Yesterday morning started off as a mad-dash— I hit snooze multiple times as all the kids stayed up late watching fireworks with friends and celebrating Independence Day the previous evening. These exciting moments spent with friends are extra special during PCS season!
The rowing machine is gone, yard toys are all packed up and on the road to our next duty-station, house is completely empty, and a fresh coat of paint has been rolled on all the walls over all the handprints. No kids allowed in the house, so hotel living it is!
A later than normal wake up meant that I skipped a window of time to hit the hotel gym before my spouse headed off to work. The temperature was still on the “not so hot” end with overcast skies. After dropping the kids at camp at 8:45AM, my youngest and I decided to head to the Air Base for a running and biking combo around the basketball and tennis courts at the Outdoor Recreation complex.
My youngest can bike for quite some time. Instead of riding her bike in the tennis court and playing with chalk, she was wanted to be my guide. I love when any of my kids decide they want to be my running partner— this was a welcomed treat! My daughter had enough after a few laps of riding her bike and wanted to play fetch with the dog on the tennis court. I set them up and continued my laps with the goal to run for an hour at a comfortable pace due to the rising temperature.
The rowing machine is gone, yard toys are all packed up and on the road to our next duty-station, house is completely empty, and a fresh coat of paint has been rolled on all the walls over all the handprints. No kids allowed in the house, so hotel living it is!
A later than normal wake up meant that I skipped a window of time to hit the hotel gym before my spouse headed off to work. The temperature was still on the “not so hot” end with overcast skies. After dropping the kids at camp at 8:45AM, my youngest and I decided to head to the Air Base for a running and biking combo around the basketball and tennis courts at the Outdoor Recreation complex.
My youngest can bike for quite some time. Instead of riding her bike in the tennis court and playing with chalk, she was wanted to be my guide. I love when any of my kids decide they want to be my running partner— this was a welcomed treat! My daughter had enough after a few laps of riding her bike and wanted to play fetch with the dog on the tennis court. I set them up and continued my laps with the goal to run for an hour at a comfortable pace due to the rising temperature.
Post-run sweaty selfie-- sweat beads and soaked shirt!
A few minutes into starting back up, I began to sweat more than usual during the summer months. My breathing felt fine, my pace felt great, but then I checked my heartrate, and I was already hitting the bottom end of the max zone on my Garmin. After taking a couple water breaks and slowing my pace even more, my heartrate continued to climb. I capped my run at 30 minutes. The humidity got to me.
Many of us run in the heat and humidity of the summer months; however, the combination of heat and humidity will cause increased physical stress on the body. Early and/or evening runs, shady routes, increased hydration, etc. are all great ways to adjust to the heat. But sometimes, life happens and we can’t get out the door in the early morning hours, and your only window of time is after summer camp drop off when the heat is full-force! Aside from previous blog pieces that mention adjusting to the heat, below are some additional tidbits to remember:
The heat and the humidity don’t have to stop you from hitting the pavement or trail, but remember to keep yourself and your little ones safe!
Many of us run in the heat and humidity of the summer months; however, the combination of heat and humidity will cause increased physical stress on the body. Early and/or evening runs, shady routes, increased hydration, etc. are all great ways to adjust to the heat. But sometimes, life happens and we can’t get out the door in the early morning hours, and your only window of time is after summer camp drop off when the heat is full-force! Aside from previous blog pieces that mention adjusting to the heat, below are some additional tidbits to remember:
- The temperature might not read as high as a typical summer day, but don’t forget to check the humidity levels. The combo of humidity and heat will have an impact on your run.
- You’ve slowed the pace, have extra hydration, and choose a shady route. What next? Monitor your heartrate. A conversational pace or anything below a conversational pace should not bring you to your maximum heart rate zone. If you find yourself in this situation, take a break, adjust your scheduled run to a walk.
- It is also important to keep our kids, especially car seat aged kids, safe in the heat. Many of our members use fans and/or water-misting device to keep their babies cool! However, STOP if using a swaddling blanket or any other thin layer to cover the car seat to block out the sun or keep bugs away. Even though the blanket is thin, covering the car seat will still increase the temperatures to a dangerous level. Remove any stuffed animals or items that may increase the temperature for your little one.
The heat and the humidity don’t have to stop you from hitting the pavement or trail, but remember to keep yourself and your little ones safe!
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