Crofton Cross Country runners find ways around high temperatures

CROFTON, Neb. -- With extremely high temperatures ravaging Nebraska throughout the week, many schools and athletic programs have had to improvise and find ways to adjust. 

Crofton High School Girl's cross-country team said how they respond to the heat. 

“Right now, this week with how hot it has been we have been running in the mornings,” said Head Coach Mickey Doerr. “Having said that, that poses issues too because light becomes a factor. Obviously, you don’t want kids to be running in the direction where the sun is rising and if traffic can see them coming or not. So, there’s a lot more factors involved with that.”

If the team knows the day is going to be hot, they plan ahead of time to prioritize their workouts during a different time of day. 

“If we know it’s going to be hot, usually we plan it in advance,” said cross country runner Elizabeth Wortmann. “Last week the team had a meeting, and we decided to have early morning practices this week because we knew it was going to be hot. But sometimes it’s unexpected.”

On the days where the weather is unpredictable, Doerr said the team takes practice inside. Although Doerr mentioned it may not be ideal, they still include intense workouts. 

“On the days we just absolutely cannot be outside, what we’ll do is, unfortunately for the kids, we will run in the halls in the school and sometimes we’ll use my classroom and turn it into a circuit area," Doerr said. "They will do a lot of body weight exercises and things inside. Obviously not as good as running outside, but at least they get some work in.”

According to the runners, sometimes the workouts can still be tough even if they do different exercises.

“I think it was honestly in some ways harder than our actual workout,” Wortmann said. “Because we are used to running and we did some yoga and some circuits and stuff and that used different muscles then we were used to. We still got a lot out of practice, it just looked a little different.”

When the conditions are expected, the team said they prepare the day before, so they can stay cool in the harsh conditions. 

“Preparations start before the day of,” Doerr said. “Start hydrating and eating properly well before that day. Also, on that day too, cover up from the sun. The sun takes a lot out of you.”

The runners even mentioned their own ways of staying cool while on the run.

“In town I like to stick to the shade,” Wortmann said. “There are routes that we go outside on gravel roads and on hotter days I usually try to avoid those just so I can stick to the shade. In certain areas of town, the city has water sprinklers so sometimes we will run through those, like at the baseball fields.”

Doerr said the biggest key is hydration. 

“With certain athletes, if I know they have issues with being dehydrated or cramping and things, then I’m a lot more picky," Doerr said. “I make sure you’re drinking this, getting this amount of electrolytes or drinking certain types of drinks. For most of the team though, I tell them every time you walk by a water fountain, take a drink.”

Precautionary habits allow both the athletes and coaches to stay safe during dangerous temperatures.