Slow down and press on
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." Isaiah 43:2
I have to admit, running in the heat and humidity the last few days has been rough. I know many of you are experiencing the same thing and wondering "what's the deal"?!! Well....consider the following facts about running in these conditions before you lose hope and toss your running shoes:
Heat
When you run strenuously in temperatures above 60°F, your core body temperature is raised. Your body’s natural cooling system kicks in; some of the blood that would have been going to your running muscles gets diverted to the capillaries of your skin to cool it off. That cooler blood then returns to your core and that brings your core temperature down. What a great invention! Unfortunately, that means less blood in your running muscles. That means less oxygen. It also means that your system of removing the waste byproducts from the muscles can get backed up as well. Both of these result in a slower pace.
Temperature changes also alter the density of the air. More dense, more oxygen with each intake of breath. i.e. colder weather makes you faster.
Add it all up and you get: cold weather facilitates a faster speed. Heat slows you down. This is one of the main reasons you see the majority of marathons in the Spring & Fall.
Humidity
Humidity also affects your core body temperature. This is because sweating is one of the main functions of your body’s cooling system. For sweat to do its job, it needs to evaporate and take some heat with it. Unfortunately, high humidity means slower evaporation. Slower evaporation of sweat means slower cooling. That means that your body’s core temperature is not being lowered effectively. Final result: high humidity leads to slower pace.
Conclusion
I have not found a formula that can tell us how much we will slow down, but you need to understand that you can’t run at your optimal pace in less than optimal conditions. If you slow down a little in the heat & humidity, give yourself a break. Your body is doing the right thing.
The good news is that even though your training might be slowed a great deal during the summer, your training will lead to MUCH faster times when things cool off again.
Have patience. Forgive yourself for the slower pace. http://wiserunning.com/2012/07/04/effects-of-heat-humidity-on-running-pace/
Isn't it amazing that God made our bodies in such wondrous ways? Psalm 139:14 tells us that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." I just love that. He knew that we would encounter many different situations in our "race" and made our bodies to adapt to them. This is just another reminder that when "the heat is on" and we are going through rough times, we simply need to adjust our pace and drink more fluids (think Living Water). Don't give up! Just slow down, press on and embrace the journey. It's never about how fast you got to the finish, just that you finished.
Heavenly Father, thank you for making our bodies in such unique ways. They are another miraculous testimony to the wonderful works Your hands have made. Help us to get through the hard times in life by knowing it's okay to struggle as long as we don't give up. May we keep pressing on until we receive the prize of joining You in Heaven. In Your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
I will follow, I will press on even when the walk feels long. -Mandisa
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