Last weekend I was struck by the role that heat acclimatization plays in summer running. RunnerGirl and I were out at Pigeon Creek running with the Dirty Herd-West (quick plug: don’t miss the Dirty Herd’s run with Salomon on July 31, 5 p.m.). You’ll have to ask RunnerGirl how it happened, but a 2.5 mile loop ended up taking her a little over an hour to run. It was hot, but it wasn’t crazy hot. The path was pretty shaded. We drove home and didn’t think too much about it.

RunnerGirl was pretty out of it the rest of the night, though. She was shivering, but she was also sweating through her clothes. She felt lethargic. Her head was achey, and she was a little dizzy when she stood up too quickly. If you haven’t figured it out yet, she was experiencing Heat Exhaustion. She hit pretty much every symptom.

The strange thing is, I’ve run longer and faster in hotter weather. That’s the tricky thing; everyone’s body responds to heat/humidity differently. I train a lot more consistently outside in the weather, so my body is more acclimated to it. I still need to be careful, though. It helps to know the symptoms: chills, cool clammy skin, headache, heavy sweating, dizziness, muscle cramps, and nausea. If you begin experiencing any of these, you need to cool your body off. Get in the shade, take an ice bath, drink an electrolyte drink, etc. If you don’t you can quickly escalate to Heat Stroke.

An electrolyte drink like Gu Brew can help your body re-hydrate and balance the salts that your body needs.

The symptoms of Heat Stroke include: high body temperature, lack of sweating, flushed skin, rapid breathing, headaches, confusion, and muscle cramps. This is much more serious and deserves medical treatment.

Once you’ve pushed your body into Heat Stroke, you will be at greater risk for experiencing it again. Acclimatization can make your body better adapted to the hot weather, but it’s not a panacea. You still need to be careful out there. It’s never to cold to run outside, but there are times when it’s dangerous to run in the heat/humidity. Especially if your body isn’t used to it. Take care and stay cool.

My favorite bottle to help maintain hydration is the Nathan Quickdraw Plus. It’s so easy to carry that sometimes I forget it’s there. It doesn’t bounce or ride up like a belt system does sometimes.

These Nathan Quickdraws are only $18. Much cheaper than a doctor's appointment for Heat Stroke.