A June day in the South is probably 80-90 degrees and very humid.  You have to be careful when running in the heat.  The main thing is to stay very well hydrated.  Drink lots of water during the day.  Your body simply won't work if you are dehydrated.  The muscles need water to function.  You will experience cramping and all kinds of problems

Be aware of the warning signs.  As long as you are still sweating, then your body is attempting to cool itself down.  If you stop sweating, or if you get chills, then you are in danger.  Stop immediately and get somewhere where you can cool down.  Start replenishing fluids.  You don't want a heat stroke!!!

It's best to run in cooler parts of the day, but you can run ok in the heat of the day if you learn to acclimate yourself.  Try some shorter runs in the heat and eventually your body will adapt.  By the time July and August come around, you should be better equipped to run in hot weather.  Remember, Crazy 8's is usually hot and humid, even though it's late at night.

Finally, don't get upset if you don't run well on a hot day.  Like I said before, your body just doesn't function as well in the heat.  So, don't worry and think you're getting slower.

Track Group Tip of the Week - Breathing

It's important to establish a rhythm with your breathing.  Take in as much air as you can. Don't worry about looking pretty.  Open your mouth and gulp it in! Part of relaxing while you run is to learn how to breathe.

This is something you just have to learn on your own. During a slow jog, your breathing is slower and easier. You might even be able to talk while jogging.  As you run faster, forget the talking!  Just concentrate on getting in air and make sure the breathing is as rhythmic as possible.  Find a breathing rhythm that works for you and your stride.

Another benefit of speed training is that it improves your max VO2, a scientific measure of how much oxygen your body can process in a given period of time.  The greatest distance runners in the world usually have tremendously high max VO2.  The more you run fast, the better you improve your capability to process oxygen.  The more oxygen you can process, the better you can breathe, and this of course, leads to faster running.