Great advice for hot weather running. I train a lot in the heat and I'm quite well acclimatised, but if I don't get a good night's sleep the night before a race then I suffer heat exhaustion easily. (I am 62 years old. I have run the Comrades Marathon 21 times.)
Yesterday I ran in humidity of 91%. I was only running about 5-6 kilometres. I started off and it felt easy. And then came the half way point and everything became like I was walking. Any energy that I’d had up to that point had vanished and my only goal ghen was to reach the target distance. I completed it and yes the time was slow but the completion of the distance was all that was required as it was a training run. I think in hot and humid conditions you need to be kind to yourself. Know that there is that extra weight on you and that it WILL affect your performance. If you can keep that in mind then you can perform to your best on that day but understand that your running result will be reflective of not only your efforts but also the conditions on that day. You wouldn’t beat yourself up if you were slow running on a day that had more uphills than usual and so why best yourself up over a humid and hot day? Also know that training in tough conditions will make running in easy conditions a lot easier for it. It almost pays to train in tough conditions then as you are working through the hardest times and it’s another variable that impacts on you. You do need to be mindful though of the extra hydration required and to know not to overdo it. If it feels too much then ease the workload. There are things worse than failing to complete your intended run on a set day.
I take a multi-factor approach to running in the heat. (1) I try to run early in the morning; (2) I change up my wardrobe, I switch to sleeveless shirts and forego the compression socks; (3) I drink at least a pint of water before my run; (4) On longer runs I will stash a water and gel at the halfway point; (5) I stick to shaded trails; and (6) I adjust my pace to keep my core temperature down. Thanks for the informative video!
Great information. Instead of avoiding the heat, I will try the approach of getting my body acclimated to running hot weather. My upcoming race will be on a hot day. Thanks for the tips on that.
I live in the UK, currently quite cold. My first Marathon is in Sierra Leone in May 30 degrees and 90% humidity. This is just the info I have been looking for. Thank you very much
I live and run in Mumbai, India. We have no shortage of humid weather here. During the summer months we have hot+humid and hot+extremely humid weather. I have noticed that the humidity has a huge greater effect on the perceived effort and HR, often a lot more than the actual air temperature. I think the best strategy for me is to train easy in the humidity and race hard in the winter months when the humidity is a little better. It worked quite well for me last year so have reverted to the same plan this year. Thanks for all the great content!
Great video Floris! Heat & humidity is a problem where I live in the summer. So early morning runs are important. But sometimes can still be bad over night, so splitting up the run is essential. So half in morning and half at night. Or like you say treadmill run, Wonderful video. I think salt pills like nuun, or salt pills are essential on super hot days, or longer runs outside in the heat. I have gotten in the habit of having a half tea spoon of salt in the mornings during the summer.
I try to run as early as possible. I found that it isn't the heat so much as the humidity that bothers me. I hydrate myself a little more than normal and also prepare myself mentally for the run that day knowing that it is likely going to be a little slower than normal. Thanks for the video was looking forward to something on this.
Yes the humidity makes it much more challenging when the sweat can not vaporize from the skin, without the cooling factor. Great point about preparing mentally for those runs as well. Thanks for sharing!
Thankyou Floris! Very informative! My wife experienced heat exhaustion in the Ottawa Marathon. She fully recovered but it was scary. Medics had to hit her chest!
Very informative video Floris.. I'm pretty sure your hard work will be very helpful for newbies and experienced runners alike. Running in humidity is indeed very difficult especially when doing MAF run. My strategy comprises three things which I use repetitively: (1) Sip water at every km. (2) various breathing techniques which involves a special Pranayam to make air cooler while breathing from mouth for a short duration. 3) Reduce pace for few seconds or brisk walk if required. Happy Running 🏃 Kudos to your efforts 👍 With regards 🙏
Running outside in FL, in summer with temps in the 90s, and humidity at an equal level - is a nutty challenge coming from 7,000’ in CO - both are challenging in different ways
*Want to become faster and run without injuries? Check out our running coaching program at **www.pbprogram.com**.* This Personal Best Program is a proven, structured training program that guides you every step of the way to optimize your training, racing, and life. You won't find this anywhere else, 20+ hours of my best video content-uniquely developed workbooks and training schedules based on heart rate. You also get, Zoom coaching calls with Floris Gierman and other coaches to troubleshoot any challenges. Plus, access to a highly engaged community of 500+ like-minded athletes. For athletes of all levels and ages, for 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, and ultra distances. Save time by learning from my mistakes, skip the overwhelm, and avoid being distracted by all the info and opinions you're bound to come across. *Learn more at **www.pbprogram.com**.*
So in TX I found the humidity to be high in the morning which affects breathing and heat dissipation. The midday is very hot but easier to breathe as humidity abates with sunlight. The evening I cannot run due to family needs. So far the best is midday on shaded streets and parks. Many times I've run 2-4mi, take a very quick water break & get in the other 2-4mi. Seems to work well and I get my miles in.
