Runners: how much does heat impact your run?

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  • BenderFitness
    BenderFitness Posts: 349
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    It depends on the day. Some days I feel like I am moving a sluggish pace, only to find that my pace was faster than expected. On some high humidity days I can really feel the heat. I do love hot weather and summer running though. I will take a hot and humid day over running in cold/snow any day.
  • Swizzle1986
    Swizzle1986 Posts: 31
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    I cant believe the difference from jogging at the start of August to the end of August.
    The temp and humidity change is huge. I can specifically feel the weight off my lungs from less humidity.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    Experts say that optimum running temp is pretty much 60 degrees. And that for every five degrees above 60, your pace will drop by about 30 seconds per mile.

    Which experts? 30 seconds per mile for every 5 degrees? So, my easy run pace at 60 degrees will be 3 minutes per mile faster than my easy run pace at 90 degrees? I don't think so. My easy 9:00 mile pace does not go up to 12:00 per mile at 90°F. My experience is that in uncomfortable temperatures ( depends on the humidity and cloud cover ), that easy run pace will drop by 30 to 45 seconds per mile. I'm talking about temperatures in the mid 90's.

    Heat acclimation takes about 3 weeks according to Dr. Tim Noakes based on his research and reported in his book "Lore of Running". After this period of time, pace will start to normalize.

    Pretty much every single thing I've read over the course of this summer about running in the heat gave the exact same breakdown of temp and time. I would say that I've seen that info cited on at least a dozen different articles I've read between running websites, medical sites with exercise info and whatever else I could find for information on how to adapt my winter training to summer training.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Experts say that optimum running temp is pretty much 60 degrees. And that for every five degrees above 60, your pace will drop by about 30 seconds per mile.

    Which experts? 30 seconds per mile for every 5 degrees? So, my easy run pace at 60 degrees will be 3 minutes per mile faster than my easy run pace at 90 degrees? I don't think so. My easy 9:00 mile pace does not go up to 12:00 per mile at 90°F. My experience is that in uncomfortable temperatures ( depends on the humidity and cloud cover ), that easy run pace will drop by 30 to 45 seconds per mile. I'm talking about temperatures in the mid 90's.

    Heat acclimation takes about 3 weeks according to Dr. Tim Noakes based on his research and reported in his book "Lore of Running". After this period of time, pace will start to normalize.

    Pretty much every single thing I've read over the course of this summer about running in the heat gave the exact same breakdown of temp and time. I would say that I've seen that info cited on at least a dozen different articles I've read between running websites, medical sites with exercise info and whatever else I could find for information on how to adapt my winter training to summer training.

    Show me. It's not my experience, nor the experience of any runner, experienced, novice or beginner, that I know.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Some people can adjust to the heat, some can't. Personally, I love the heat. It doesn't affect my runs, though I do have to make a more conscious effort to stay hydrated on longer runs.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Experts say that optimum running temp is pretty much 60 degrees. And that for every five degrees above 60, your pace will drop by about 30 seconds per mile.

    Which experts? 30 seconds per mile for every 5 degrees? So, my easy run pace at 60 degrees will be 3 minutes per mile faster than my easy run pace at 90 degrees? I don't think so. My easy 9:00 mile pace does not go up to 12:00 per mile at 90°F. My experience is that in uncomfortable temperatures ( depends on the humidity and cloud cover ), that easy run pace will drop by 30 to 45 seconds per mile. I'm talking about temperatures in the mid 90's.

    Heat acclimation takes about 3 weeks according to Dr. Tim Noakes based on his research and reported in his book "Lore of Running". After this period of time, pace will start to normalize.

    Pretty much every single thing I've read over the course of this summer about running in the heat gave the exact same breakdown of temp and time. I would say that I've seen that info cited on at least a dozen different articles I've read between running websites, medical sites with exercise info and whatever else I could find for information on how to adapt my winter training to summer training.

    Show me. It's not my experience, nor the experience of any runner, experienced, novice or beginner, that I know.

    I'd be curious to see the citations too.

    Typically with the onset of warmer temperatures in summer (and we had a killer this year straight from comfortable spring to up in the 90s) my pace will slow down by maybe a minute a mile, certainly not 3, and normalizes over a few weeks. In the years that we've had a more normal change from spring to summer there's not a perceptible change in pace unless we have a particularly hot and humid day.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Experts say that optimum running temp is pretty much 60 degrees. And that for every five degrees above 60, your pace will drop by about 30 seconds per mile.

    Which experts? 30 seconds per mile for every 5 degrees? So, my easy run pace at 60 degrees will be 3 minutes per mile faster than my easy run pace at 90 degrees? I don't think so. My easy 9:00 mile pace does not go up to 12:00 per mile at 90°F. My experience is that in uncomfortable temperatures ( depends on the humidity and cloud cover ), that easy run pace will drop by 30 to 45 seconds per mile. I'm talking about temperatures in the mid 90's.

    Heat acclimation takes about 3 weeks according to Dr. Tim Noakes based on his research and reported in his book "Lore of Running". After this period of time, pace will start to normalize.

    Pretty much every single thing I've read over the course of this summer about running in the heat gave the exact same breakdown of temp and time. I would say that I've seen that info cited on at least a dozen different articles I've read between running websites, medical sites with exercise info and whatever else I could find for information on how to adapt my winter training to summer training.

