Quick funny story. Ran a two man relay race this weekend and race coordinator found me a partner. The way they did age group awards was total of two ages divided. My partner regularly wins half marathons outright at 31 years old. So I now have a first place trophy in the 46- 50 year old male. Only took me 20 years to get one. Our age total 100.
Accumulating to humidity running has it’s beneficial side. The main issue with humidity is that the body has a harder time cooling itself if sweat won’t evaporate. Slow down run by perceived effort not time. Visor or no hat, frequent breaks and in the shade as much as possible. Fluffy hair scrunchies dampened and overnight in freezer, worn on the wrist ( it works) cooling towel on neck. No caffeine, no gels lots of water or no sugar electrolyte drinks. If the temperature is not too hot run later. Humidity is worst in the morning. On the benefit side the body will produce more blood to assist in both cooling and oxygen to the muscles. Train this way and when you run that cool November morning you can fly.
This is so helpful! I’m melting down here in Florida. I’ve always looked at a combo of temp and humidity to decide on where to run. Dew point is my new guide. My body has been giving me various signs that the heat is too much lately. I’m back to the treadmill this week.
I live in Florida!! Need I say more! I am training for the Chicago and the New York Marathon. I’m lucky to get in half of what I plan and a lot is walking. I have seen some of Jeff Galloway’s advice about slowing down depending on the temperature and so I don’t push it. I really like that comment below that says maybe running in these conditions will enable me to run longer and better when the temps are good. Right now the temp is 92 but feels like 111. Dew point is 81!
Jeff Galloway has done considerable runner focused research on dew points. I created a Jeff Galloway researched chart - hopefully it copies here (Well, it did not copy in it's colorful organized chart version! Data remains intact):
Dew Point Impact to Runner Action
50 - 54 Very comfortable PR conditions
55 - 59 Comfortable Hard efforts likely not affected
60 - 64 Uncomfortable for some Race times to be slower
65 - 69 Uncomfortable for most Easy training runs ok - difficult to race
70 - 74 Very humid and uncomfortable Pace suffers greatly
75 up Extremely oppressive Skip run / race or alter goal
Jeff's recommendation: Slow down 30 seconds per mile for every 5 degree increase above 60 degrees
Dew points are the single strongest variable to summer running. There's a wonderful early August race I typically run here in New London honoring the lives of Johnny and his wife Jessie Kelley. Being August and coastal New England the race is invariably hot and humid and did I mention hilly? Hahaha. Each year I've run it since I turned 60 I have said: no more! Completely beat up. Dew points in high 60's lo 70's each year. Last year was particularly brutal. And kept my self-promise to not run it this year. I did volunteer as a course marshal and had a great time!
Supposed to be 107 in Eugene today. Yesterday was 100 by the phone this morning. Really dry. Fire warning alert came on last night for a level 3 (evacuations now) . None of us knew what it was. . . had to look it up. Fire is out East of us somewhere near Springfield. Smokey out today, but no worse than Sept. of 2020 when Redmond had smoke. Should come down to normal about the end of next week from what I've read. Take care. . . :)
Another FL Runner here, and I slugged through only 6 miles on Sat. (usually do 10 or more). I have been paying attention to the Dew Point for several summers now, so I appreciate John B's post about Jeff Galloway's rules. Good suggestions. I always hate running in August here because of the high DP's, but this year it seems to be worse than ever. I am not training for anything until Sept, so the reduced mileage was not a big deal. However, water and electrolytes are mandatory for me in this weather. And NOOOO I cannot do the dreadmill. :)
Like Gail below here, I live in Florida also and I've adjusted my training accordingly because of the overly oppressive heat. In Tampa, where I am, the dew point is rarely below 75 from June - September. Doesn't make for great marathon training, but you have to get it done so the treadmill becomes your frenemy. I try and do most of my weekly runs outdoors but even they are a slog. It is what it is. Get the miles in. But I had to do a 17 mile run yesterday exclusively on the treadmill. 3.5 hours. That's not easy, let me tell you but I got the miles in. A week ago I ran 16 miles in NY where the temp was 72 degrees and that was the feels like. Trust the process, and follow the training and it'll work out. Control what you can and it'll work out.
Still hot here in Vegas after school, so I treadmill it for August and September, until it cools down. Our mornings are getting nicer, but I don’t have time to run in the morning.
Thanks so much for teaching me about dew points! Especially poignant because I'm publishing on The Healthy Jew tomorrow about the importance of acclimating to hot weather so that, to whatever degree it's safe and possible, we can walk in the world in all its seasons. It's no fun - and not very healthy - to always be tethered to cooling machines inside stacked boxes of concrete and steal.
I registered for Richmond. :-) :-) :-) I have been in a depressed funk the last few weeks and my running has taken a back seat. I lost my sweet dog after 15 and a half of years of loyal companionship. It hit me harder than I thought it would for several different reasons, but I'm shaking it off and I'm climbing back out to life. I'm ready for a challenge and I'm ready to meet up with fellow runners!
And I tend to run on shady paths or near rivers and creeks, so it really helps to keep me a bit cooler during these hot days.
Dew points are a sign whether to do it or not
Quick funny story. Ran a two man relay race this weekend and race coordinator found me a partner. The way they did age group awards was total of two ages divided. My partner regularly wins half marathons outright at 31 years old. So I now have a first place trophy in the 46- 50 year old male. Only took me 20 years to get one. Our age total 100.
