Written by Caitlyn Ashton
#tiptuesday – summer is here! Some great hot weather tips have already been given, but adding 2 more principles for successful running all summer long!
๐ป๐ถ๐ท๐ฐ๐ช๐บ: chafing prevention, proper hydration
๐ป๐ณ๐ซ๐น: To help prevent chafing (which will occur more often in wet conditions- i.e. heavy sweating, rain/humidity), the easiest technique is to use a skin lubricant to prevent rubbing on sensitive areas. Proper hydration requires more than just drinking waterโ leading up to and during activity you will also needs to consume electrolytes (salts) and carbs for your body to absorb the water/salts.
๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐ฌ
1. Choose running clothes with a good fit so that the fabric does not slide along the skin.
2. Mind your materials – โcotton is rottenโ – choose fabrics that wick moisture away from skin (polyester, nylon, bamboo).
3. Check your seems – inner seems can run against the skin once sweat/moisture is added – look for flatlock seems and cut out tags.
4. Put up a barrier – common chafing sites include armpits, inner elbows/knees, chest, nipples, groin, inner thighs, bra-line. Adding a layer like bandaids or sports tape can help.
5. โItโs great to lubricate!โ – one of the most helpful tools is using a lubricant (body glide, squirrels nutbutter, petroleum jelly) on high risk areas.
6. Mind the weather – take these extra precautions when itโs hot, humid or wet.
7. Change sweaty clothes immediately- leading damp clothes on after a run can lead to skin irritation/chafing. Before joining in social activities, bring a change of clothes to quickly change into.
๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
Coach Steve mentioned a few TTโs back that hydration needs to be focused on when it gets hot. Going to double down on that and add some tips/tricks here with bonus content for calculating your fluid loss at the end 
– Everyoneโs hydration needs differ – you cannot simply copy what a friend is doing
– Your hydration should include more than just water (especially during hard workouts, extreme temps when you sweat more, racing) – there are many electrolyte products that exist to replenish or top off your stores for workouts โ Gatorade, SOS, LMNT, pedialyte, liquid IV, etc
– Look for products that contain sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, calcium and phosphate. Bonus if the product contains carbohydrates (sugar). If it doesnโt, consume alongside carbs (prehydrating) and gels (on the run).
– Carbohydrates (especially glucose) are needed for absorbing and retaining electrolytes during exercise. And electrolytes control central nervous system function and allow your body to absorb and use water effectively.
– Preloading with electrolytes and carbs can be done 24-48 hours in advance of anticipated high sweat events (like long runs and races)
– Want something simpler? Preload by adding salt to the meals you eat the day before a long run or race 
– If you really want to dive into your unique needs, there are companies that offer a sticker skin tests (Gatorade, Levelen) but they can be costly. I am happy to share my experience with anyone curious about Levelen – just message me, I learned a lot about my salt needs!
– These are tips but for expertise- working with a RD (Aly!) can also be very helpful for personalized hydration planning.
๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ
You can understand how much fluid you lose by:
– weigh yourself nude pre run
– run for an hour outside
– towel dry off
– weighing again nude post run
Your fluid loss is the amount of pounds you lost multiplied by 16oz. If you also consumed fluid during the run, that should be added to the total. This can tell you how much you lose per hour which you can then determine how much you need to consume per hour. [so if you lost 16oz (1lb) but also consumed 16oz over the hour: 16+16=32oz per hour or a need to consume 8oz every 15 minutes]
๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ Highland City Striders Social Group – ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป!!
