The humidity is back!
Um, yay?
This morning I headed out for a 7-10 mile run. It ended up at 7. I was sweating in less than a minute and struggling to keep moving. Our cooler temperatures for most of April had me fooled. Now I'm not acclimated!
Since I have very, very loose running plans (please notice my completely empty Daily Mile "Race" widget to your left), I can afford to be picky about the heat. I'm throwing around a few plans for the summer miseries:
1. Take a running break. I am teetering on the brink of injury anyway.
2. Decrease miles and intensity. Continue Monday track, Saturday long run (but not over 10 miles), and one easy run; other days go to the gym and work on these scrawny muscles.
3. Decrease miles but add intensity; work on 5k time (currently pathetic).
4. Continue current schedule to prevent loss of acclimatization in case an early fall race comes my way.
5. Use heat and humidity to build strength and endurance and increase miles.
How do you deal with summer heat? Or if you're from a colder climate, does winter weather change your running plans?
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I've noticed that I tend to ramp down in the summer, then just work my way back up in the fall. This means I'd miss out on some early Oct. races if it's too hot, though. And then when I moved to Maine, I still didn't end up running very often in the summer b/c there was so much to do. And then I really hurt my knee training for a half marathon in Oct. and stopped running entirely for a while b/c I wanted my knee to be okay for ski season. (It was! Yay! But it really scared me b/c it hurt to just walk on for weeks.)
ReplyDeleteSo I've had kind of an off year, but I'm signed up for 3 10K races this summer. I'm being very careful about increasing my distance though b/c the whole knee thing freaked me out.
I haven't ever had to deal with humidity..lucky for me! We have 80 degree summers here, with lows in the 50's to 60s and I am a morning runner. Swimming and a gym treadmill sound nice :) for people in the south.
ReplyDeleteTake care of yourself! Adding intensity and keeping miles short sounds like fun to me :)
In Kuwait I had to run at 6am on the weekend-even then it sometimes got too hot...so it was the treadmilll...which I hate.
ReplyDeleteHumidity. Bleck. I am a heat wimp (as evidenced by Boston two weeks ago!) I grew up on Long Island and just suffered through every summer (sometimes spring and fall too!) I was back in NY last summer for a week and had to do an 18 miler in 90 degrees and 100% humidity (and I started at 5am!) and it was torture. I don't know how people do it that live in those climates!
ReplyDeleteOur summers have high temps of 80 or so and it is still in the 40's most mornings when I run (today was only 31). So spring, summer and fall running are great for me. Now winter - negative temps, piles of snow and often icy roads. I don't scale back at all but do end up on the treadmill when things are icy and for my speed/track work since our track is buried in snow. I hate the treadmill but you gotta do what you gotta do!
Good luck with coming up with a plan and I hope you just keep feeling stronger/better.
When I was in New Orleans, I joined a gym and did lots of treadmill work and spin classes. And I ran around the inside track about a million times (11 laps per mile).
ReplyDeleteLast summer in Missouri I ran outside, as late in the evening as I could, but it was still really bad many days. On the weekends, I ran at 6 am, which was still not that cool either... It sucked.
I like to think I deal with the heat and humidity OK. Then, I realize I do not live in New Orleans and am a wimp! Can't imagine the type of weather you run in!
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the humidity. Smacked me upside the head when I walked outside this morning. Apparently the three days of pleasant warm weather we get a year in NC have passed. I love the hot weather in terms of working out. I feel like the more I sweat the more I've worked. It definitely takes me a lot longer to acclimate now that I've gotten older. Too much time in front of a desk and not enough time outside anymore.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a plan! I hate running in humidity, which is why I love San Diego. :) I'm from Chicago so I've dealt with it in the past and don't miss it one bit.
ReplyDeleteMine is more like a "rain avoidance" plan, but I tend to run inside more during the winter. Or, I just suck it up & run in the rain.
ReplyDeleteI know, my opinion matters so much in this one, but I would go with #2. :-)
no humidity here but the heat is brutal. I dont run outside if it is above 90. So in the summer I use the TM more. I also dont run Half marathons in summer time. My last one is June 2 and then a break until October. I'll do 5 and 10K and keep my LR on weekends but no racing half marathons.
ReplyDeleteUp to 2 years ago, I'd just run shorter runs, keeping a base of about 10-12 miles on weekends and run REALLY early slower runs in the mornings. But then my husband started the triathlon thing so I started adding cycling and swimming in the summers. It kept me in shape and provided some fun summery things to do. :)
ReplyDeleteOur weather is pretty much perfect always. Sorry :P I'd do whatever will minimize the possibility of getting injured or sick. Probably less miles and less intensity. You've been doing a lot...maybe a nice 'chill' during the hot season is in order :)
ReplyDeleteRun how you feel and enjoy it, but if I was you I would work on getting my 5K time down, worry about marathons when you are motivated to run them again. You could race a 5K every week without needing to recover or taper, and you should be able to race them well under 6m/mi pace within a few months.
ReplyDeleteI've definitely had to adjust... When I lived in San Diego, winter (with less daylight) was my cutback season, and the summer was prime running weather. Now that I live on the Gulf Coast, winter is prime racing season... But I signed up to lead a marathon training/pace group... Starting in JULY. (WHAT WAS I THINKING???)
ReplyDeleteThe weather is warming up here, and it gets humid is the summer, but not nearly as humid at NOLA. I am ramping up my miles now as the summer/fall are my peak running seasons. I usually do a race in October and then treat the winter as an off season. I still run, but not nearly as much as i do during the summer/fall, especially once it gets crazy cold and snowy!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are due for a little step back - I bet it will be really good for you!
I hate the heat and humidity and avoid it like a plague. I try to plan my marathons for late spring/early summer and late fall so I can take it easy during the summer and do cross training. It's also a good break from running so I avoid burnout.
ReplyDeleteI like your option 2... I might steal that plan after my marathon in early June.
I'm in Baton Rouge, moving back home to Austin next week, and normally I take the summer as a time to "get my edge," by just doing a lot of miles in the (early morning) heat and humidity. That said, I'm currently embarking on week 3 of NO RUNNING due to injury, so my 2 cents is...do whatever it takes to avoid being where I am right now!
ReplyDeleteHoly cow, that humidity must be amazing training!! I actually enjoy running in the summer here, when it's hot and humid, once I get used to it. I have finally gotten used to the cold winters, and then we had such a mild winter. I saw in the little daily mile blurb over there that you got the speed star! I have an old pair, and they are one of my favorite sneakers. I wish I needed new ones, because I just saw the new speedstars. I hope you love them, I did! (and I was a loyal kinvara wear-er, love them both:-))
ReplyDeleteseveral years ago, I would cut my mileage WAY back during the summer, proclaiming "I can't run in the heat & humidity." Then the Boston bug hit me, and I had to train hard year around to meet my BQ goal. I'm thankful that I wanted Boston REALLY bad because after ramping up my summer training for several years, now I actually enjoy, and have grown to love the summer training. Typically, it takes me until mid-June to acclimate, so from now until then is my toughest time of the year.
ReplyDeletethink about what will be the most motivating and fun for you this summer and pick that option.