Runs4Sanity
Studies claim that running/training in the heat of summer seems to help races and runs in Fall and Winter, blah blah blah so my question is this: Which does a runner benefit from more - heat or humidity?
Examples:
Late afternoons here are around 85-95 degrees but humidity below 65%
Early mornings or late nights here are cooler, around 65-78 degrees BUT humidity is anywhere from 85-100%
I try to run in the early mornings before 6 a.m to avoid the sun and rising temperature but I have to deal with the awful humidity, and sometimes if I have to run in the afternoon around 5-5:30 p.m I am dealing with the high temps but not the awful temperature. I think I feel more exhausted when running in the high humid mornings than I do if I run in the afternoons, but I am still hot and fatigued.
I probably sound like I am just blabbering on, but what I am asking makes sense in my head
*Do It For Yourself, Do It Because They Said It Was Impossible, Do It Because They Said You Were Incapable*
PRs
5k - 24:15 (7:49 min/mile pace)
10k - 51:47 (8:16 min/mile pace)
15k -1:18:09 (8:24 min/mile pace)
13.1 - 1:53:12 (8:39 min/mile pace)
26:2 - 4:14:55 (9:44 min/mile)
They an claim all they want, but I think it's the shitload of miles that we run in the summer that benefits us when fall race season rolls around. This is just imo though and I haven't conducted any study. Just run when you can. If you have a choice between the 2 types of conditions you listed, run in the one that is most convenient or allows you to actually complete your runs.
MTA: It rarely gets over 80 here, so what you're asking makes no sense to me
Where do you live again? Rarely over 80??? That must be awesome, this place sucks major noodles man.....
I don't know on the mileage part though, as I think during Fall and Winter I am working on mileage with no races to worry about. Then again I only just started running in 2010, dealt with an injury, pregnancy in 2011, post-pregnancy and injury in 2012 and since winter of 2012 I am FINALLY getting on some sort of consistent training ground so I can't have an opinion on mileage and stuff yet (at least I feel that way).
They an claim all they want, but I think it's the shitload of miles that we run in the summer that benefits us when fall race season rolls around. This is just imo though and I haven't conducted any study. Just run when you can. If you have a choice between the 2 types of conditions you listed, run in the one that is most convenient or allows you to actually complete your runs. MTA: It rarely gets over 80 here, so what you're asking makes no sense to me
Jess runs for bacon
I always figured it was like training at high altitude, just feels a lot easier when you get in ideal situations.
I don't care whether the heat or the humidity is more beneficial.
I just choose to run in the one that I hate less
My wildly inconsistent PRs:
5k: 24:36 (10/20/12)
10k: 52:01 (4/28/12)
HM: 1:50:09 (10/27/12)
Marathon: 4:19:11 (10/2/2011)
lilac - that is actually what some of the articles I have been reading says.
cmb4314 - I agree but sometimes I don't know which I hate more, humidity or the sun and heat. I guess the sun and heat isn't so bad if there is a breeze but almost nothing can make a humid run easier, not even with little clothing as possible. Thankfully it looks like this Sunday's 10 miler is going to be a little cooler and less humid so I am going to do my best to enjoy it and take advantage of it.
This is the thing (and it's only from experience and not from studies), you can acclimate to heat but not to dewpoint or humidity (you should look at dewpoint and not humidity as dewpoint affects runners more). Therefore, I would assume that training in the heat helps you because once you acclimate, you get faster at a specific effort. Since there is no acclimating to dewpoint (your body continues to have problems to cool off), there is no additional benefit in training during the time with the highest humidity.
My most humid weather is mornings. I run and feel better in 97F with 74DP (6pm) than in 85F and 78DP (6am), which is why I run in at 6pm. Your experience may vary.
Damaris
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I sweat a lot when I run so humidity kills me. My sweat doesn't evaporate and I overheat easily. If I had to choose between 75* and high humidity in the morning vs. 90* and low humidity after work, I'd run after work. At least even with the sun beating on me it feels alright in the shade and I'm feeling relatively unsuffocated.
Regardless, just slogging through the summer either way will reap benefits once the weather gets cooler. This is my fourth summer running and it sucks every time but I adore it once the fall temps hit.
This is my fourth summer running and it sucks every time but I adore it once the fall temps hit.
Then it's almost time to complain about the cold!
I loathe running in the heat and avoid running it for extended periods like the plague. Given the choice I would take single digit winter temps over this crap we have now. That said, for me, running slogging in the heat provides no negotiable benefit. Science may in fact however, say otherwise.
What is this Fall and cold you speak of?
Pfft. I don't complain about cold. Only wind.
D, why aren't there any articles on dewpoint then? All I ever read about is either heat or humidity, you can always expect an article about heat or humidity but I have not seen one on dewpoint, why is that?
I got my ass kicked this past winter by the wind! It was baroootal!
It's Not the Heat, Nor the HumidityIt's the dew point. That's the meteorological measure that best predicts how tough your summer running is going to be.Simply put, the dew point is the temperature at which water condenses. The closer the dew point is to the air temperature, the more saturated the air is and the less perspiration can evaporate and help the body cool itself, resulting in extra stress on the heart and lungs as the body attempts unsuccessfully to cool itself. Accordingly, the dew point provides a strong indicator of how you'll feel running and a useful tool in predicting how much performance will be impacted.
http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/training-heat