How do you people stand the south?

I live in south Florida where when you roll out of bed the temperature is already 82-83 degrees and the grass is wet from the dew because of the 100% humidity. Until you get that first life sucking 90 minute or longer hard run in you will always be feeling it.

Today it was 95 degrees and actually felt easier to run because the air is a little drier due to the high pressure system to the north and the hurricane to the south sucking all the moisture out of the atmosphere.

I'm from NYC and spent a summer in Tallahassee, FL. It was actually hotter in NYC almost the entire summer, but less humid.

If you're sound enough mentally, things like hot/cold/pain/ and fatigue are mere states of mind.

I used to take great solice in knowing that while everyone else is getting all comfy in the AC I'm training and getting tougher by running miles and miles in the southern heat and humidity.

And let me tell you, once you run mega miles in FL in August, when you get to Chicago in early Oct, it feels like you're running in the AC for 26 miles, and your body takes a LOT longer to get too hot to handle the pace.

I pretend it doesn't exist. Crazy backwards people...

I'm originally from Long Island and I just arrived here at school in North Carolina... well, so south it's almost SC. It's been BRUTALLY hot here, like 100-103, so we mostly just get our longer runs in at 6:45am and then a shorter run in later on at like 3:30. It's a lot to get used to, with the heat and all, but you've just gotta stay hydrated and eat right.

I suppose its easier as your body gets acclimated to the temperature. But I found it killing any motivation to do anything. The beach was fun but between the heavy sun block which acted like glue and the salt and sand I felt I was in perpetual need of a shower.

I ran 12 miles yesterday in New York and afterwards still felt cleaner than I did after my beach mornings in NC.

Personally, I have little trouble being outside in extreme weather; I actually like it, though as all I prefer cool and dry. So what's it like where you live in the winter? We rarely have snow, temps in the 40s, some years significant rain, but again, I don't mind the extremes. When I lived in NH I ran in -25, sunny weather. Had ice around my knees, but you don't let a sunny day in NH go by without celebrating.

then you need to move out of the east coast because the weather out west in places is about a million times better (the scenery too)try l.a., san francisco, san diego even vancouver - that is truly running weather all year aroundcripes - i was born and raised in humidity, I cannot stand it. I would rather live in the freezing cold somewhere.it's not that a person gets used to it - they just don't know any better

It just depends on what kind of weather you like. If you don't mind cold weather, then northern states are for you. If you hate cold weather, then the southern states are for you. I personally like cold weather better than hot weather and I live in Oklahoma. I've also lived in North Dakota. It's really not unbearable in either state 99% of the time. In ND you have a week or two where it's below zero every day, but you get used to it. In OK, you have a few days that are over 105 and humid, but you just avoid the outdoors and run in the morning.

i live in the south and always have. I still haven't gotten used to the heat and humidity. I hate it. I usually run around 8pm during the summer, and even then it's still pretty nasty because the humidity hangs around long after the sun goes down. Then again, I'm one of those people that sweats buckets. I look like I'm entering a wet t-shirt contest after like 2 or 3 miles.

Entering the 4th week in a row of temps ranging from 95-107 every day, e v e r y f r e a k i n DAY. Believe as a runner it's not easy at all.

This past week it's finally started to take it's toll. I know that in the south when I start to build up in the summer that it's going to very hot, but this summer is like no other. We usually get a day or two at 100, but weeks on end.

I'm jealous of those guys in the NW with their cool summer temps. Sure makes it easier to put in that morning run when it's not 85 degree when you wake up.

Swofford11 wrote:

Like I said before it's all about personal preference.

No, it isn't. It's about whether you can train effectively year-round. In the upper midwest this is possible. In the south it is not.

In the north you can use gear to adapt. Mittens, balaclavas, screws in your shoes and so on. In the south you're just screwed.

Sorry, southerners, this is an argument that you can't win. You may "get used to it" for your day-to-day life (mainly by staying where the AC is on). But don't try and tell me that you can train just as effectively where it averages 90 for six months as you can where it averages 30 for six months (extreme examples that may never occur in a real place, but you know what I mean).

new floridian wrote:

What happened to the cool ocean breezes like out west?

go back, please.

exactly. I think this may be one reason why high school distance runners in the South are generally not on par with distance runners in other regions. The heat and humidity here make it very hard to train effectively for big chunk of the year. I feel like a million bucks when I run in fall and early winter, but I still don't get in great shape because I'm trying to make up for the shitty summer running.

I run a lot during the summer months.

I lived in the lowcountry most of my life.

I am not the fastest guy around, but I have always trained hard in the summer.

It isn't easy, but it is not supposed to be easy.

Whatever you losers in the South do, don't move to Oregon and ruin the most pristine existence known to mankind Oregonians have here on earth. Suffer in your own pathetic isolation, and with your illogical crutch with Jesus. Jesus will save ya'all (hah hah !) You can visit Oregon anytime, but please don;t come without a round trip ticket, so you can hurry back home to your trailer park in the South.

Nike Beaverton wrote:

Whatever you losers in the South do, don't move to Oregon and ruin the most pristine existence known to mankind Oregonians have here on earth. Suffer in your own pathetic isolation, and with your illogical crutch with Jesus. Jesus will save ya'all (hah hah !) You can visit Oregon anytime, but please don;t come without a round trip ticket, so you can hurry back home to your trailer park in the South.

Thank God everyone from Oregon is not like you. The irony of your "high brow" sentiments are amusing. And screw you, I'm moving there in a couple years from the South and I'm bringing my "y'all's", my Coke-Cola's with peanuts in it, and as much UGA gear as I can stuff in a suitcase to run all over y'all's awesome trails for the REST OF MY LIFE.

I've lived in Texas since high school. I plan on heading to the Midwest or West once I graduate college in two years.

The weather/climate here is awful, can't wait to leave.

i kinda like running wrote:

exactly. I think this may be one reason why high school distance runners in the South are generally not on par with distance runners in other regions. The heat and humidity here make it very hard to train effectively for big chunk of the year.

It probably has less to do with climate than with cultural preference. Track athletes don't have the same cachet as football players. It's not like the heat and humidity prohibit outdoor exercise. Football teams practice in nasty heat in early August.