A Word to the Wise
The motto of my high school was "A Word to the Wise is Sufficient" - I hope this reminder is taken to heart. This Spring's weather has been a blessing, much cooler than in many years, and paradoxically, a curse this week. Just a few short weeks ago many of you were still running in tights and long sleeves or even jackets. As a result, as a group we are far less prepared for the very difficult weather we face the next ten days as we are not nearly as acclimated to the heat and humidity as we would usually be. I won't bore you with the weather report, but we are looking at 100-degree weather and 100 percent humidity on some days, near 100% on others. When the Dew point is 70 or above, as it will be much of the week, it is very difficult for your body to sweat and thus cool you down. Any way you look at it, running this week will be very challenging.
I first want to remind everyone about the Principle of "Periodicity" that they teach us at Coaching classes for RRCA. It's simply Hard/Hard/Easy – in other words, if you have two hard workouts, the third should be easy, and the same goes for weeks – two hard weeks should be followed by a step back week where you shorten your runs and intensity. Well, this would be a perfect week to step back and shorten runs and intensity – my run this morning on the Coros Effort Scale was only 10%ÂÂ less than last Monday, even though it was 25% SHORTER. As I teach our MTP trainees, running in heat is like running in altitude – even though you may run shorter or slower, your effort – measured by heart rate and breathing – is often just as hard as when it is cooler. A good rule of thumb this week is that maintaining pace or distance will be ten to fifteen percent harder in this heat and humidity.
I saw a lot of you out VERY early this morning – and that is a good thing – while the temps were almost 80 in the morning, they weren't the high 90s to 100 the afternoon will offer. Pro Tip – run early! Another thing I noticed this morning was that some of you ran in groups – second Pro Tip – if you can, run with a group or buddy this week so that you can keep an eye on each other to guard against heat related distress. Third Pro Tip – if you cannot run with a group or buddy, stick to populated running trails such as the Custis, Bluemont, WO&D, Capital Crescent, C&O Canal, MBT, and other trails where there are other runners. If you find yourself in distress you can almost always count on a fellow runner on those trails checking on you and helping out. Finally, I am adding a couple of quoted articles below that offer information and advice on heat and running in this weather. Take care of yourself and fellow runners during this Heat Wave!
It's getting hot in here, which can impact your health
KATELYN JETELINA
JUN 23
For the next two weeks, more than 265 million people, from DC to Minneapolis to Houston, will face temperatures over 90°F for days with little overnight reprieve. But when it comes to extreme heat, some of the most important health risks aren't always obvious. It's not just about the temperature you see on your weather app, and believe it or not, cranking up a fan can sometimes make things worse.
Heat waves can be dangerous to health. They send more people to the ER with heat stroke, asthma attacks, dehydration, and heart problems. While relatively rare, they can also lead to death, which has increased over the past decade with more extreme heat. An increase in outside deaths largely drives this pattern. Indoor deaths are mostly among those without a working AC.
The real danger is heat imbalance. That's when your body produces more heat than it can release. Normally, sweat helps cool us down. But when it's hot and humid, sweat doesn't evaporate as easily. The air is already packed with moisture, making it harder for your body to cool itself and raising the risk of illness quickly.
So, while 120 degrees in Phoenix isn't great, 90 degrees in New York can be worse. Instead of temperature in your weather app, watch two other metrics:
• Relative humidity—the "feels like" percentage in your weather app—is better because it tells us how full the air is with water vapor relative to its capacity. But warm air holds more water, meaning 60% humidity on a hot day feels much stickier than 60% on a cool day.
• Dew point is more precise. It measures the actual amount of moisture in the air. Technically, it's the temperature at which air becomes saturated and dew forms. The higher the dew point, the more moisture is in the air, and the muggier it feels. Over 70 it gets dangerous.
But, it's not just about the hottest part of the day:
• A string of hot days can wear your body down, even if no single day feels extreme.
• Warm nights make it harder for your body to cool and recover.
• Early-season heat waves (like this one) are especially risky since most people haven't acclimated yet.
Some federal tools to track heat-related illness were dismantled in 2025 with the firing of CDC employees, but the NOAA-CDC HeatRisk tool* is still active. It offers hyperlocal risk forecasts up to 7 days ahead, rating conditions from "No Risk" to "Extreme" by considering temperatures, humidity, and other factors. If you want a simple daily check-in or a forecast, put in your zip code.
The following people should take action when their area is "orange" or higher.
Everyone else, start taking action in "red".
• People taking medications that impair heat regulation: Certain drugs interfere with sweating, hydration, or heart function, and can even reduce your thirst sensation. Check out the list here.
• Older adults: Aging reduces the body's ability to sweat and regulate temperature.
• Infants and children: Smaller bodies heat up faster, and young children may not recognize or communicate early symptoms. Kids with asthma are at high risk.