    I wonder how exactly they measured/tested this. My experience is that whether its 30degrees or 90 degrees, as long as I'm properly hydrated going into a run my pace is roughly the same regardless. Any small change in pace has more to do with the course or how I'm feeling that day than it does the temp.

    IME.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Experts say that optimum running temp is pretty much 60 degrees. And that for every five degrees above 60, your pace will drop by about 30 seconds per mile.

    Which experts? 30 seconds per mile for every 5 degrees? So, my easy run pace at 60 degrees will be 3 minutes per mile faster than my easy run pace at 90 degrees? I don't think so. My easy 9:00 mile pace does not go up to 12:00 per mile at 90°F. My experience is that in uncomfortable temperatures ( depends on the humidity and cloud cover ), that easy run pace will drop by 30 to 45 seconds per mile. I'm talking about temperatures in the mid 90's.

    Heat acclimation takes about 3 weeks according to Dr. Tim Noakes based on his research and reported in his book "Lore of Running". After this period of time, pace will start to normalize.

    Pretty much every single thing I've read over the course of this summer about running in the heat gave the exact same breakdown of temp and time. I would say that I've seen that info cited on at least a dozen different articles I've read between running websites, medical sites with exercise info and whatever else I could find for information on how to adapt my winter training to summer training.

    I wonder how exactly they measured/tested this. My experience is that whether its 30degrees or 90 degrees, as long as I'm properly hydrated going into a run my pace is roughly the same regardless. Any small change in pace has more to do with the course or how I'm feeling that day than it does the temp.

    IME.

    I suspect it was done the same way they determined formulae for estimating maximum heart rates--and with just as high a margin of error.
  • jojo52610
    jojo52610 Posts: 692 Member
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    I'm in Florida (South) first year I ran it was harder for me in the summer months but now I'm fine I do sweat like crazy. I actually find the opposite now when it's cold here and yes it does get sometimes down to freezing - I have a harder time running. I'm sure you'll adapt
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    When it comes to running, we are each and experiment with a sample size of one.

    Personally I hate heat and it slows me down. I will NEVER race well on a hot day. Give me 50 and cloudy over 70 and sunny.

    I have friends who love the heat and kick *kitten* despite it - go figure.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    When it comes to running, we are each and experiment with a sample size of one.

    Personally I hate heat and it slows me down. I will NEVER race well on a hot day. Give me 50 and cloudy over 70 and sunny.

    I have friends who love the heat and kick *kitten* despite it - go figure.

    They must run on photosynthesis
  • ashleyjoy80
    ashleyjoy80 Posts: 18
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    I live in Phoenix and when I started running a few years ago the heat killed me. I just started running again in April after having my third child and my pace has improved this summer, despite the heat and my almost 2 year break from running. I'm now faster than I was before having my third child and I felt I was at my fittest then. The heat used to bother me a lot but I've become used to it. I run early and stay very hydrated and I just push myself. I would rather run in cooler temps but I'll take running in the heat any day over not running at all.
  • redhousecat
    redhousecat Posts: 584 Member
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    http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267-269-13245-0,00.html

    here is a tidbit of reading

    heat doesn't bother me near as bad as humidity.
  • Legs_McGee
    Legs_McGee Posts: 845 Member
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    I live in the Pacific Northwest so we don't get much heat; it didn't get over 70 degrees until mid-July. In fact it's currently 58 degrees outside - mid day in August. So when we do get the occasional warm day, I'm not acclimated to it at all and it greatly affects my running. That being said - I love love love the heat and the feel of the sun on my skin, and being all sweaty and disgusting, so when we had four whole days a couple weeks ago of actual real summer (mid 80s to low 90s) I was out running in it everyday. Not running well; but running.
  • Jg04811
    Jg04811 Posts: 102 Member
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    In the summer I usually run before work (really early), I have tried running in the afternoon heat and notice I can not go as long or as fast., plus I get it in so I dont have to worry about it the rest of the day. I love starting my day off with a good run =)
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    For me the Georgia summer heat and high humidity has this effect.

    For short runs of 30 minutes or less at easy pace the heat and humidity has little effect.

    For runs up to an hour at easy pace the effect is small but noticable.

    For runs over an hour at easy pace I slow by around 30 seconds to 1 minute per mile.

    Race pace at any distance is slower. 5K pace at 90 degrees is 20 to 30 seconds slower per mile than at 50 degrees. At 100 degrees it slows by another 10 to 15 sec/mi.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    i'll have to let you know because it's still in the 80s in VA and humid. i'm hoping by october the temp drops.
  • estepteau
    estepteau Posts: 146
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    ALOT!! I run way more in the winter time...when it cooler :):)
  • willothewisp16
    willothewisp16 Posts: 3
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    For me its definitely the humidity that kills me. Heat isnt awesome, but its doable. But get one of those 80% humidity days and im useless. I still try and push through, but I definitely notice a difference.
  • insidemelookingout
    insidemelookingout Posts: 34
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    I have been training in the heat all summer. It is AWFUL! I live in the south and those humid days kill me. I feel like I haven't gotten anywhere in my training. I can't wait for the cooler weather. My tolerance and speed is so much better once the weather hits the 80's

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