Why Does It Feel So Impossible to Run This Summer?

If you feel like it has been more difficult to run this summer than it has in previous summer months, you’re not alone. As it turns out, there may be a few factors unique to this year’s hotter months that are inhibiting runners from feeling their best while logging miles.

Between excruciating heat waves and poor air quality due to wildfires along the west coast, it seems like runners—or anyone exercising outdoors for that matter—haven’t been able to catch a break these past few months. It’s disheartening, especially because long-distance runners are usually attuned to running in less than ideal weather conditions and pushing through discomfort. But, when does that level of grit become unsafe? What are some signs that indicate it’s time to start scaling back?

“There’s all of these various circumstances where you can see professional athletes that are elite [but] are not immune to the consequences of heat and heat exposure,” says Eric Adkins, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine and critical care at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Even though they may be incredible runners, if they’re thinking about running in the heat and think they will be okay, they need to be aware of what the conditions are [and] what their hydration status is.”

I experienced two separate bouts of what I suspect to be heat exhaustion after running amid heat advisories in June and July, respectively, and both events rattled me. I had extreme stomach cramps, I was dehydrated, my skin felt like it was on fire, and yet somehow I also had chills. A quick Google search of my symptoms led me to believe I was dealing with heat exhaustion, so I parked in front of my portable AC unit, and drank water and Gatorade. I immediately started to feel some relief after drinking the electrolyte-enhanced beverage, but it still took me about three days to feel comfortable running again.

Experts agree that this summer has presented a few obstacles that not only interfere with your training plan, but can seriously hinder your health if the correct precautions aren’t taken.

There have been several unbearable heat waves this summer

Most states have experienced at least one unusually hot day this summer. In fact, this past June was the hottest on record in North America, and running in such severe temperatures can take a toll on your physical performance.

People living in the Pacific Northwest have especially been at risk of exposure to dangerous temperatures these past few months, with temperatures reaching as high as 116 degrees Fahrenheit in Portland, Oregon, during an unprecedented heat wave in late June.

Adkins says when you’re out in the heat, you sweat more than usual, which will lead to both water and salt loss. And while that’s a perfectly normal response, too much exposure to heat, coupled with inadequate water and electrolyte consumption, can put you in a dangerous situation.

“When you deal with heat exhaustion and heatstroke, sweat is one of the primary ways the body is going to help eliminate the heat,” he says.

However, when you become so dehydrated that you stop sweating, that indicates the body can no longer cool itself and your core temperature will start to rise. It can be tricky to identify when your body enters heat exhaustion, because it can look different for different people.

“It could be as simple and mild as [feeling] more fatigued than usual, or you may develop things like a headache,” says Adkins. “You may notice, as things go along, that you may start to feel a little bit of nauseousness, maybe a little bit of dizziness, and when it gets to be really severe and you go from things like heat exhaustion to heatstroke.”

Other symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

Adkins also recommends checking the color of your urine. If the color of your urine is dark yellow or even orange, then that’s a clear sign your body is dehydrated and you need to begin rehydrating as soon as possible.

Without quick treatment, heatstroke can become life-threatening, according to the Mayo Clinic, as the core body temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and can cause permanent damage to the brain and other vital organs.

The good news? Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are both preventable. Below, Adkins provides a few tips on how you can stay safe when training in hot temperatures.

Before you go out and run…

Make sure you hydrate well before running, drinking both water and electrolyte-enhanced beverages and eating hydrating fruits and vegetables (think watermelon and cucumber). Next, Adkins suggests running in light colored clothing to help reflect the heat off of you rather than absorb it. As soon as you’re done with your run, be sure to replenish with plenty of liquids and food. During heat advisories, if you must run outside, aim to run during cooler parts of the day, such as early in the morning or later in the evening.

If you’re out running and you start to feel bad…

“The number one thing is get out of the heat, so get back to your car with air conditioning, get into a grocery store, find a mall, whatever it is that you can get into that’s air conditioned,” he says.

Second, Adkins says to begin rehydrating yourself as soon as possible. If you don’t start to feel good within the hour, you may want to consider seeking medical care immediately.

“Know it’s okay to seek medical care if you have any concerns, because what starts out as dehydration can lead into other consequences like renal failure,” says Adkins.

Those who are taking allergy medication (antihistamines) or medication to help treat high blood pressure (beta-blockers) may especially be at high risk of heat exhaustion, as both of these drugs can affect your body’s ability to remain hydrated and sweat properly. And speaking of allergy medication…

We’re still in the thick of allergy season

“Rising temperatures and higher CO2 levels make pollen seasons longer and heavier,” says Shirin Peters, M.D., founder of Bethany Medical Clinic in New York City. “More pollen leads to more allergies.”

If you’re someone who has allergy-induced asthma (like me), this can make breathing very difficult when running outdoors, especially in nature.

“Since temperatures are rising earlier this season, this can cause trees and grass to release pollen spores into the air earlier and can trigger an allergy attack,” she says.

For those who have allergies, this could also mean dealing with fatigue, sneezing, a runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy or dry eyes, headache, fatigue, abdominal pain, itchy or red skin, and even bloating after meals, says Peters.

Of course, over-the-counter antihistamine medication such as Zyrtec or Allegra can help alleviate these symptoms—just keep in mind you’ll have to hydrate even more during the hot days.

“Take precautionary measures by making sure to throw running clothes into the wash as soon as you walk inside from a day surrounded by grass and trees to reduce the spread of pollen in the home,” she says.

The air quality has been poor across the nation

Smoke from wildfires in the West Coast as well as in British Columbia have been polluting the air across the Midwest to as far as New York City this summer. In Brooklyn, New York, where I live, the Air Quality Index (AQI) one day in late July reached 154, which can not only have an impact on generally healthy people who are sensitive, but it also poses a threat to those who have asthma, COPD, and heart conditions. For context, an AQI value between 0 to 50 describes satisfactory air quality, meaning air pollution poses little or no risk

“There are five major air pollutants monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which include ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide,” says MeiLan King Han, M.D., M.S., professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of Michigan.

Amid the wildfires, the particle pollution, also known as the particulate matter PM2.5, has been the main pollutant of concern this summer.

“For patients with asthma, for instance, high levels of air pollution may acutely lead to shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing,” she says. “Poor air quality can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. When individuals run, they breathe faster and more deeply, drawing more air into the lungs and increasing their overall exposure to air pollution.”

Runners who are more sensitive to air pollution, including those who have asthma or chronic lung conditions, may experience airway inflammation, which can cause the breathing tubes (bronchioles) to constrict and narrow and ultimately make it harder to breathe, Han explains.

The bottom line

If you feel like you haven’t been able to hit your goal times this summer, or just haven’t felt 100 percent yourself while putting the work in, just know that there are some major environmental issues at play that could be affecting your ability to train.

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