Tempered Expectations

Managing heat and humidity

It’s the middle of a heat wave and there’s a workout posted on your schedule. Moving it won’t help because you’re locked in heat index hell for the foreseeable future. But hey, you’ve been adapting to the heat as best you can. You say to yourself: You got this. Then you get out there and you realize that you do not, in fact, got this.

Your heart rate elevates early and stays 5-10 beats above where you expect it to be during the run. Running fast feels labored rather than effortless. Paces you wouldn’t think twice about maintaining on a pleasant summer morning feel unsustainable in the overheated skillet that is your running environment.

That’s when you need to make a choice: Heed the warning signs by calling it quits or continue playing with fire. We’ll deconstruct this scenario for paid subscribers with tips, tricks, and best practices for surviving the heat.