Accumulating to humidity running has it’s beneficial side. The main issue with humidity is that the body has a harder time cooling itself if sweat won’t evaporate. Slow down run by perceived effort not time. Visor or no hat, frequent breaks and in the shade as much as possible. Fluffy hair scrunchies dampened and overnight in freezer, worn on the wrist ( it works) cooling towel on neck. No caffeine, no gels lots of water or no sugar electrolyte drinks. If the temperature is not too hot run later. Humidity is worst in the morning. On the benefit side the body will produce more blood to assist in both cooling and oxygen to the muscles. Train this way and when you run that cool November morning you can fly.
This is so helpful! I’m melting down here in Florida. I’ve always looked at a combo of temp and humidity to decide on where to run. Dew point is my new guide. My body has been giving me various signs that the heat is too much lately. I’m back to the treadmill this week.
I live in Florida!! Need I say more! I am training for the Chicago and the New York Marathon. I’m lucky to get in half of what I plan and a lot is walking. I have seen some of Jeff Galloway’s advice about slowing down depending on the temperature and so I don’t push it. I really like that comment below that says maybe running in these conditions will enable me to run longer and better when the temps are good. Right now the temp is 92 but feels like 111. Dew point is 81!
Jeff Galloway has done considerable runner focused research on dew points. I created a Jeff Galloway researched chart - hopefully it copies here (Well, it did not copy in it's colorful organized chart version! Data remains intact):
Dew Point Impact to Runner Action
50 - 54 Very comfortable PR conditions
55 - 59 Comfortable Hard efforts likely not affected
60 - 64 Uncomfortable for some Race times to be slower
65 - 69 Uncomfortable for most Easy training runs ok - difficult to race
70 - 74 Very humid and uncomfortable Pace suffers greatly
75 up Extremely oppressive Skip run / race or alter goal
Jeff's recommendation: Slow down 30 seconds per mile for every 5 degree increase above 60 degrees
Dew points are the single strongest variable to summer running. There's a wonderful early August race I typically run here in New London honoring the lives of Johnny and his wife Jessie Kelley. Being August and coastal New England the race is invariably hot and humid and did I mention hilly? Hahaha. Each year I've run it since I turned 60 I have said: no more! Completely beat up. Dew points in high 60's lo 70's each year. Last year was particularly brutal. And kept my self-promise to not run it this year. I did volunteer as a course marshal and had a great time!
Supposed to be 107 in Eugene today. Yesterday was 100 by the phone this morning. Really dry. Fire warning alert came on last night for a level 3 (evacuations now) . None of us knew what it was. . . had to look it up. Fire is out East of us somewhere near Springfield. Smokey out today, but no worse than Sept. of 2020 when Redmond had smoke. Should come down to normal about the end of next week from what I've read. Take care. . . :)
I never thought to look at Dew Point...will be checking this out before tomorrow's run. :) Thank you.
Another FL Runner here, and I slugged through only 6 miles on Sat. (usually do 10 or more). I have been paying attention to the Dew Point for several summers now, so I appreciate John B's post about Jeff Galloway's rules. Good suggestions. I always hate running in August here because of the high DP's, but this year it seems to be worse than ever. I am not training for anything until Sept, so the reduced mileage was not a big deal. However, water and electrolytes are mandatory for me in this weather. And NOOOO I cannot do the dreadmill. :)
Thank you Terrell for some good, easy to grasp info. Very valuable
Like Gail below here, I live in Florida also and I've adjusted my training accordingly because of the overly oppressive heat. In Tampa, where I am, the dew point is rarely below 75 from June - September. Doesn't make for great marathon training, but you have to get it done so the treadmill becomes your frenemy. I try and do most of my weekly runs outdoors but even they are a slog. It is what it is. Get the miles in. But I had to do a 17 mile run yesterday exclusively on the treadmill. 3.5 hours. That's not easy, let me tell you but I got the miles in. A week ago I ran 16 miles in NY where the temp was 72 degrees and that was the feels like. Trust the process, and follow the training and it'll work out. Control what you can and it'll work out.
Still hot here in Vegas after school, so I treadmill it for August and September, until it cools down. Our mornings are getting nicer, but I don’t have time to run in the morning.
Thanks so much for teaching me about dew points! Especially poignant because I'm publishing on The Healthy Jew tomorrow about the importance of acclimating to hot weather so that, to whatever degree it's safe and possible, we can walk in the world in all its seasons. It's no fun - and not very healthy - to always be tethered to cooling machines inside stacked boxes of concrete and steal.
I registered for Richmond. :-) :-) :-) I have been in a depressed funk the last few weeks and my running has taken a back seat. I lost my sweet dog after 15 and a half of years of loyal companionship. It hit me harder than I thought it would for several different reasons, but I'm shaking it off and I'm climbing back out to life. I'm ready for a challenge and I'm ready to meet up with fellow runners!
And I tend to run on shady paths or near rivers and creeks, so it really helps to keep me a bit cooler during these hot days.
I loved this discussion….helps to know others are right there with you!
Yeap! Another Florida resident here and I totally sympathize with you, Terrell. My body is in complet agony at mile 3 and fatigue forces me to walk.
Treadmill is not an option for me.
I'll just keep respecting my limits until the weather improves.
Between my Achilles flaring up and crazy Miami hot days, I skipped my runs this past weekend. Today, I did 3.5 miles but it was torture