run naked

as the unpredictable weather of june has passed, the sun is out in full force. it is now just hot - temperatures mercilessly shoots past the high 90's, plus terrible humidity. this has effected my running the same way it does every summer. it makes me go slower and hate life. i try to keep up with previous times and distance references, but with the inferno ablaze, i stand little chance to match what i could do at even 80.

i have been researching how to beat, or at least adjust time, to the heat. it hasn't been easy to find much outside the guidelines of 'drink more fluids' and 'avoid strenuous workouts.' in a perfect world that would be fine, but i can't just stop pushing pace on a necessary 2 hour run because it's a bit too hot for my liking. i have a time goal set in stone. three hours, ten minutes. if i miss it, nine months of training go to shit (amount of time i will have trained as of race day).

some solutions i have come across have included a throw back to the original olympics - running naked. obviously that has some legal restraints (though there is naked hiking day up in alaska on the day of the summer solstice... i guess you could do a trail run, right?). the typical suggestions of drinking more and wearing clothing that airs well can be found here.

but neither of those articles holds the answer i am looking for. how do you properly adjust your time to compensate for temperature and humidity? one trainer, jeff galloway, has the answer:

Account for Heat

The hot and sticky days of summer are here. Make sure that you are making some adjustments in your running. Most runners begin to slow down at 55 degrees and start suffering at 65 degrees. Of course, the body can adapt to heat stress and push the threshold up a bit, but you usually can't run as fast on a 75 degee day as on a 45 degree one. High humidity is also a major problem. It's like a wet blanket; it doesn't allow much evaporation or perspiration and your body heat builds up.

If you try to run too hard in hot or humid conditions you'll hit "the wall" sooner than expected. Trying to maintain a goal pace in heat is like going out too fast early in the race. Temperatures generally increase hour by hour; therefore you must adjust your pace for the temperature expected at the end of the race.

Adjusting Race Pace for Heat: Estimated temperature at finish - Slower than goal pace - 8 min mile becomes...

55-60 degrees - 1% - 8:05
60-65 degrees - 3% - 8:15
65-70 degrees - 5% - 8:25
70-75 degrees - 7% - 8:35
75-80 degrees - 12% - 8:58
80-85 degrees - 20% - 9:35
Above 85 degrees - Forget it... run for fun

* Note: This chart is based upon my own experience in the heat and talking to other runners. It has no scientific verification.

Other helpful articles include The Heat is On and Heat Tested - information that I already follow.