When the Temperature Goes Up, Slow Down

Spring has arrived, and Brisbane has a habit of reminding us fairly quickly that summer is not far away.

We have spoken before about running safely in the heat, but there is another lesson worth revisiting as temperatures and humidity start to climb. Your summer pace is not necessarily your fitness.

Running at the same pace requires more effort as conditions become hotter and more humid. Your heart is not only supplying the working muscles, it is also helping move blood towards the skin so your body can dissipate heat. The result is often a higher heart rate and a slower pace for the same effort.

This is where runners can get themselves into trouble. The watch says you normally run your easy kilometres at a particular pace, so you try to maintain it regardless of the conditions.

Instead:

• Let effort guide your easy runs.

• Accept that your pace may be slower on hot or humid mornings.

• Start conservatively and allow your body time to warm up.

• Hydrate appropriately, particularly for longer sessions.

• Use shaded routes or earlier start times when practical.

Most importantly, do not turn an easy run into a moderate run simply to produce the pace you think you should be running.

Your fitness has not disappeared because your pace slows when the temperature rises.

You are simply asking your body to perform the same task under greater physiological stress.

There will be cooler mornings when the pace suddenly comes back. That is often when you discover just how much fitness you have been building.

Respect the conditions, run the right effort, and leave the summer PBs to the weather gods.

See you out there.