Which would you prefer? Running in a hot and humid climate, or eating hotpot in the sweltering heat?
I arrived in Singapore yesterday, and these were the two things (amongst many) that I did within the last 24 hours - both of which made me sweat buckets. Between the two, I have to admit that I enjoyed the hotpot, but did not have a fun run.
I mentioned previously that I used to abhor running because I grew up in the tropical climate of Singapore. As you may know, Singapore is characterized by a hot and humid climate. Its temperature ranges from 22C to 34C and it has an average humidity of 70% to 80%, thus making running an unpleasant experience. Today, I was reunited with my old enemy again.
I did my long run this morning, and though I managed to finish my run, I really struggled. I felt nauseous,faint and dehydrated after the run. While it may not have been a good run, it was a personal achievement because unlike before, I did not stop. After my run, I read up on running in hot weather conditions, and realized that I may have made some mistakes. I like it when mistakes are made; each setback helps to strengthen our character.
Lessons Learnt
Hydration
I was dehydrated from my flight, and did not drink enough water before my run. Also, as I am used to not brining water during my runs in Melbourne, I thought I could do the same here - I was wrong. It appears that running in warm environment places great physiological stress on the body, and it is important to keep the body well hydrated. As a rule of thumb, we should be drinking 1 liter of water every hour.
Timing of the Run
I did my run at about 10am, when it was relatively warm. This could have caused me to overheat. It is actually better to do the runs earlier in the morning, or later in the day so that one does not overheat. I should learn to run earlier or later in the day.
Pace
I ran at my usual pace, and I think that pace might have been too fast for such hot and humid conditions. Apparently, I should have reduced speed by about 2 minutes per mile slower than my usual pace.
Eating Too Much
I woke up feeling starved, and had a huge bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter before my run - bad choice! Having a heavy meal before a run will only put extra stress on the body, and make you feel nauseated during the run.
Sites that Might be Useful
20 Tips to Stay Cool on a Summer Run by Active.comCoping With Hot Weather Running by Suite101
Seasonal Running by Jeff Galloway
Beat the Heat by Runner's World
How do you cope with running in a warm environment?
3 comments:
So I never run, really, and therefore can't really contribute to this discussion! I do find it hard to believe peanut butter oats could ever be a bad thing, though :P
I don't like running in the heat either - my first half marathon was done on a 26 degree day :P
I would definitely recommend that you go early rather than later in the day. You can always run a bit faster to keep warm in the cold but struggling to keep a decent pace in the heat of the day SUCKS.
If you wake up hungry, and are planning a run within 20 minutes of waking, have half a banana and some sports drink before you go - that should be all you need to get through a 10k training session. And eat well the night before if you are planning an early morning run - rice, pasta, etc. It makes all the difference!
It's fabulous that you can identify what wasn't so good so you can learn for next time. That's all part of the journey too. x
@Hannah - I didn't expect it to be that bad too! I'd just have it after my runs in future.
@Skinny latte - I have learnt my lesson this time, and will start running earlier instead. Thanks for the awesome tips. My dinner is usually pretty light, so I always wake up hungry.
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