Out Running at Noon in the Summer Heat

In spite of warnings I've been hearing during service talks at work about heat stress outside during these very hot summer months and the necessary steps one needs to take in order to avoid it, I have decided to step up my outdoor running...and deliberately around noon-time.  Let me explain...

In the early-to-mid-mornings here in northern Florida this time of year, the temperature can be in the 80s...and the humidity is at an even higher percentage...a formula for the heat stress that we're being advised against.  The trick is to wait until around noon when the temperature, to be sure, has risen...but more importantly, the humidity has fallen to a manageable level.  That's important because a combination of both hot temperature and high humidity can overheat the body...and then the body cannot cool itself through perspiration, which is blocked by the moisture in the air working against its release.  Also, I'm not running during mid-to-late afternoon when it gets the hottest.  This is about the best I'm going to be able to do running outside in the summer.  Oh, by the way, I'm always pre-hydrating myself before runs with water and/or Gatorade (or Powerade)...and carry a little bottle with me while running for ongoing hydration.  And having short walking breaks regularly interspersed throughout the run is a wise measure as well (look up Jeff Galloway for the benefits of doing this)...

I've done this sort of thing in the past, anyway, and to a much great extent...commonly running 7 or more miles when the temperature was 90+ degrees.  My goal this summer is much more modest: daily run my preset 3.3-mile looping course through my subdivision and the adjacent one...a course I've run so many times before it's become second nature to me.  I think by doing this I'll be in a much better position to train for longer distances this fall as the temperature gradually begins to cool down...