Brutal Dew Point of 81 Degrees right now in where I live. How do you survive? Has anyone ran in worse weather?

As far as "official" dewpoints go, I've had several morning runs with dewpoints in the mid-70's.

I do believe though that the dew point can "artificially" spike. A couple times I've had the unfortunate opportunity (after trying to run during a light storm to escape the heat of summer), of running approximately mid-afternoon, where a brief rainshower gives way to sunshine on wet, black asphalt. Becomes hard to go faster than normal walking, with the rain evaporating off the asphalt in addition to the sun. I would guess that the effective dewpoint in those conditions is well above 80 degrees.

I grew up in the bayous of southern Alabama ... the dew point is usually pegged between 75 and 77. I moved out West after graduating from college and haven't looked back.

sandybeaver wrote:

fred wrote:

Shorter ran 150 miles a week in Florida. Mind over matter, bro.

Shorter went elsewhere in the summer. Taos, Boulder and Vail are not exactly Gainesville in summer.

Some of you have apparently never spent time in the tropics. I just returned from a week in Manila. Dewpoint 78-80 for 24 hours a day is normal and it's like that year-round.

Then add in a city of 15-20 million choked with traffic and a constant haze of pollution and you have some ideal running conditions.

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=RPXX0017

It is great running in Phoenix early morning...but a few weeks ago, I tried riding my bike at 2pm.

It was so hot that I had to ride in little circles down the street like a rotisserie ..because if the sun even stayed on a part of the skin for 30 seconds, you were literally toast.....

Again, I just don't understand this dry heat stuff.

right now it is 93 degrees with a dewpoint of just 75, but it says that "it feels like 104 degrees." And I was out briefly at 3:30 and it was like being inside an oven. However, a thunderstorm looks to start at any moment now overhead so I don't get to enjoy running home in these conditions for another hour or so.

Illinoisphotographer wrote:

adsfasdfasdf wrote:

That's the highest you've seen in 4 years? Yes, it's a dry heat.

I'd take dry heat over humidity any day of the year and then some.

Everyone says that.

Have you ever run in 116 degree heat?

I did that in Phoenix a few years ago.

How about 118?

That was Joshua Tree.

Don't complain about a little humidity.

Aha. I like this thread. I posted something about high dew points a few weeks back and malmo came online and said, "Run very early or at dusk." That's a great place to start. I haven't yet managed to get out the door by 6 AM, but that's the first adjustment I'd make.

Second adjustment, which you've already made: pre-run hydration. That's an absolute must--although I wouldn't pour down as much as you have. But at least a liter: sure.

Third adjustment, and obviously: hydration during the run. Either place water bottles along the run (I live in a rural area and can easily do this), or bring bottles to a local park and run loops past your bottles.

A fourth adjustment, which has not yet been suggested: give up on the idea of maintaining high mileage and instead trend towards shorter, faster stuff. This is basically counter-programming. Since your easy pace is bound to sag badly in the heat, why not just go with the high heart rates and run aerobic fartlek? I did this the other day. I skipped my early morning long run on Sunday to watch the Oly marathon and I'd planed to run 14 miles starting at 5. I went out and knew from the first quarter mile that it just wasn't going to happen. It was only 82 degrees with 65% humidity for a dew point of 68 degrees, so I shouldn't have felt THAT bad, but I did. And by 3 1/2 miles I knew I needed to cut my losses. On the way back, I did some half mile tempo intervals at a HR of about 88-89%, and, to my surprise, I felt pretty good.

Obviously I didn't notch a long run, and in the long run (so to speak) that's not good. But I managed to get some work in, and, just as important, I salvaged my self respect and sense of passion for the sport, rather than feeling like a beaten-down wimp.

So my suggestion would be: be flexible. Be willing to change up the workout. If you're getting killed by the heat and humidity, shorten the workout--but think about speeding it up, too.

now the T-storm is starting but at the airport it is 91./77 DP, and feels like 106 degrees.

..how does one determine or calculate the dew point..?

Ruppermaid wrote:

No, that is totally wrong wrote:

I was there, lived in LA, and I doubt they ever had a dew point that high.

I was very skeptical of this as well. I've heard that dew points can occasionally spike in LA when it rains, but 85 seems way over the top.

Probably correct.

I was there , I remember...

It was warm but clear for the womens race.

But hotter and overcast for the men's race.

less waste wrote:

..how does one determine or calculate the dew point..?

they use their eyeballs to look at the forecast on any weather service

Tyrone ReXXXing wrote:

sub16_5k wrote:

Just looking at my weather app and the dew point right now where I live (SW Florida) is 81 degrees

For instance, I just looked at several cities and several weather stations for SW FL and last night at 11:00 I am seeing 75-76 dew pts. Quite high, but not 81.

This says 81F dew point currently in Venice, SW Florida.

The dew point was definitely not that in the LA Olympics though

Smoove wrote:

Llc coco wrote:

Last night I ran a workout in Orlando. The temp was 90 degrees as the sun was setting. Humidity was approaching 60%. I felt like my fitness was locked in a box made of heat.

So there is probably a 90% chance we know each other.

You make the first move... Haha

I live in central FL and currently training for a marathon. Unfortunately since my job starts early I have to do all my training in the afternoon. I'm peaking at 125mpw. Some advice: right before every run chug as much Gatorade/Powerade as you can. Fill up almost. Get two bottles of water ready for the run. Put one out by your driveway or car, then carry the other bottle of water and place it 3-4 miles out. I'll do half my run one way then turn around and do the other half of my run the other way. This has been very helpful for me. Also don't be afraid to use gels. Hope this helps some.

I used a sling psychrometer to measure dewpoint. Two thermometers on a swivel. One has a wick at the bottom; you wet it, then swing the thing around in circles for a minute or two. Look at the two themometers; the one with the wick will be at a lower temp than the dry one, due to evaporation. The farther apart the temperatures on the thermometers, the drier the air. The instrument comes with a table that will tell you the dew point based on the temperatures. I trained in Central Florida for a long time; it was always depressing when I checked the dew point.

Top local masters guy.

Tyrone ReXXXing wrote:

sub16_5k wrote:

Just looking at my weather app and the dew point right now where I live (SW Florida) is 81 degrees

For instance, I just looked at several cities and several weather stations for SW FL and last night at 11:00 I am seeing 75-76 dew pts. Quite high, but not 81.

Venice FL shows 77 DP last night, 80.6 this afternoon.

-23 Fahrenheit. Negligible humidity. 10 miles. Is that worse than 90 degrees/90% humididty-I don't know, but it's not pleasant. You get warm, and start sweating, and then your sweat freezes on your hat and top. Gore tex is a myth in these conditions. Snot freezes on your face. Shrinkage issues to make George Costanza embarrassed.

It's all in your head. Get the hemeostasis going and get out there. October is just around the corner.

bowbridge wrote:

I used a sling psychrometer to measure dewpoint. Two thermometers on a swivel. One has a wick at the bottom; you wet it, then swing the thing around in circles for a minute or two. Look at the two themometers; the one with the wick will be at a lower temp than the dry one, due to evaporation. The farther apart the temperatures on the thermometers, the drier the air. The instrument comes with a table that will tell you the dew point based on the temperatures. I trained in Central Florida for a long time; it was always depressing when I checked the dew point.

this was good in 1990. Now we can look at weather.gov