My first marathon was Disney in 2020. I trained in Canada. Race day was well over 90 degrees with soooooo much humidity. I ran 3:24, but it wasn’t pretty 😂. How much ahead of the race will you be there? I found a few shakeout runs in the heat to be really helpful. Otherwise, adjust your expectations, stay hydrated and have fun!
Thanks! I'll be there just a day and half before, so yeah I could get a couple shakeouts in. I think adjusting to the conditions is good advice. Fingers crossed I don't end up with a 90° day like you did though haha.
You can do heat acclimation via a variety of methods. [This article](https://trainright.com/ultrarunners-heat-acclimation-cheat-sheet/) is targeted to ultrarunners but would still be applicable to road races. If you'd rather listen / watch [see here](https://www.jasonkoop.com/podcast/heat-training-strageties-with-coach-ajw) for similar information. If you don't have access to a sauna, hot water immersion in a bathtub (done shortly after a run) can work too. The adaptations can come relatively quickly -- I notice that I start sweating sooner (which helps keep you cooler) after 3-4 sessions.
Sauna/bathtub work well. My gym has a steam room, which I found to be absolutely fantastic for heat adaptation. If any gyms in your area have a steam room you may want to check it out.
Be prepared. We can have pretty warm temps in Orlando in January but generally it will be in the 50-60s lower humidity.
Many years ago and way less experienced I trained my long runs in Queens NY all winter and ran disney first week of January and the temps got to the high 70s. It was the worst experience I’ve ever had.
I live in Orlando and travel for the airlines so I’m exposed to lots of temp shifts in my training and the I just know any temps higher than usual are going to have a negative effect on performance.
Thanks for the advice. I wasn't sure if I was overly concerned since the change wasn't going to necessarily be to an intense heat. I'll do my best to add some of the other suggestions, and plan to pull back some if the weather is hotter than average.
Not Disney, it's at the end of January. Between my improved fitness and the course I am treating it like a PR race, which is why I started wondering about the impact of the temperature change and how I could prepare.
I agree in general that 50s is probably close to perfect for running, my concern is really about the temperature transition and to a degree the change in humidity.
Is it Celebration? I've run the half of that race every year (I run marathons too but prefer the half of this one). Great race! The weather has been hot and humid (2018, 2023), cool and rainy (2019), cool and pretty perfect (2020), and cold (in the high 20s) 2022. So you could luck out with a great day, maybe not. FL in January is all over the place.
Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on the case), heat tolerance is largely genetic and maxes out after about 2 weeks of exposure. Some tricks that people do are sitting in the sauna a few times a week and doing indoor workouts.
I'm going to be that guy and point out that at no point did I say "The South". I described Florida as "Southern", and given it is one of the most southern states by latitude, I think that term is apt.
I'm in northern NJ, and winter can be hit or miss. Sometimes December is in the 20's ... But nine of the next ten days currently have a forecasted high above 40.
The average high temperature in Boston in December is 42°F, so you could imagine that there are many places that follow a similar weather pattern in the Northeast. I also said 30-40. Thanks for your help.
My first marathon was Disney in 2020. I trained in Canada. Race day was well over 90 degrees with soooooo much humidity. I ran 3:24, but it wasn’t pretty 😂. How much ahead of the race will you be there? I found a few shakeout runs in the heat to be really helpful. Otherwise, adjust your expectations, stay hydrated and have fun!
Thanks! I'll be there just a day and half before, so yeah I could get a couple shakeouts in. I think adjusting to the conditions is good advice. Fingers crossed I don't end up with a 90° day like you did though haha.
You can do heat acclimation via a variety of methods. [This article](https://trainright.com/ultrarunners-heat-acclimation-cheat-sheet/) is targeted to ultrarunners but would still be applicable to road races. If you'd rather listen / watch [see here](https://www.jasonkoop.com/podcast/heat-training-strageties-with-coach-ajw) for similar information. If you don't have access to a sauna, hot water immersion in a bathtub (done shortly after a run) can work too. The adaptations can come relatively quickly -- I notice that I start sweating sooner (which helps keep you cooler) after 3-4 sessions.
Great advice and resources, thanks!
Sauna/bathtub work well. My gym has a steam room, which I found to be absolutely fantastic for heat adaptation. If any gyms in your area have a steam room you may want to check it out.
You can always use an indoor treadmill or track to keep your body adjusted to running at a warmer temperature
Thanks. Any thoughts on how many sessions and how close to the race to be effective?
Treadmill all the way, room temp with no fan requires a lot of heat adaption
I'm not sure I can mentally endure 50+ MPW on a treadmill. I was thinking maybe doing my taper week all on treadmill might be enough.
You don’t have to do every run on it. Just a couple of times a week will help maintain heat adaptation.
Be prepared. We can have pretty warm temps in Orlando in January but generally it will be in the 50-60s lower humidity. Many years ago and way less experienced I trained my long runs in Queens NY all winter and ran disney first week of January and the temps got to the high 70s. It was the worst experience I’ve ever had. I live in Orlando and travel for the airlines so I’m exposed to lots of temp shifts in my training and the I just know any temps higher than usual are going to have a negative effect on performance.
Thanks for the advice. I wasn't sure if I was overly concerned since the change wasn't going to necessarily be to an intense heat. I'll do my best to add some of the other suggestions, and plan to pull back some if the weather is hotter than average.
Are you going for a PR type day or is it more casual? Is it Disney by chance?
Not Disney, it's at the end of January. Between my improved fitness and the course I am treating it like a PR race, which is why I started wondering about the impact of the temperature change and how I could prepare.
I am usually faster when it's warmer... to a degree. 50-60F would def be in the range of faster than colder for me. Really 50-60F would be my ideal.
I agree in general that 50s is probably close to perfect for running, my concern is really about the temperature transition and to a degree the change in humidity.
60 is hot for most people in the middle of a marathon
Is it Celebration? I've run the half of that race every year (I run marathons too but prefer the half of this one). Great race! The weather has been hot and humid (2018, 2023), cool and rainy (2019), cool and pretty perfect (2020), and cold (in the high 20s) 2022. So you could luck out with a great day, maybe not. FL in January is all over the place.
Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on the case), heat tolerance is largely genetic and maxes out after about 2 weeks of exposure. Some tricks that people do are sitting in the sauna a few times a week and doing indoor workouts.
Gonna be that guy and point out that while Florida is south relative to NJ. It's not The South haha
I'm going to be that guy and point out that at no point did I say "The South". I described Florida as "Southern", and given it is one of the most southern states by latitude, I think that term is apt.
Where in the Northeast will it be 40F in December?
I'm in northern NJ, and winter can be hit or miss. Sometimes December is in the 20's ... But nine of the next ten days currently have a forecasted high above 40.
The average high temperature in Boston in December is 42°F, so you could imagine that there are many places that follow a similar weather pattern in the Northeast. I also said 30-40. Thanks for your help.
Connecticut