This is the time of year when I enjoy posting my 'pro-running in the heat' posts, and having read some where runners complained about the heat, here I go again. I returned from my holiday in Croatia yesterday and at times the heat was a bit too much, especially when hitting 37C with high humidity and no breeze. The day temperature didn't drop below 30C once during my 2 week stay. I had to swim more often than I ran (I know, I know....)
A few hours after I landed here I was running in sarf Landan in (comparatively) Arctic conditions of 21C (well, it was 16C cooler than in Croatia), and for some reason I again did my 5K almost 4 minutes slower than in the baking heat along the Adriatic. Cleaner air over there? Flatter ground? Better beer? I may never find out.
Anyway. Why do some people dislike running in the heat? And by heat I mean The Heat, not our slightly warmer weather that would send no southern European anywhere near any beaches, let alone prevent them from running (people in Croatia run in The Heat. Been there, seen that).
Is it discomfort, with tight clothes glued onto skin? Warm air pressure issue? The feeling of sweat dripping from all pores? Is it the brightness of the sun? Is inappropriate hydration the culprit and creator of all woes? Could it be the that some run when the sun is at its peak (11am-5pm-ish)? Or maybe the fact that as a nation of Northerners we simply prefer cool/cold/overcast/windy conditions?
I read and write blogs about all things running and it never fails to intrigue me to read that people dislike running in warmer weather (I pay to travel and run in such conditions but, then again, there is no reason to model yourself after me ;).
Let me know why you can't/won't/dislike to run in the heat, I am genuinely keen to find out.