Excellent video Floris. I make sure to run early in the morning or once the sun has set. I also run by the beach so I occasionally drench myself in water from the beach showers. This has a huge impact on my HR
I live in Colorado, where humidity doesn't exist :) ok in all honesty when I travel I just slow down and take it conservatively - usually I am trading altitude for humidity so it all works out pretty even in the end! Thanks Floris!!
great content as usual Floris, thank you. I learned some new things here. as for me, i currently deal with heat by running as early as possible before the heat of the day. i will incorporate alot of the new ideas you have given here too as well.
I just do it. I know it seems too easy but I set goals and go after them. It can get pretty humid around here and hot. So bring the Camelbak, maybe a Gu and go after it.
Very good video Floris! That was a great point about the high humidity and the sweat dripping off of you. I have noticed this a lot in my new geographic zone, as I had moved recently. But I'm sticking with the MAF, and hoping my times get better!
Ottawa is very warm and humid lately. I keep my heart rate the same. The humidity and the heat will slow down the pace a bit. I love running in that kind of weather. Good for the good old joints!!!
Definitely hydrate not only during and after, but before. Plus, wear light clothing; in color as well. I normally choose first thing in the morning as well; lots cooler and get my work day off to a great start.
Floris, was great to see you on Thursday. Thanks for great detail video. All you do has tremendous value for me and all runners. Consider triathlon. :-) I am sure you would be great in it.
Thank you, another useful video, Floris! Fully agree with your points. In addition to what you said, I read several athletes reporting about the lack of oxygen in sauna therefore the layered clothing approach seems to be a better version of heat training. I simply run in the midday heat to get used to it. As a precondition to that from late spring I run shirtlass to get some skin colour. When it comes to the summer heat, I already have a decent protection to run in much hotter and humid conditions. Dr. Maffetone talks about the sun phobia with Don and Scott in a Trail Runners Nation podcast. He thinks it important to get vitamin D from the sun as the best source. My wife is envy looking at my skin colour, I highly encourage everyone to avoid solarium and choose sun as the best and healthiest option to get nice skin colour and protection. Looking forward to your next video, Floris! Take care!
Happy to hear that Csaba Burillák. Sounds like you've found something that's working well for you. I like that concept too of late spring shirtless running. This winter I ran shirtless too, but winter in So Cali is like Spring or Summer in other places haha. The sun phobia is an interesting topic for sure! Have fun out there on your runs Csaba, talk soon!
Great video. This the first video I can say that didn’t need to see it, cuz I’m friggin living in it, in south Texas haha. Seriously , great information on steps to take before exercising in the heat. I would also add to listen to your breathing. If you find yourself breathing faster than you usually do, take it slow or stop for a couple minutes. Your body is trying to get rid of the CO2 quickly but you lose moisture from your body with the rapid breathing causing more hydration loss. Take it easy and enjoy the run!
Great video. I enjoy just jumping in a nice, cold creek mid-run, or at least dipping my hat in it. I don't worry about my split times, the time cooling down balances out the time lost from overheating.
Get up early and try to beat the heat as well as making sure I maintain good daily hydration to give my body the best chance at regulating temperature. As a firefighter I'm used to exposure to high temps and do believe you can build tolerance over time. However I have witnessed and experienced heat exhaustion, not good!
Great points Daz, I'm sure as a firefighter heat exposure is a big topic covered in your training and daily practice. Heat exhaustion is no bueno for sure. I'm always amazed how quickly in a matter of 7-14 days you can increase your tolerance. All the best out there as a firefighter and runner!
