The heat has stolen my running mojo

[Vixchile]

All I have to say is the heat has stolen my running mojo, my pace is slower, i keep stopping, its generally just hard work. I have lost my motivation to run and i am not feeling the love at the moment.

[runswithdogs Graduate]

Ack. I can't seem to stand the heat or the cold for running. The heat just saps the endurance from you and it's easy to push yourself too hard and feel ill.

You've given me fair warning, we're looking at a December trip to Buenos Aires or Santiago. I was looking forward to not running in the snow, but sound like the scales have tipped to far too the other side

[Vixchile Graduate in reply to runswithdogs]

I am just not use to the weather and running in it so finding it hard. At the moment its pretty much 30 degrees in Santiago, give or take a few degrees. I think you said you have been to Chile before so you will be aware of the pollution, not as bad as i have seen it but there is a brown cloud over the city. Plus in December we have been told a lot of people leave the city so the pollution improves. I can't be certain but i think in Dec BA gets very hot!!

I must admit we are going to escape the city in December - off to Uruguay for 6 days and hopefully Isla de Pascua for 4 days. We went to vina this weekend and that was lovely to get out of city. Having said that the heat is a great change form the UK in Dec. Hope your travel plans go well. If you need any info about Santiago then just let me know (not an expert mind you)

[runswithdogs Graduate in reply to Vixchile]

Ugh. Forgot about the smog. How on earth do you escape that? Early morning runs?

[Vixchile Graduate in reply to runswithdogs]

yeah its not too bad today but i run int the mornings and make sure i am always out before the traffic starts.

[Barbarajs Graduate]

Have to say, I'm very glad I've started running in a British Autumn...I keep wondering how I'd be in any kind of heat. I wasn't happy at all even walking in blazing hot sunshine and ours is nowhere near your temperature levels.

Hope you get your mojo back Vixchile xx

[Vixchile Graduate in reply to Barbarajs]

I think you picked a good time to start running - once you get through winter the temperature will be increasing slowly to help you get through the summer!! Thank you. I love the sunshine don't get me wrong and really want to run i just find it so hard. As soon as i stop i feel fine- its very stop start at the moment and feels hard. I am very jealous of the locals they run effortlessly!!

[Barbarajs Graduate in reply to Vixchile]

I guess it's just natural to the locals. My husband is Jamaican and would be quite happy running in heat and has done in Jamaica on holidays. Me I'd be hiding under a tree sipping some water. I have literally no energy on hot days. It saps you I find. I always say when I'm abroad that I could never actually do any work in a hot climate

[Vixchile Graduate in reply to Barbarajs]

Well thins morning I was all geared up in my running gear - sitting on the toilet as the bathroom was coolest room in the apartment (we don't have air conditioning) and i was hot. My partner was getting ready for work - the only think i could think is that the car is air conditioned and so is office so its not too bad. In Chile its just very dry heat so your not battling humidity which is a nightmare. I just get up early do all the housework before my run so its not too bad.

[Jo55 Graduate]

I joined in July did one run and found the heat too much so left it till it cooled down slightly, then started again. Even now, after W9, still think I would struggle in the heat so I know where you are coming from. Hopefully, your mo Jo will return soon.

[Vixchile Graduate in reply to Jo55]

Yeah - i think i will just have to accept that my running won't be like it was. Any run is better than a good run but i know i need to adjust it harder than i thought it would be.

[AncientMum Graduate]

Oh no, that's such bad news Vix. I was wondering how you've been getting on. You set yourself a pretty serious target with the 10k you're working towards in the middle of the Santiago summer. My only suggestion to you is to forget 10k and try do some much shorter runs, 2-3k at the most. That way you're not starting out knowing you've got a long l o n g run ahead of you, just something manageable. The thought of a long, l o n g run in the searing heat would be enough to send anyone's mojo running for cover. Also, if I was you, I'd forget all about pace for any long runs, at least until your mojo resurfaces. Go as slow as you can, then at bit slower, as we are all advised when starting off on c25k. Good luck Sweetie, I'm sure that old mojo will be knocking on your door begging you to come out and play soon enough. In the meantime, stick a couple of wet flannels in the freezer to cool yourself down, and start planning those short runs xx

