Summer running tips — accepting the heatwaves

I’ve started writing this post multiple times. My initial thought was to complain about the weather and make a sarcastic list of summer running tips. Like No. 1 — just don’t do it. No. 2 — hibernate until fall. But I reached a point of acceptance in a recent boiling hot long run. I was switching from a podcast to music to give myself a much-needed energy boost. And the words of poet and genius Avril Lavigne greeted me.

“Uh huh, life’s like this, uh huh, uh huh, that’s the way it is.” Then the lines repeated: “‘Cause life’s like this, uh huh, uh huh, that’s the way it is.”

I toss some pop music into my running playlist occasionally, and Avril certainly fits into that category. I would probably turn the volume down or change the song if it started playing while I was driving along the road, afraid someone would recognize it and judge me. But while running, I will play anything that gets my feet moving. And “Complicated” by Avril does the job. Just enough nostalgia (it was popular when I was in high school) mixed with pep.

Because I don’t listen to that song much, I didn’t remember it starting with those lines. They immediately stuck in my brain.

I’m trying to do marathon training through one of the hottest summers on record. In the desert. What is the point of complaining about the heat or obsessing about my training paces? Right now, here in Las Vegas, “life’s like this.” It’s hot and miserable. “That’s the way it is.”

Very rarely have I not found ways to complain about the weather and its effect on my marathon training. I’ve lived and trained through summers in Texas, Louisiana, Columbus (surprisingly hot and humid), and now Las Vegas. I had one rough winter in Columbus as well, but I wasn’t as affected mentally because my training paces didn’t plummet. I simply had to wear a few more layers.

Heat just destroys me for some reason.

But what has all of that complaining done for me? Probably just annoyed those around me (my family at the top of that list) and given me negative energy for months at a time.

Summer is hot, and I don’t like it. Summer is also never going to change (and will probably get even worse gradually thanks to climate change). I just need to accept it and focus on what’s possible daily.

Lately that has meant being fine with some of my lowest total mileage training weeks in the past several years. The heat and current life schedule have made marathon training difficult this summer.

Yesterday I was wheezing trying to hit some magic pace number for my 1 min on, 1 min off repeats. By the end, I was fighting mentally and physically just to keep from giving up and walking.

Avril lost me with her very next line — “Chill out, what ya yellin’ for.” There is zero chill in the August Las Vegas air. But the song goes on to tell someone Avril cares about to be more authentic and to stop changing who they really are around other people.

So in the spirit of “Complicated,” the 2002 banger pop song some might claim to dislike, but we all still sing it when it comes on, I just need to be true to myself.

So here are some actual summer running tips from my years of struggling through August heatwaves.

First, drink all the water. Take water on the run, have refill options if it’s a longer run, and drink immediately after. While this is a no-brainer, I find myself not drinking enough all the time.

Second, run when the sun isn’t out. Also really obvious. Don’t be an idiot like me and still try to get miles done in the heat of the day. Wake up early, go after sunset. Or take an extra rest day. Whatever it takes to avoid heat stroke.

Third, for those times the sun will hit you, make protection easy. Put your sunglasses and sunscreen on top of your running clothes for the next day so you won’t forget. This is something I’ve been working on this summer, and I’m starting to get closer to a 50/50 split for wearing the protection I should.

Last, be kind to yourself. This is the one I struggle with the most. I have a tendency to spiral into negative thinking as soon as summer hits and my training paces get slower. This normally leads to overreaching and trying to speed back up anyway, even though I know deep down that I’m just not good at running in hot weather.

But knowing there is a problem is the first step forward right? This year, I’ve focused on not forcing every run or beating myself up when it seems I’m slowing down instead of improving.

Running, like life, is a cycle. Progress isn’t linear. Especially for me, in June-August (and in Las Vegas it’s more like May-September).

So I guess I need to stop being so complicated. Just learn to accept the summer season of slowdown.