I weigh myself before and after running to work out how much weight I burn through per hour. It's quite interesting to burn 3.5 kg per hour in summer Vrs .8 kg per hour in winter. It's winter here in New Zealand at the moment and harder to get out the door but this blog and some others help keep me motivated
The one single thing that helped me during hot races is actually wearing arm sleeves and even thin gloves. At every aid station I pour water not only on my head and neck, but also on arms, wrist and hands. The moist sleeves and gloves really helps skin staying cool for longer. It might seem counterintuitive, but sometimes more clothes/layers can actually be better than less. Just ask the Bedouins ;-)
I run in the heat and humidity of Kumagaya Japan. VERY hot city in the summer. 1-2 hours. Just light jogging. Not training for anything special. Just to keep in shape. I love sweating out the toxins and getting on the scale and weighing much less. Cold shower afterwards. feel great!
Floris, THANK YOU so much!💜 I really appreciate your positivity: I can use it fir all of My life. I'm glad I saw this because it made me feel better at a very sad time. I try to by too tough sometimes, so this REALLY helps.❤
I like to do a number of things to beat heat and humidity. I often will drink an electrolyte-packed drink about an hour before I go out, and make sure I start strong and hydrated. Then, I make sure I'm adequately covered and try to take a shady route. Always keep an eye on my HR, making sure I'm not letting it go too high. Plenty of water during and after the run.
I deal with running in hot weather primarily by running before the Sun comes up. Also, being hydrated every day with electrolytes. The days before your run are also important to stay hydrated.
Today i ran in a very humid and hot weather, i felt my body has no O2, i do t feel muscles pain, but i cannot push more.... And yes as u said.. The performance was really impacted
What I started doing this year was to wear light colored shirts (instead of dark) in hopes of not absorbing as much of the sun rays & heat. I also now run with a visor to help keep the sun out of my eyes. I can't run with sunglasses as the sweat gets inside of the lenses and distorts my vision.
To deal w hot weather, I usually try to avoid it by running early or late. If I run in the heat, I make sure o have sun protection, access to water, maybe no short or a tank top, and I just slow down and take whatever pace I can handle at a target HR like any other day (just usually slower and less enjoyable).
I absolutely hate running in the heat. Cold has to be pretty extreme to bother me as long as I'm properly dressed. I have a job working outside which helps with acclimatization and I change my sleep schedule so I can run later at night, but I recently got a dog that likes to play in early in the morning so I may need to learn to wake up at 5 a.m. and hit the trails. Blegh.
There is a massive difference in running in really high relative-humid conditions. If you look at Temperature-humidity index you can see that the difference in the two runs 23 and 36 are not too far off since the 36 degrees run was done in so low humidity. Evaporation has a huge impact on your ability to cool down so some advice you to wear darker colors in hot humid conditions, despite its sunlight heat absorption qualities, simply since it will bring the evaporation rate up.
In Texas summer I have to run early or run late when when the sun is going down. If it’s really humid I’ll let my heart rate go about 10 higher than normal. Guess I’ll stop that part though. My issue is I can’t slow down much more! Already over 11min miles. After about 3 miles my heart rate will just instantly shoot back up over MAF rate even if I walk for a minute. Maybe I need to split my workouts.
Lots of great information in the video! It’s very very humid here in KY. I’m training for the Air Force Marathon which was blacked flagged last year due to heat I normally run at 5 am but the race doesn’t start until 7:30. Should I schedule a long run at that time to acclimate?
I live under the tropics. In May this year, I was running 12 km at a time at 5:50 min / km with heart bit ending up in 150 / min plus. With lots of signs of exhaustion. One week later in California (dry conditions, 12 degrees C), 20 km at 5:15 min / km with heart but staying stable at 130. It seems to me that humidity is a bigger factor than heat.
Philippe Langlet, you are right! I lived in Singapore, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. Humidity is always around 84-90% despite time of the day. Average daytime temperature in the urban or suburban areas is about 32-34 Celcius. I run because of my passion of it. But even with easy runs, my heart rate spikes to 160+ too easily. In the hill/mountain trails where altitude reduces temperature, the humidity will still affect you. You can't regulate your body heat well and breathing gets absolutely difficult. Comparatively, humidity conditions of 60+% is a joy to run under even during higher temperatures. Eg. Melbourne or Sydney, Australia. Which is why marathons in near-equitorial climates rank very low despite good event organisation. Most of these running event organisers have reduced their budgets these days and have affected the marathon quality(s). Humidity matters BIG!
