How to pace yourself in the Heat

Pace? Heart Rate? Effort? Nope!!!!

When training in the heat, the usual metrics just don’t work. Your pace will be much slower, yet heart rate will be much higher. Even easy runs will feel much harder than you expect them to be.

That’s why when training in the heat, I suggest you use breathing as your main metric. Breathing is the least affected metric when training in the heat, and luckily , you don’t even need a fancy running watch to use it. Use the “Talk Test” explained below. If your breathing is in the right zone, you’re in the right zone (effort-wise) no matter the heat.

Note: This can be very rough for many runners given that pace and heart rate metrics are ubiquitous in running watches, which may or may not be giving accurate feedback. 

The Talk Test Zones

• Endurance zone - carry on a full conversation

• Stamina zone - speak in 1-2 sentences 

• Speed zone - speak 1-2 words but definitely not a lot of talking

• Sprint zone - grunts, moans, aches

High Heat Workouts to Avoid

Another strategy is to move workouts around so that any workouts that are particularly challenging in the heat are moved to cooler days. For example, VO2 Max workouts and long runs. They generate a lot of body heat and thus put you at higher risk of heat illness. Move those workouts around based on your weather forecast. 

The bottom line is that you need to slow down when training in the heat, and that’s okay.

Do t chase pace or worry about heart rate. If you get hot, take a walk break.

Wind is your Friend

A final tip is that if it is windy, start your runs with the wind the finish your run against the wind. The headwind helps cool you as you are getting hot later in the run. New runners are always amazed at how much hotter a run with the wind feels. It’s a simple fact that you are often running at the same speed as the tailwind, so essentially, there is no air moving over your sweaty skin. Thus, no heat is being dissipated.