The Heat is On. So Get Out.

The dog days are here.

August may be my least favorite month, followed closely by February. July gives us Independence Day, but August gives us Back to School and a whole lotta heat. The fall races seem so far away. Hell FALL seems so far away, too.

But those races, and fall itself, are closer than you think, and there’s lots of benefits to getting out there now.

Heat training is a gift. Look, I don’t like it anymore than you — I think I hate it more than you actually — but the physiological and psychological effects from running in the heat give us that little bit of edge, and sometimes that little edge is the only thing that gets us across the line.

Even so, here’s a few tips for getting out there in summer, if you’re struggling and need a little push:

1. Wear an ice bandana or a buff and soak the buff in water before you head out. Resoak it in a creek when you can. The effects are permanent, but it’s a nice little pick-me-up.

2. Bring water. I don’t care if you use a vest or hand bottles, bring water. I don’t love it either, but you have to stay hydrated to stay on your feet.

3. Embrace the suck. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten through a tough situation just because I accepted it instead of griping about it. When you want to whine, tell yourself, duh, it’s August, it’s supposed to be hot and move on.

4. Also, run without a shirt or just wear a sports bra. No one cares.

Good luck, and I’ll see you in September. I just got excited typing that.