[Vixchile Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

Thank you, yeah you know what you mean Dec is pretty warm i think in Jan and maybe feb it gets slightly warmer! I decided this morning to run super slow and then that annoyed me but i just could keep the pace up no matter how much i wanted too. So i just went slow (a snail could lap me) and I stopped. As soon as i stopped i was fine so just continued for as long as possible. I don't want to moan about it as i know i need to make the most of it - as we might be returning to uk a lot sooner than expected I love the sun too so i was looking forward to it - well saturday is colour run so just looking at running that slowly and enjoy the run!

[runningnearbeirut Graduate]

Haven't done much running recently and the temperatures have dropped siginificantly, but I can definitely empathise with EVERYTHING seeming harder. The problem is that it IS harder. People who only visit hot places for holidays don't usually appreciate how much effort is needed just for normal survival in ongoing hot weather, particularly if your environment is anything less than 100% "westernised/modern" and then there's the ongoing cross-cultural issues and language barrier, and sometimes everything just seems so much more effort.

I'd suggest you aim for times rather than distances, because you HAVE to go slower and if you aim for a distance then you have to be out longer. Perhaps allow yourself a bit of slack and try a run-walk system every now and then so you don't feel guilty about "stopping".

Is it "just" hot or is it humid as well? You have my sympathy either way, but at least if the humidity is lower then there's some relief in the shade.

Any chance of the occasional run by some water? That makes you feel it's a bit cooler.

Obviously make sure you're well hydrated (and your salt intake is high enough) and run at the coolest time of day that works for you, but in the end it's just HARD.

If it's any consolation, my pace when I ran in the UK in June/July this year was significantly higher (for the same effort) than it was here where the temperatures had probably been about 10 degrees C higher. So even when you are disappointed with a particular run, it's still helping build up and maintain your fitness and stamina.

I really do hope that you can find some joy or at least sense of achievement in your running.

[Vixchile Graduate in reply to runningnearbeirut]

Yeah i think i need to look it at that way - i am training and then when the temperature falls it will feel easier. I always take water with me - i see all the locals without water and i think really how are you doing this? At the moment i probably drink 2-3l a day so i know i am fairly hydrated. Interesting about salt - i might do some research into this ? As i do feel on my runs i just don't have energy, not sure if this is even related or even the same thing.

Some days living in another country is hard, everything will be great and you will be pleased at how well your doing and then one day you will be just reminded your non fluent spanish is not enough! I mean we are lucky that its not very different from western culture. Its is can be very challenging when the culture is completely different plus the language barrier, spanish isn't too bad - i just wish i did it at school.

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Sorry to hear that, and don't blame you for feeling discouraged. Just be kind to yourself and recognise that any of us would struggle under the circumstances.

[Vixchile Graduate in reply to Ullyrunner]

Thank you! Good to know i just feel its hot and hard but i am sure it will all right in the end. I am sure in a few weeks i will start adapting a bit better just the warmer mornings are a bit strange at the moment.

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

When all else fails - when it is too hot or the MOJO has gone -- revert back to SHORT intervals . 1minute run/1minute walk!! - it works every time for me.

We went camping this past weekend - for 3 days straight, the afternoon temperature was around 44C and a minimum of 26C overnight. I did a 6K hilly run down to a river at 4.30AM using my HRM as a guide , running until I got to 130BPM and then walking until my HR went down to 120. Although perspiring profusely, I easily managed the 6K and felt good afterwards. No doubt that heat increases heatrate so need to watch it carefully when the heat is extreme.

[Vixchile Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

Luckily its no 44Degrees how you cope with that you will have to let us know. I think i will use my heart rate monitor when i am going up that hill - and just rest assured that a little walk break isn't a failure, just a re-group.

[pinkangel16 Graduate]

Oh no Vix, really sorry to hear that. I can't offer any advice, but would it be possible to expect to have hot months running speed/stamina and cooler months running speed/stamina? I guess that's just like dealing with seasons.. so not really advice at all!.

Here's hoping you an get over it anyway and get some enjoyment back from running.

Take care

xx