It seems ridiculous that I am planning to talk about summer gear, considering the weather here in Buffalo. It is April 13 and we are looking at a Winter Weather Advisory which could bring up to 1/2 an inch of ice to our region tomorrow.

I am about to buy a house in Antigua where my daughter lives and just be done with this! ugh!!!

Summer will supposedly come to Buffalo eventually I’m told, so I am going to move on and talk about what to use during those months when it comes to running. Even though I really want to just complain some more about the weather.

Hydration is a big deal in the summer and as I get older the thirstier I seem to be. My mouth is really dry sometimes on runs, which I didn’t notice as much when I was younger.

I used to never take water on runs with me because I hated the bottles you carry in your hands and the belts felt too binding. (Have I ever mentioned I’m kind of high maintenance when it comes to running)?

Last summer when we were living in Shanghai the weather was unbearably hot. We would go out for a run and be so depleted by the end. A few times we were definitely in a danger zone, running stupid for people in our 50’s. When your vision starts to do wonky things you are definitely needing to stop your run and cool your body down!

As an older runner, doing things like running when its 95 degrees out with no water is not a good idea. It’s not a good idea at any age!

A few times we could not find any stores, because the areas we were running in were business parks and nothing was open on Sundays. We finally found a gas station about 2 miles from our apartment that become a “must run by” at the end of the runs because they had the coldest water!

Water Belt

By the end of the summer I was using a water belt, and I was surprised how quickly I adapted to it. It has a pouch that I can carry snacks, ID, some dollar bills and my phone.

I filled my bottles about 1/3 full with water and kept them in the freezer. That way, I had cold water for a bit longer. It also feels great to have the cold next to my body on a hot day! I have the insulated water bottles from Nathan, and compared the temperature of the water with what was coming out of the regular (non-insulated) ones my husband has and the insulation definitely works to keep the water colder.

I have seen some people running with a Camelbak, or hand-held bottle. If it is really hot we plan our route based on where stores or gas stations are to replenish the bottles if necessary.

Something I do in the summer for a longer run is have one bottle that is plain water and one that has an electrolyte replacement. You can see my review of the NUUN tablets on my YouTube channel here.

Summer Hat

Wearing a hat is a must. It keeps the sun off my face, but is also a great way to keep sweat from pouring into my eyes! I use one that can be thrown into the washer to keep clean.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses in the summer are essential for me. I have a strap to keep them in place because nothing is more annoying than having your sunglasses sliding down your nose every three seconds during a run! As I age I find the brightness of the sun hurts my eyes, so had to find something that would encourage me to wear them and these straps do.

Good Running Socks

My favorite running socks are Balega’s, and I use a lighter-weight one for the summer. They really help keep my feet dry, which is good for blister prevention. If I do have blisters I use blister band-aids until they heal. Sometimes if I just have a hint of a blister I will tape my feet to keep them from rubbing.

Running with a Handkerchief!

One thing I carry in the winter and summer is an old-fashioned handkerchief. During winter runs my sinuses turn on for some reason and tissues on the run are just too fragile. They also can blow away when I try to take them out of my pocket as I’m running.

During the summer I can use a handkerchief for wiping sweat, cleaning off my sunglasses, etc. They go in the wash and I am sure to put them right back in my jacket or water belt pouch when they come out of the dryer.

Taking care of Tech Fabrics

Definitely wearing fabrics that can get the sweat away from your body makes running much more pleasant than wearing a 100% cotton t-shirt. Feeling wet can really put a damper on a good run. Make sure to follow good washing practices for these high-tech fabrics, so they last a long time.

I used to think that I had to wash in hot water to get out the stink, but I was finding it was making it worse! I now use the delicate cycle (which uses cold water) and an enzyme-based sports detergent. And NO fabric softener. These can cause the fabrics to become “sticky” in the sense that the sweat will cling to them. Not what you want!

Don’t throw your sports clothes in the hamper to sit in a bunch. Hang them over a drying rack or whatever you can drape them over to dry out first. This will keep them from transferring sweat to your other clothes, and keep everything from molding if you don’t do laundry every day.

I have a YouTube video on Taking Care of Running Clothes, and a longer post on the subject.

Sunblock

One thing that isn’t “gear”, but is necessary is sunblock! Don’t leave home without it! Take my word for it, you can get burned in some pretty weird places while running. I asked my dermatologist about the best thing to use (spray or lotion) and her simple answer was “whatever you will use”! She did say the kind you can slather all over (cream) is best for blocking out the sun (and use a high SPF  whatever you use), but a lot of people don’t like the feeling of that. Spray is definitely easier, and less greasy. So bottom line, buy what you will use.

What do you find essential for summer runs? Do you go out and buy new running gear each season?