Okay - basically the title is the question - what do you guys do with your runs when it gets really abnormally hot outside? Usually if it's a really hot day I only run early in the morning or in the late evening, which normally works for me. Hot days are pretty rare around here and if it's in the 90's it usually doesn't stay that way for over 2 days. But this weekend it was hot and humid - over 85 for 4 days straight, and running in the early morning (at 7 AM) only seemed to help a little. It then got cooler, for a whole day - and then jumped back up into the 90's for the last two days. One evening there was enough of a breeze that I did a longer set of tempos, but other than that, my mileage has dropped down to 2-3.5 miles a day. Any ideas on how to deal with the heat?

You don't "beat" the heat. You adjust to it. To some extent, your body will adapt....it takes a couple of weks after summer heat sets in. However, it will not become able to handle 90 degrees the same way it handles 50....or even 70....degrees. It is necessary to adjust training and racing paces. Most training pace guidelines that most runners use, such as running calculators, Daniels' VDOT tables, et., do not include a summer weather adjustment factor. (An exception is the Runworks calculator which does include a feature to adjust pace to temperature.) However, they do state that their guidelines are based on a recent race performance, which will usually bear some relationship to the seasonal conditions in which you are training. That, along with adjusting training paces as you become fitter, are good reasons to run a 5-10k race periodically....about once a month is good. You can moderate the effect of high outdoor summer temp and/or humidity by running early in the morning when it is cooler (although that is often the worst time of the day for humidity), late in the evenming when both temp and humidity are likely to be lower, or indoors on a treadmill or an indoor track.

I like the heat and don't mind the humidity, but it does tire me out... This past week I set a new PR -- 32oz of gatorade plus 52oz (two bottles) of water in one track workout -- yay

I live in Texas and every day has been over 100 degrees. Yesterday when I was running at 8:30pm it was still 94 degrees outside. I would have to wait until midnight to run for it to be in the 80s. I typically just suck it up and go running at anytime - usually around 2pm -4pm for me, because it fits my schedule best. It's hot, but whatever doesn't kill you makes your stronger right? I just make sure to drink plenty of water an hour or two before my run, then pee right before I leave the house.

I guess it's personal, to some degree. If I don't get out by 5:30, I don't go outside and do the 'mill instead. My dh hates early morning b/c of the humidity; he thinks evenings are better. My pace was off by as much as a minute at first and I took a lot (A LOT) of walking breaks. I'm not taking walk breaks any more, but I'm still slower than I was in the winter (we only have two seasons in FL). I'm also hydrating more, and eperimenting electrolyte-replacement products for the first time on long runs. Heck, I didn't even drink Gatorade when I trained for my February half. I got a waist pack for my anniversary today (!) so I'm not tied to water fountains on my runs anymore. It's climbing into the 80s as I'm into my one hour runs so I'm drinking even though I'm not thirsty.

Move to the Pacific Northwest ... it is currently 56 degrees and cloudy. I know that wasn't helpful... I am glad that we live in a very temperate climate. Not too cold in the winter and not too hot in the summer. The drawback is that I could not ever run any of the hotter races ... I would melt. Stay hydrated you guys and keep on going! Be it early morning, late evening or the "dreadmill" at the gym.

I have discovered trails. 8 miles 89 F in the shade. However, I did come close to running over a snake. In went back into the water. I BESSED HIM.