Training in Humidity

It’s been hot. I mean, really hot. Like, 110-115 degree heat index hot. Miserably hot. It’s been putting a cramp in my running. I don’t do well with exertion in such temperatures. My face gets this mottled purple-red color, and people driving by probably wonder if they should stop to offer help. But no, that just what happens.

I’ve been doing my runs after 8:00 pm the past few nights, and it has made a difference. When I walk outside the air is warm, but not stiflingly so. Saturday I walked outside around 11 and immediately felt as if my body was enveloped in a warm, damp, wool blanket. Definitely not something that makes you excited about running. Even at 8, the air is still humid and feels as if I am breathing in a fine mist, but having the sun below the horizon helps. In addition, people are more likely to be watering their lawns later in the evening, so I can usually find a few sprinklers to run through to help cool me off! Don’t worry, I’m not traipsing through people’s yards. I’m just running through the streams that are watering the sidewalk, and let’s be honest, it’s not going to grow. (So if you happen to see me running, no I did not wet myself or sweat through my shorts).

I have been making a conscious effort to start out slow, very slow, in order to actually finish the paltry 3.16 mile run. Pathetic, I know, but I just can’t go any farther right now. I’m OK with that, because my pace is gradually heading down to where it should be. Before I was really concerned that I had just lost my ability. That my six months of a decent pace was just a fluke, beginner’s luck. I am now 95% convinced that is not the case and it’s just the heat. I am now also convinced that I need to move to San Francisco, where I can run all year round in basically the same temperature and maintain the same pace. I won’t even complain about the hills – I promise.