• People with chronic diseases: Underlying conditions like heart disease strain the body's ability to cope with heat stress.
• Pregnant women: Pregnancy increases metabolic heat production, making it harder to stay cool. More here.
• Outdoor workers and athletes: Prolonged physical activity in hot environments increases internal heat production.
• People experiencing homelessness: Continuous exposure to heat, dehydration risk, and limited access to cooling or hydration increases vulnerability.
Watch out for heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, confusion—all can escalate quickly to heat stroke, a life-threatening emergency.
• Check the HeatRisk tool to avoid strenuous activity. Maybe today isn't the best day for that soccer game.
• Stay hydrated. Check your urine color.
• Use air conditioning if you can. If not, find a cooling center.
• Be smart with fans: Fans can help when it's moderately hot by circulating air and helping sweat evaporate. But once temps climb above 90°F fans may actually blow more hot air onto you, increasing heat stress.
We'll need to keep adapting. Heat-related illness and deaths are rising, and this summer will be no different.
Five Tips For Hot Weather Running
BY ASHLEY LAURETTA
Running in and of itself is physically and mentally challenging. Add blazing sun, humidity and soaring temperatures, and the treadmill might seem more humane. The good news for die-hard outdoor runners is you can give yourself the best chance at summer success with a few heat-busting tactics.
"Runners can't buy instant results on Amazon Prime and have them delivered yesterday; in other words, patience is the key here," explains Clinton "Flash" Santoro, president and head coach of Flash Santoro Training Systems. "It takes about two weeks of consistent training in hotter conditions for the body to acclimate and adjust to be able to perform well."
Study up on these coach-approved tips that will prepare you for running in hot weather — and help you set your training expectations and racing plans accordingly.
IDENTIFY YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Once temperatures hit triple digits, every runner is going to be uncomfortable. Santoro notes that everyone has a personal comfort zone when it comes to temperature, so whether or not you need to employ a heat plan varies. However, he specifically notes that when the temperature reaches 85–90ºF, you should have everything you need to run in high temperatures on hand (especially if your run is going to be longer than an hour.)
Karen Meadows, a USAT and USATF certified coach and personal trainer, adds it isn't just temperature you should be paying attention to when reading the weather forecast. The dew point is also critical — she speaks from experience as a Florida resident — as it dictates the level of humidity in the air. Research shows that as humidity increases, so does our sweat rate, meaning that if you are running in hot and humid temperatures, you will not only lose more fluids but will also lose more sodium (which can only be replenished so quickly).
HYDRATE BEFORE EVERY RUN
To help your body regulate itself on your run, beginning your workout hydrated is important. If you don't start drinking water until you begin sweating, your body has already begun losing fluids and will have a harder time absorbing what you're trying to replace. "Make it a habit to start with a full glass of water or electrolyte drink before you even leave the house" instructs Santoro. "[Then you're] topping off your internal hydration system and not starting at a deficit." Of course, regular water intake throughout the entire day is ideal — even if you aren't running — but preparation before what will be a run in high temperatures is the most vital.
WEAR APPROPRIATE APPAREL
While you know shorts and a HeatGear T-shirt or tank top (or sports bra) are going to be the best choice, there are some specific considerations that will also help make your run more comfortable. "Wear light-colored clothing and run in materials that wick sweat away from your body," advises Meadows. "Also, a visor or lightweight hat will keep sweat from getting in your eyes and give you a little shade from the direct sun (depending on the time of day you are running)." Taking things a step further, seek out gear designed to keep you cool and help pull sweat away from the body.
• READ MORE > HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF HOT-WEATHER RUNNING
ADJUST YOUR EXPECTATIONS
A huge part of running in high temperatures is slowing down (whether you intend to or not). Because of this, you can't expect yourself to perform at the same level you did in that winter marathon, for example. In fact, Santoro says extreme heat can be such a performance reducer you may run more than 30 seconds slower per mile than your baseline, depending on the temperature. Even if you are trying to run at your 'normal' pace, it will probably seem much harder than usual as your body takes time to adjust to the heat. Meadows suggests using perceived effort as your training guide once high temperatures set in versus relying on pace or setting specific time goals, as you would if you were running on hilly terrain or in windy conditions.
KNOW THE SIGNS OF HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS
A vital way you can protect yourself — and your fellow runners — is to recognize the early signs of heat exhaustion, (which can lead to heat stroke, which requires immediate medical attention). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says warning signs include increased sweating, clammy skin, nausea, confusion and dizziness, to name a few; if a runner exhibits these symptoms they should be moved to a cool, dry place and given water. If they have reached a level of heat stroke (including loss of consciousness) they shouldn't be given anything to drink and you should call 911 right away. "If it's hot and an athlete is cold, not sweating, is super red and looking ragged, has dry, chapped lips or isn't responding normally and has slowed the pace way down," lists Santoro, "those could be signs of heatstroke."
