I Call It Running

Summer Marathon Training for the Mature, Recreational Runner

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Or, in other words, for the old, slow runner. I love seeing everyone getting excited about their fall marathons. Around here, everyone is getting super excited about this year’s Chicago Marathon. When you live in the Chicago area, the October marathon is a goal almost all distance runners target annually, or at least once. But summers in Chicagoland can be brutal. This week temperatures are well into the 90’s with high humidity. Dew points have been absolutely tropical in the mid 70’s. NOAA says that dew points above 65 degrees are oppressive; boy, are they right!

Right now the Dew Point is 77F. Yikes!!!

As marathon training season progresses, the heat and humidity really ramp up. My younger friends just suck it up and get out there and run lots of fast miles and sweat a lot. But as any older person knows, the heat gets to us more. It just does. So what is a more mature, recreational runner who has a goal to finish the marathon before the cutoff supposed to do when the heat is red hot and the air is full of water? Here are a few tips to carry us through:

1. Don’t Obsess – Missing one or two training runs will not cause you to fail at the marathon. If it is too hot, don’t run or run indoors. Try not to skip long runs but the other runs, don’t obsess.

2. It is NOT a Dreadmill –Don’t be bullied by other runners to avoid the treadmill. When temps and humidity are high, take it inside. For us flatlanders, it is a great place to do some hill training. Try this workout:

Progressive Hills – Starting at 0% incline, run 2 minutes and then walk 1 minute. After you complete each cycle, raise the treadmill up .5% and repeat the 2/1 interval. Slow down if you need to when the elevation gets high. I usually stop at about 6 or 7% incline and then work down in the same manner.

3 3. Bring a Sweat Cloth – It is almost impossible to cool down if the sweat on your body cannot evaporate. Help it along by carrying a cloth to wipe down your arms and face during the run. It helps a lot.

4 4. Carry and Drink Water – don’t be a martyr, it’s hot, drink! Plan your route so you will pass a bathroom or be prepared to pee in a bush but don’t not drink. Your heart suffers when you run without water.

5 5. Slow Down – Seriously, are you going to win the marathon? Probably not. So don’t get caught up in everyone’s PR talk. Go out and enjoy your runs and stay health and injury free. If you’re an elite runner, you won’t be reading this anyway. Don’t Take Yourself so Seriously.

6. Use Intervals – Walking doesn’t slow you down that much. Get an interval timer, read up on the Galloway method and don’t let the run bullies convince you there is something wrong with intervals. You WILL be faster overall with intervals (read Galloway) and you will feel better and be less likely to get injured.

7 7. Smile – Research shows you will be faster (if that’s important to you) and enjoy the experience more if you just smile.