like me love it. The soaring temperature and scorching heat will make you feel like your skin is slowly burning with each minute of exposure. People who run on treadmills and AC environments will need to train themselves first because they cannot suddenly transition to running in the sun.
Why go running in the sun
Performance and Endurance Enhancement – Running in hot weather helps the body to develop endurance to work in the scorching environment. When the body is exposed to hot conditions constantly, it starts to build resistance with profuse sweating as a way of coping with the temperature. As a result, you will perform much better in the cooler conditions.
Increase your Sweating Efficiency – Exposure to hot temperatures makes the body sweat a lot to endure the climate. Constant sweating can help the body avoid sunstroke or other issues related to running in hot conditions.
Boost Cardiovascular Fitness – Hot and humid running conditions push the heart to pump more blood. As a result, it offers excellent cardiovascular exercise for the heart muscles.
Mental Toughness – Exposure to warm conditions will test your resilience. Your body may even start begging you to stop. Runners who love to run in the sun develop mental toughness and resilience to keep going even in scorching conditions. You will experience significant changes in your mental toughness, overall health, and fitness.
They – Why Are You Running in The Sun? Me – Because I Can! 😎
Increased Need for Hydration – The exposure to hot conditions makes your body crave more supply of fluids. As a result, you will develop the habit of drinking more water or healthy fluids after the session. Increased fluid intake also helps boost metabolism.
Abundance of Vitamin D – Running under sunlight helps to boost the natural production of Vitamin D in the body. This vitamin is the primary source of all the immune system functions and bone health. Vitamin D3 helps in improving bone health as it supports calcium absorption in our body.
Acclimatization to Heat – Running in the sun is tough, but if you learn how to do it, you can run faster at other times of the day. You may have seen some people running in the sun and wondered why they are torturing themselves. The reality is that they have become battle-hardened to take the sun and are actually having a great time when the sun is above their head.
Tips to Run in Hot Climate
Here are some tips that will come in handy for running in hot conditions.
Understand how the cooling of your body works
The body system has its way of coping with the hot climate. You can understand the frequency with which you sweat after the exposure to heat. The sweating mechanism works differently for each individual. Understand how it is with your body and push accordingly. Your capacity will also improve with regular practice.
Keep hydrated before, during, and after running
Make a habit of drinking fluids at least an hour before the running session. You can also have some water before running. Your body will not need additional hydration during the session if you are running mid-distance, like 10 km. You can hydrate yourself after the session. For long-distance running, you will need to carry a hydration sipper.
Your body will send signals when it gets dehydrated. Don’t ignore signals like dry mouth, fatigue, and muscle cramps. Drink some water whenever you feel such symptoms. After completing your running for the day, make a habit of drinking sufficient fluid every hour or two. It will help the body recover after hours of exposure to sunlight.
Find a Running Buddy
You can find many runners to join you in the early hours or the evenings. It is not the same case for those who love to run in the sun because there are not many takers for this kind of challenge. You have to be lucky to find one, and not finding one should not stop you from going out alone to run in the sun.
You can start with a smaller distance, like 2-3 kilometers, to get the feel and then increase the distance and speed as your body gets used to the warm running conditions. Don’t ignore the symptoms of dehydration when you are alone. It is okay totake breaks if your body asks.
Nutrition and Diet
While running in hot weather, you must supply the right kind of meals to your body. Your daily diet should include enough carbohydrates to prepare for the run. Drink sufficient fluids throughout the day. You can munch on some snacks, such as dates, energy bars, etc., to keep the energy flowing while running.
You can mix it up with indoor training
For a couple of days a week, you can run on a treadmill to take a break from warm conditions. It allows your body to cool down from all the exposure to sunlight and also to enjoy some easier workout sessions inside the airconditioned environment.
Wear sunscreen and a cap (if you need)
You can protect your skin from the scorching heat with sunscreen, sunshades, and a cap. You can wear fuller running clothing if your skin is sensitive to direct sun rays. I don’t use sunscreen because I have trained my skin and sweat to form a natural shield around my body.
However, the Biggest Shield Against Intense Sunlight Is My Mind!!!
I am happy to take intense sunlight at the tropical coastland when the sun is right above my head, and when my shadow is the smallest.
Your body is trainable for running in the sun
Running in the sun is not something that many would like to try, but if you train yourself to take the heat and draining conditions, you will not want to go back. You will feel the body fluids sapping out, but you will keep cruising if you train your body to adapt to running in the sun.