When I was in college, we used to go down to Camp Winona for Spring training. 10 miles in the morning, 5 in the afternoon, hang out in Daytona or at Lake Winona the rest of the day.

One day during each trip we would check to see when low tide was going to be early in the morning, and we would drive over to Daytona Beach. Whoever was hurting most and unable to do the run would drop everyone off, and then get donuts and bagels and fill the water jugs. They would wait for us 15 miles down the beach.

That used to be my favorite run. It was hell on your legs, it was hell on your skin, but it was a lot of fun. It helped me learn to deal with the heat when running, which is no small skill to have, even in Maine. There may only be 2 or 3 months of heat like that, but the races are still there and it still gets quite hot.

Proper fueling and hydration are paramount. Sunscreen helps too. Warmups aren’t as important, and should just be long enough to get loose. And if at the end of your run you are able to jump in the ocean, so much the better.