[Floridaboiler]

or any run and the heat.<br><br>
It seems like a lot of you are able to do ultras etc year round the heat doesnt phase you.<br><br>
Is it because you guys are so far north it doesn't get as hot and nasty as it does here in Jacksonville?<br><br>
Is your body better acclimated to it?<br><br><br>
If you have ever read my race reports you have probably noticed that I do a lot better in cooler weather and when the heat is on down here my pace plummets! Every summer I always hit a spell where I really hate running because I see the guys I run with just running away from me as the heat saps my energy and I feel like I am running in molasses or a tar pit. I have beyotched about this in the past. It happens every summer and I know it is going to happen but I hate that it is going to happen.<br><br><br>
I have really struggled with the heat and humidity here in Jax this week. Granted I took 19 days off due to vacation so that didn't help any but it is weeks like this that make go WTF, how am I going to handle long runs next summer when I am trying to train for the Tahoe Triple.<br><br>
I know that for the Tahoe Triple all I want to do is finish all 3 marathons and I would like to finish each one in under 6 hours but being a flatlander and having to deal with the hills out there is going to be a new challenge.<br><br>
The next year is going to be a whole new set of challenges.

 

[merigayle]

hmmm. not sure. I do most of my weekday runs inside and long runs and races (duh) outside. Somehow Durt and I ran 50+ miles in 100F and high humidity while over half the field dropped a few weeks ago. Not sure what helped us vs them? I think one is pace. And second is CONSTANT hydration. He and I both went thru crazy amounts of fluids and electrolyte capsules. I somehow think i remember you saying you never run with a bottle or belt or anything, just drop water as needed. I think the constant sipping is key. I ran with a 50oz camelbak and he ran with 2 handhelds.<br><br>
I know for any run, when it is hot and humid my pace is so slow. I just go with it knowing that it is temporary. It seems that for my long runs and races, i start so early in the morning is sort of eases myself into the heat and humidity.<br><br>
I ain't no expert, but i know Durt and I ran two crazy hot races this year. AND being on trails is shaded, as opposed to roads where you are more exposed. Wearing a hat helps me too.

 

[Hippo]

I'm not really experienced in the heat, but the couple of warmish days I've run ultras has led me to believe it's not as hard as it seems.<br><br>
First of all, us non-elites are simply not running a 50 miler at VO2max - not even close. So it's an easy effort that involves less self-heating.<br><br>
The other thing I've noticed is a combination of intentional slowing and a decreased give-a-sh1t factor that work together. When I hit that pace (which I could easily hold in cooler weather) at which the sweating really cranks up a lot I use that as a signal to slow down. I know how hard it is to keep a hippo hydrated and sodium'ed: at some rate of sweating I start to figure there is no way I'll get it right trying to put all that stuff back into me at the correct rate.<br><br>
That combined with the heat causing me to care less about my finish time and I just run slower.<br><br>
I think though that the combination of a lot of heat training, practicing hydration at those levels, and judicious use of ice would probably allow me to go faster on those days. At the moment, the difference between being "slow" and "slower" doesn't seem to make the effort worth it. If I was training for WS100 or badwater it probably would.

 

[Floridaboiler]

Thanks guys,<br>
In the last 6 years I have always struggled during the summer to keep any kind of pace so I have just shortened my runs to 4 or 5 miles and tried to maintain what i thought was a decent pace. Maybe i need to try pushing the miles and carry or place more water on some longer runs but drop the pace. I might as well get used to it since I will need to do that next summer.<br><br>
Part of it is also there is a group of us that run together at lunch so I would hate to go out with them and then immediately drop off the pace they are doing. We all use the lunch time runs as a therapy session. It is a great chance for us to not discuss work, be totally non-pc and be normal guys. You can probably guess where the discussions usually end up.