This week I have heard a lot of chatter around FB, and from my runners about how their workouts this week have been sub par. So I thought it would be a great opportunity to discuss Relative Humidity and its impact on performance. We almost always as runners check the weather for the day of our next run, is it going to rain? What is the temperature going to be? These are the main questions we ask, but we almost always neglect to look at the humidity. This week in our area of NC/VA the relative humidity has been really high, even in the early morning when temps are at their lowest. Here is the truth guys, Humidity can cause more havoc on your run than the actual temperature itself. What happens is that humidity obviously means there is a higher moisture content in the air, and the more moisture in the air, the hotter it actually feels. Example: On a day that is 78 degrees with a humidity of 40% or under it will feel like exactly 78 degrees, if the humidity creeps up to 70%, it will actually feel like 90 degrees! Big difference, and with your body always trying to keep itself in a state of homeostasis this means your effort level will increase. (A 8 minute mile will feel like a 9 minute mile etc.) As an athlete training in humidity you need to be aware of this, because it can be very taxing on the heart, and cardio system as a whole if you are pushing the pace too hard on really humid days. So, next time you head out for a run, and it is humid, dont sweat it (pun intended) if you are having a hard time hitting the paces you want. Slow down and bit and just get your miles in. So again, dont sweat it!!! As always thank you so much!!!!! Please share if you think this may help others that may not like this page, thank you! - Justin GCA
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 22:54:47 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015