Feeling The Effects of Conditioning The Body

“Athlete” by Mario Alberto Magallanes Trejo

I tend to talk about running a lot, I am usually that person who is trying to get everyone around me to run because I want them to experience it and love it just as much as I do. The most common response I get from people is “I can’t run”.

Unless you have a physical incapability, I believe everyone can run. It’s all about conditioning the body. Not everyone is a natural runner, but if you want to run, you can run. It takes work and conditioning, just like everything else in life. People say “I can’t run”, “it hurts”, or they talk about why they can’t run in certain weather conditions. Sure, your lungs hurt when you run in cold weather, but mine do too. It’s tiring to run in the heat and I commonly get asked, how do I do it?

I’ve been thinking a lot about conditioning lately. Conditioning my body even more than I already have to withstand certain conditions. It’s been extremely hot here in New York City and since I am training for a marathon, it’s hard to skip runs. I basically have to run, even when it’s 100 degrees. Sure, I could run on the treadmill, but in my opinion that takes more effort than just throwing on my clothes and heading out the door to run around my neighborhood.

After about a month of running in the heat, I miraculously found it to be getting easier. I was becoming conditioned to it mentally and physically and I began to suffer less and less with each run. I don’t know why, but I was surprised by this and how my body quickly adapted to the heat. Of course, it has a lot to do with how properly hydrated you are, but it was nice to start feeling a bit better on each run.

It’s amazing what the body can do and how it can adapt to almost anything. If you think you can’t run in hot or cold weather, just go out there and do it, I promise it will get easier the more you do it.

So how do I do it? It’s as simple as just doing. It’s not always easy, but just getting out there, no matter the conditions is the first step.

Whether you are trying to run in the heat, the cold, or get past a new high mileage goal, it takes practice. Here are a few tips to get you running past that unbearable stage:

• Start slow
• Hydrate well
• Dress properly for the weather
• Just do it
• Know that it gets better

I know this may sound obvious, but it truly doesn’t take long at all to condition your body, if you stick it out in the beginning, it will pay off in the end.

How do you deal with running in the heat? What’s your experience with weather acclimatization? Please share in the comment section below.

Author Bio: Stephanie works in the television industry, but is also the head editor of ireallylikefood. She is addicted to running races and writes about her training on her blog Epicurious Runner. She loves to eat, drink good beer, and travel with her husband. Find out more about Stephanie here and follow her on Twitter.