Buzz
Running in the heat isn’t my strong suit—I’ll admit, I struggle with it. After completing a spring marathon, I found it hard to get back into training and face the summer weather. Then I remembered a trick I usually save for race-day jitters: taking a quick shower beforehand.
You might think it’s pointless to shower right before breaking a sweat, but for someone like me, a quick rinse could be the key to overcoming a summer running slump. My experience aligns with insights from this blog post from Ready Set Marathon.
Why Showering Before a Run Can Give You an Edge
A quick shower is the perfect way to wake myself up before a run. My go-to method is using cool water for just a minute or two, enough to feel truly energized. While cold showers are usually linked to cooldowns, this quick burst is an excellent way to shake off any grogginess and get my body moving for the day’s workout.
Cool water also works wonders when it comes to making the summer heat more bearable. The refreshment is brief, but it's just enough to give me a mental boost to step outside. Sure, a swim in a cool pool would be ideal, but I make do with what I’ve got.
Drawbacks of showering before your run
One of the main reasons to skip a pre-run shower is that, in many ways, it feels like a waste. If you’re planning on showering again after your workout, it can feel like time and energy spent for nothing.
On a larger scale, taking two showers contributes to wasting water. Why add more strain to the environment, especially now? It might be smarter to just stick with a cold shower post-run and save some resources.
The key takeaway
If you're looking to mix things up for a hot summer morning run, consider giving a quick shower a go. If it doesn’t do the trick, at least you’re saving water. Many runners have a routine that’s more mental than based on science. For me, just a minute or two in the shower can make all the difference to how I tackle my summer training.