Based on how red my face gets & how much I sweat when running 😅 I feel that my body heat rises very quickly! Interesting science to thermal regulation...I have been running very very slow in this 90° LA summer.
I live in the Caribbean and 30 degree C weather is our daily bread 365 days a year. I’m still waiting for the HR studies for people running in the heat every single day. What is the target HR zone for easy runs? Running zone 2 seems impossible unless you’re walking. IBut yeah, I find it irrating that these “experts” ignore half the world running population. We just have to get one with it I guess
Temperature and humidity change as every trail, it's just part of the experience. I sweat a lot during my runs, always, and am curious about those electrolyte pills. How many do you use?
I always run a lot slower in the heat. I try to find the shade or run where there are sprinklers. This week I've started MAF training in the heat and am running very slow. I'm running a MAF test tomorrow in the morning when it's cool and I'm interested to see how running when it's cool will affect my pace after a week of MAF training in the heat.
@@FlorisGierman , I too live in a equatorial climate where humidity is around 84-86% (mid 80 percentile range). For me, I just run despite this but my runs have diminished to nothing more than 8-10km distance. How do you train effectively at a lower heart rate when the extent of humidity affects your body temperature regulation and even breathing?
Honestly... I have no clue what you are discussing. Well, yes, I understand it of course. Higher humidity with higher temperature causes the body to work harder to get the same results. If it is hot, 30C+ and humid 50+ without a breeze then there's little wind to evaporate sweat, body temperature goes up, heart rate goes up and eventually you crash. But. I started running after I moved to the tropics... I live in Malaysia, where the sun always is shining, where it always is warm, where the humidity mostly is above 50 and I run on concrete that has been baking all day. Early morning, 4am, it still is 26C+, so yeah. So... I don't know any better. I don't know how much my heart rate is elevated because of weather conditions, I don't know how my pace would be in 20C temperatures. My half marathon was like 2:54:20? In the weather we have. I only drank 1 litre of water in between, that's it. So, I don't really get all those precautions... There are so many of us here who run daily and we're doing great! No health issues whatsoever. Just listen to your body, go go go and you'll improve anyway over time. Be it in cold or in hot weather
What is the MAF rate if my max HR is 180 and resting is 39? My avg marathon rate is 152. Using the existing formula gives me 124 + 5. = 129 but I find myself cruising comfortably at 135 (you should know my age!). BTW, my Garmin watch shows my aerobic range up to 144.
Haven't decided. My next race is the CIM Marathon in December in Sacramento. I've been training in the Altra Escalante 1.5 and Vivobarefoot, not sure yet what my race shoe will be. What are you running in?
@@FlorisGierman Thanks for the reply. I just bought a pair of Altra Escalante Racer (Paris 19). Lighter than the Escalante and not as soft. Just came back from a 20km with them. They felt good but my feet hurt after. Need time to adjust I guess.
I’m working in Cyprus for 6 weeks it’s quite demoralizing knowing I’m doing 8:30 miles in the uk and 10 - 10:30 miles at my MAF HR 149. Will I see improvement on returning to the UK despite running slower in Cyprus?
The heat stress is real @andy! Yes lots of energy is going towards cooling your body down vs moving yourself forward. You're still training your aerobic engine at lower pace. Keep at it and take note on your return pace in the UK. Keep me posted!
Train in hot weather too. There are plenty of tips for training and racing in the heat in this video. If you can only train in the cool times, I'd suggest adding some sauna training to your routine as well to prep for race day.
@@FlorisGierman TATA Mumbai Marathon is the top one which is in 3td week of January New Delhi Marathon is on the last weekend of February... These two are PB ones and lot of international runners come... Then every city has one marathon.. If you are coming as tourist, try Kashmir, Kaziranga (Rhinos park)... Scenic ones in Vagamon trail and cauvery trail etc
listening from Jakarta, Indonesia where hot humid is all day long, full of concrete street and use full cover from top to toes (hijab) wishing to have lower heart rate 😅
Tim gave himself type 2 diabetes with low carb diet and still promotes it even for marathon runners. Just look what the East Africans eat and they dominate.. People like Tim are dangerous to those who listen to them..
