Ready to Run, in the Summer Sun

BY TEAM HEAT (Devon Cormack & Heather Hardy) | When you combine beautiful bridges, parks and exciting city streets with the hot summer sun, the five boroughs can truly be a runner’s dream. As a professional boxer, running is part of my workout routine. Every day, I run from Gleason’s Gym across the Brooklyn Bridge, through Chinatown and back into Brooklyn by way of the Manhattan Bridge — and I never get tired of the sights, the sounds and the smells. Okay, maybe not the smells…but everything else makes me wonder why any New Yorker would choose to climb onto a treadmill!

Photos by Devon Cormack To stretch the quads, stand straight up and balance on one foot. Bend your knee and pull your foot up towards your butt and grab it behind your back. Point your knee directly towards the ground and keep your back straight. — Photos by Devon Cormack
To stretch the quads, stand straight up and balance on one foot. Bend your knee and pull your foot up towards your butt and grab it behind your back. Point your knee directly towards the ground and keep your back straight.

A good run in the summer sun can be beneficial to your physical, chemical and emotional health. It will tighten and tone the legs, burn calories, increase stamina and endurance and keep your heart pumping firm and strong. You can relax, listen to some music and be at peace with your mind and the road. But there are many precautions to be taken — before and after — to ensure we get the most out of our run, without injuring our bodies. Before bolting out for that quick three miles on your lunch hour, make sure you follow these simple steps.

To stretch the groin muscle, stand with your feet hip width apart. Bend your knees and push your butt back as if you’re sitting in a chair a few inches behind you. Place your elbows on the insides of your knees and push out, to maximize the stretch.

HYDRATE
Drinking water is so important before, during and after any physical workout. If you can’t carry water with you, make sure you hydrate before. Do not leave for your run thirsty. Water lubricates your joints, tendons and ligaments and helps carry blood and oxygen to all your major organs.

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To stretch the calves, stand with your toes on a curb. Slowly sinking your heels down towards the floor. Alternating relaxing one leg, by slowly bending the knee on one leg, as you stretch the calf on the other.

WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHES
Don’t wear anything ill-fitting. There’s nothing worse than shorts that ride up, pants that are too tight or an itchy T-shirt tag that will kill the overall mood of your run.

GOOD RUNNING SHOES
This is one of those investments that will pay off time and time again. Not all sneakers are meant for running — so when choosing that all-important pair of shoes, make sure you have plenty of wiggle room in your toes and make sure they’re not too tight on your heel. Otherwise, you could wind up with blisters before you clock your first mile. A good pair of running shoes should give you 400-500 miles — and your feet, knees and back will all thank you along the way.

STRETCHING
Though there are conflicting reports about whether or not stretching is beneficial to a run, take it from a girl who does roughly eight miles a day and stretch! Just five minutes of pre-run stretching should do it. Not so much that you fatigue or overdo the muscles, but enough for your legs to be loose and ready to hit the pavement.

You want to make sure to loosen up your hamstring, groin muscles, calves, shins and quads. See the photos and captions for a few simple stretches that can be done without apparatus, for a few minutes before you begin running.

To stretch the hamstring, stand straight up, with your right leg bent slightly. Extend your left leg straight out, heel down and toes to the sky. Bend forward and reach toward the toes on your left foot, making sure not to bend the knee on the extended leg.

Enjoy your run!
Devon Cormack and Heather “The Heat” Hardy work as personal trainers, while prepping for fights — at Gleason’s Gym (77 Front St., Brooklyn). Hardy, a single mom, is currently a professional boxer with a 6-0 (and 1 TKO) record. Before turning pro, she won championships in Muay Thai and Kickboxing. As a Golden Gloves contestant, she won silver in 2011 and gold in 2012 (125-pound division). Chelsea resident Devon Cormack is a three-time World Kickboxing Champion who coordinates fight scenes for film & TV. If you have a fitness or nutrition question for Heather or Devon, send an email to askteamheat@chelseanow.com. Visit heathertheheathardy.net and follow her at facebook.com/TheHeatHeatherHardy. Also visit gleasonsgym.net.