Go early, beat the heat, and the crowds. If you’re planning to run on the emerald necklace or the esplanade there is a lot of foot traffic, especially by Fiedler’s dock. Mornings will avoid the crowds and be the coolest time of the day.

Wear sunscreen, especially between the hours of 9am and 4pm. Depending on the day, if the sun is out, the UV index can get to some dangerous levels between 11am- 2pm. Runners seem to think that because they keep moving they are not affected, but the sun does not discriminate. This Elta MD sun screen is the one recommended by my dermatologist, great for the face and skin and protects from the UVs.

Plan out your route wisely. If you have strava, you can zoom in closely on a map and find where water fountains may be located. They are mapped out with a blue circle and a water droplet in it. There are a lot along the esplanade and public parks. If you start to get thirsty around mile 2 or 3, or maybe even mile 10-11, plan to reach the water fountains just before those mile marks.

Prepare with hydration before. Drinking enough water before starting the run is just as important as during and after. You are setting yourself up for success by hydrating properly the night before and the day leading up to a run. If you are running regularly, proper hydration all day every day will be crucial to having a good and healthy run. Even carrying the small bottles with you might help.  Try this collapsable reuseable flask where you can put it in your pocket when you're done with it.

Consume electrolytes. Carbohydrate and electrolytes containing fluids, like sports drinks, help replenish the electrolytes, like sodium, lost in your sweat. Sweating is a normal and necessary response in the body to high temperatures meant to cool you down and maintain proper homeostasis. Carbohydrates are good to be consumed to restore energy that you need to restore that you had already exerted. The higher the temperature, intensity of exercise, exercise duration or humidity, the more you will need to consume. Research shows that there is no advantage to fluid intake during exercises less than 30 minutes long. Try out liquid IV yourself as an easy option for electrolytes on the go. 

Acclimatize yourself over a few days.  This means starting over with a slow progression. As it starts to get hot in the May/June months, be aware of the heat and humidity and allow your body time to acclimate to it. Acclimatization is based on getting used to the temperature and humidity changes by slowly increasing your distance, time and intensity of running. So don’t feel like you're being weak, or worrisome when you’re struggling to run one of the first hot days. Your body has not adjusted yet and it usually takes about a week.

Be flexible with your training plan. Look at the week ahead of you and when the temperatures and humidity will be at its worst. Maybe plan your shortest run on the morning of the hottest day and your long run on a day that may be cooler, or even raining. Or if the whole week is lower in mileage, don’t be discouraged. That’s on mother nature, not on you.