10 WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR SUMMER RUN

Remember last winter?  I do.  I laughed.  I cried.  I shoveled.  I froze.  My kids didn't go to school.  I cried some more.  And, when that last pile of snow finally melted (in June, I think) I did a little dance of joy.  I run year round.  Most of us do.  Obviously, some seasons are harder to deal with than others.  But last winter did me in from a running perspective.  I bitched and moaned like nobody's business.  Now, if I'm being honest here, I do tend to bitch and moan a little about summer running, too. Has it been hot over the past few weeks?  Hells yeah.  Is it hard to bang out a 15 miler with the sun beating down on you like a laser beam?  Indeed it is.  Have I said a word about it to anyone?  NOT.  ONE.  If there is one thing I can thank Mother Nature for after last winter it's that I can now handle almost anything she throws at me.  Heat?  Bring it on.  Humidity?  Let's go.  T-Storms?  Game on.  I ran a freaking marathon in June, for God's sake.  That pretty much sums it all up.  This past Monday morning, I dropped my girls off at camp around 9:00am.  By the time I got home and ready to hit the road it was 9:45.  By this point, the temp was hovering right around 90 and the humidity was so thick you could slice it with a knife.  Not that I complained.  Not a peep.  I swear.  I went out and took those 6 miles down.  Rebecca: 1  Summer: 0  Over the past few summers, I've written various posts about coping with and/or beating the heat; most of them with a tinge of bitterness.  This year, dear readers, I've decided to put a positive spin on my summer running post.  As I cruised along on Monday, I brainstormed the various ways one can guarantee a more pleasurable summer running experience.  Unless you can handle the dreadmill or you are a hamster, you're going to run outside.  You might as well enjoy it.   Here's how.

10 TIPS TO HELP YOU ENHANCE YOUR SUMMER RUN

1. Always pick routes that have sources of water along the way....water fountains, bathrooms, sprinklers, etc.  Just being able to splash water on your neck or head makes a considerable impact on overall comfort.

2. Run a loop that goes by a friend's house or comes back around to your own mid-run so you can do one or all of the following:
a) shed a layer
b) grab some water or stick you head in the freezer
c) hang out and chat with said friend or a neighbor (if it's your house)
d) abort mission all together and bum a ride home (hopefully, it's a really good friend) or just open the door and walk inside (if it's your own house).
3. Leave the watch behind.  When it's hot out, unless you're Usain Bolt, you're gonna run slower.  Why torture yourself by staring at your watch?  Map your route out ahead of time and JFR. (just f***ing run)
4. Wear a visor & sunnies.  Shade = Cool.  Enough said.
5. Use music.  It can be such an easy and fun distraction from the elements if and when you need it.  For those of you who do depend on music (like myself), download a few new songs.  Fresh music makes the world go round...and your run more pleasant.
6. Throw some cash in your pocket and finish your run at a coffee shop.  Just thinking about iced coffee in the summer makes me happy.  Knowing I have one waiting for me at the end of my run...well...you get it.
7. Stock your freezer with these bad boys.  Pull one out when you finish or grab one mid-run.  Words can not express how unbelievably good they taste when it's hot out.

8. If you don't own wrist bands, go buy yourself a pair.  Then, throw them in the freezer.  Pull them onto your wrists right before you hit the road and you will cool your whole body down by 10 degrees.  Then, a few miles in, you can start to use them for their primary function of sweat absorption.  Added bonus...you will look really, really cool wearing them.

9. Plan to end your run at a body of water - lake, ocean, kiddie pool, whatever.  I chose the lake.  Ham chose the kiddie pool.  Either one will do.

10.  Never, EVER, say it can't get any worse.  It always can.  Did I mention last winter?

Listen to this:
Weathered* - Jack Garratt  Listen w/ 
* Give this one time.  It's a slow build to awesomeness.