Is Running in the Heat Comfy? Or Beneficial?

[mrrun]

I looked almost dead because I felt like I was almost dead. Distance running mid day, in a warm day, could turn into a long day.

According to some (some but not all!) recent studies, running in the heat may help you speed up when racing in cool conditions. It's kinda more accessible version (in my case, poor man's version) of altitude training. As it turns out, there is something in the analogy between heat training and altitude training. You can check out the full article in Runner's World, link below:

runnersworld.com/training/a...

So, should you run in heat and humidity? The answer is Yes, but there are rules to follow. Should you run in the summer? Yes, but there are adjustments to make to your normal running routine. Summer weather does not mean you should pause and wait for cooler days – just like running in cold weather or high winds, running in the heat can be special if we prepare well and respect what nature is about to throw at us. This is not about competing with the elements or testing the body to extremes. It’s about trying a different run, slow or short, and if we get everything right it can be a very enjoyable experience. As always, prepare well and listen to your body!

You can read my full blog on hot weather running here:

runmrrun.com/tips-for-runni...

[Cmoi Marathon]

If that's true I should be in absolute record-breaking form when I finally get my act together and do some proper running mrrun !

I hate running in the heat but almost all my runs for the past few weeks have been in temperatures ranging from the low twenties to 31°. 🥵

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to Cmoi]

As Mike Tyson says, it’s all about discipline. ‘Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but you do it like you love it!’ 😉 I am absolutely sure that you’ll be totally flying once the temperatures drop! 😀👍

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Ha! Good spin.Always think of you if it's too hot to run 😂

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

Linda, I’m just trying to encourage people to go and run out there no matter what weather 😉. And yes, I’ve checked the next weekend forecast, the scorcher’s coming! Bazaar! 😅😎

[Decker Ultramarathon]

The pic says it all! Yeah I have had a harder time in past years running in the heat, but lately I've tried a salt tab every hour or so and they seem to help along with good hydration and nutrients. July and August will be the real tests for it.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to Decker]

Hello good sir, long time! 👋 I’m carrying a powder electrolyte drink for long runs. Next time I’ll go for lighter colours rather than vintage Reggie Miller gear that managed to absorb all the sun rays. 😅 A 10 miler around sun drenched central London at noon was a test but once we manage and master those conditions, other stuff is way easier.

[misswobble Marathon]

I’m not fussy about weather and turn out in all sorts. It rarely gets like the Sahara in North Derbyshire so it’s just a case of sun cream and a hat 😎. I take liquid refreshment of course and take advantage of the church yard water taps Trail running is best as the woods and hedgerows offer some shade 🙂🏃‍♀️

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to misswobble]

Indeed! I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it, this country is (by divine powers) designed for outdoor running. With just a few bad days out of 365, we can literary run outside rain or shine, most of the time it’s near perfect, unless we’re super picky.

[nowster Metric Marathon]

In the middle of last July I was staying by the sea for two weeks during the short heatwave. Running in the warm humid mornings was very hard, and I often had to cut short my runs at 3km max. I only reached 5km on one occasion.

Of course the watch loved this set of intense short runs, and my VO₂Max number peaked at its highest.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to nowster]

Yes, runners often confuse ‘comfortable’ with ‘beneficial’. And running in warm/hot weather (if we prepare properly) can be beneficial. Can it also be comfortable? For some it can be. I will be using the coming days to an absolute maximum, given the weather forecast. No idea why I like the high Celsius so much, why I feel so good when being drenched and exposed to the blazing sun but I’ll leave that for another study, go out there & cherish it while it lasts. 😎😀

[misswobble Marathon in reply to mrrun]

I only run outdoors so I have to take the weather as it comes. We can choose to run earlier or later in the day. I enjoy evening runs in the summer.

I’ve got an evening race in July, and it’s been boiling and airless each time I’ve run it 🥵. There’ll be no shortage of punters though 😄

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to misswobble]

I’ve just done 8km of early and various tempo runs but this time (due to an effort) I picked a quaint and leafy London park (lots of posh puppies trying to trip me up) as I knew I wouldn’t be able to run at full tilt in the temperature that the bbc promised in a few hours. I reserve proper heat to slow joy runs only 😎!

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to mrrun]

So what sort of temperatures are you looking forward to mrrun ?

Where I live, in France's Massif Central, we've had weeks of abnormally hot weather. It was 29°C when I ran this morning, it hit the mid-30s this afternoon and at 10pm it's still 25°C. Forecast is for another week of mid-to-upper 30s, interspersed with thunderstorms.

While hot weather running may be beneficial, I run for enjoyment, and right now I'm finding it more of a duty than a whole bunch of fun.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to Cmoi]

Not sure why, but my body has always tolerated higher temperatures pretty well. The highest I've ever tackled was around 37C with high humidity during a holiday on the Croatian coast. You basically sweat simply by sitting down in the shade. I picked some tips from the local guys (some of whom ran mid day as if that was the best thing ever), prepared (ate well/hydrated/rested) and ran in 5K intervals only. I really loved it and for some reason I ran faster than here in London. The air I was breathing was hot, and for a guy who doesn't sweat much I was simply melting, the sweat was coming out from everywhere, like waterfalls. I aim to spend summer holidays where it's really hot and I once travelled to the Sahara but luck deserted me. It was overcast and quite cool, and to add to my misery I simply couldn't run on the dunes (it was a great visit regardless). So yes. I am looking forward to the heat of up to 32C in London on Friday when I will go for another longer run.