So, not to complain, but it's been stinkin' hot here in New England this past week. Like wicked hottttt! I am talking 100 plus degrees and so humid I felt like I wore wet pants all week.
Since moving here, I have always said I would MUCH rather run at high altitudes than in humidity because height seems to be less of a challenge than damp air. There is a reason for that as I learned today . . . in addition to some other useful info for those who care about running, heat, and sweat.
Before I reveal this new knowledge, we first need to review some facts about our bodies:
*Our bodies have their own cooling systems that do not require fans or AC. Instead, the body cools itself by moving blood (at least the water part!) to the sweat glands. Our glands then create sweat drops (or BO) which carries hear to the surface of our skin (perspiration). Basically, beads of sweat are "containers of heat" ("Runner's World, 2011).
This process occurs in all of us, regardless of whether or not you run, however, for runners the process is challenged, and sometimes hindered when people run in extreme heat and humidity!
When running in heat, your body gets confused because it wants to engage the aforementioned cooling system, but as you continue running it must supply blood to muscles, tendons, tissue, etc to keep you moving. As a result, there is a limited blood supply in your body and with less water moving about it is harder to cool yourself down.
The HUMIDITY factor:
When you add humidity to the picture, it is even harder to cool down because the evaporation of sweat is hindered, which creates yet another hurdle in the cooling process. This explains why cooler temperatures here on the East Coast feel hotter than those in Colorado . . . because your body temperature may be the same! Can I have some altitude back please?!?!?!?
Here are some other interesting science facts:
1) Heat Stroke. Can occur when an internal body temperature reaches 104 degrees.
GET THIS...An experienced runner racing in 85 degree weather after hydrating for three days, eating salt the night before to retain water, drinking 20 oz of water the night before, followed by 10 oz before bed, sleeping in AC, and drinking 10 oz the morning of the race while eating more salt, and then drinking a slurpee (more on this later) 1 hour prior to the race, followed by wearing a cooling vest for thirty min pre-gun time, will reach an internal body temperature of 103.9 by mile 8 with a heart rate of 188 beats per minute!!! Mind you, the steps I just laid out for you brought said athlete's body temperature to 99 degrees with five miles left to run! To my fellow runners, be careful!
2) Slurpees. More successful at cooling the body than cold water. Study, 2010, New Zealand. Results: icy, sweet drink consumed one hour prior to running results in runners lasting 10 minutes longer without overheating than those who just drank syrup-flavored cold water. Hmmm...is this why soda can be soooo refreshing on hot day?!
3) Urine. A tell tale sign of dehydration. However, you want SOME color in the pot! Colorless urine, especially when preparing to run, can cause "hyponatremia" which occurs when sodium levels dip to a dangerously low level. You don't want the color of Tweety, but you do want the color of straw!
Moral of today's story . . . science can help us be safe and still enjoy running, even when the great outdoors is one giant steam room. BECAUSE I RUN where it's hot and humid I have a tip for you and it marries water and sweat. Want to know how to stay hydrated? Here ya go!
1) Weigh yourself naked before a run.
2) While running track how many ounces of fluid you drink.
3) Weigh yourself naked when your run is finished.
4) Subtract postrun weight from prerun and convert to ounces by multiplying by 16.
5) Add that number to the amount you drank on your run and divide the loss by four to determine how many oz you must consume every 15 min to stay hydrated.
PS I stole this handy fact right from Runner's World . . . page 65 . . . :)
BECAUSE I RUN, I crosstrain and when crosstraining I read, and today while reading Runner's World I learned some science. And now, BECAUSE I RUN and read I hope I have told you a few things you didn't know already. BO, while stinky, is important and our bodies have been cooling themselves long before Central Air!
Run safe, but don't forget to enjoy the sun!
PS Special shout out to Nicole Schutte as she runs her first HALF MARATHON tomorrow! Can't wait to join the club! May your stride by long, the breeze be in your favor, and your tears remind you that are a ROCKSTAR!
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