Running in High Humidity – How To

May 22, 2017 Faux Runner Comments 12 comments

It is already starting to get humid and hot in Atlanta and in various parts of the country (except Colorado. Where it snowed last week. In MAY!). One of the things that many athletes do to avoid the summer heat is to change their running schedule so they run early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun goes down. Running around with kids and activities and dinner, I find it really really difficult to do any sort of workout after my regular work and getting out to run at 8:00pm is not even a top 10 priority for me in the evenings. Early mornings are my best bet to escape the sun. But there is no escaping the oppressive humidity (85-90% at 5am!!). Even a 4 mile easy run leaves me soaked and dripping!

Why watch out while running/cycling in high humidity?

When you workout, your core temperature raises and you sweat (buckets, in my case). Sweat evaporates naturally from your skin. But excessive humidity prevents sweat from evaporating. So your body ends up holding on to the heat. You might notice

dehydration
GI issues
cramps
higher heart race
chills and disorientation (in severe cases. I had chills during a training ride in the blazing heat and humidity of Augusta!)

All because the humidity and sweat not evaporating is playing havoc on your core body temperature.

Tips for Running in High Humidity

Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate

I never go without water no matter how short my runs. Plenty of water during the activity and plenty of water during the day too

Don’t forget your salt/electrolytes

Electrolytes help regulate body fluids. When you sweat, out goes electrolytes as well. And you need to replenish those as well as water to maintain the balance. (My go to is the base salt – one lick and you are good!)

Choose the right clothes

Wicking, breathable clothes over something else with a certain color or design. I’ve seen a lot of this particularly during the 4th of July races where awesome designs of red, white and blue are often on cotton Ts.

Take time to acclimatize

Running in humid conditions at an average of 1hr per day takes about 2 weeks to acclimatize to the heat and humidity. Me being me, I take 3-4 to acclimatize

Run by Effort

Forget the pace and run by feel or heart rate when it’s hot. Easy runs should feel easy, even if you are running much much much slower than you are used to. The pace will get better as you acclimatize and the cooler temperatures of fall will make you feel like

Body Glide/Other Lubes

I can’t imagine my shower life after running without body glide/hoo ha glide/any other anti-chafing product. I often have to stop to reapply once or twice mid run as well!

Just remember, be prepared for the humidity. But feeling sluggish on a sticky day doesn’t indicate a lack of fitness or mental toughness—it’s your body’s physical response to a stressful environment.