It’s that time of the year when more of us are likely to encounter hot and humid conditions. My feeling is you should not completely avoid these conditions, because you may encounter them again at an important race. Thus, it’s helpful to learn how you adapt.

In his bestselling book, Why We Run: A Natural History (originally titled Racing The Antelope), author Bernd Heinrich explains why early humans were successful in tracking antelopes that are clearly faster than humans.

Animals with fur have limited cooling capabilities. In contrast, our largest organ is our skin, and its ability to perspire allows us to thermoregulate and stay cool for extended periods of exercise.

Having recently moved to South Florida where heat and humidity are unavoidable this time of the year, I can affirm that over time we can indeed adapt to heat and humidity by following sensible practices.

I've broken these practices into three categories.

1. Staying cool

• Shade
• Clothing
• Hydration & electrolytes

2. Tolerating heat

• Playful exercises
• Segmenting workouts
• Leg cramp supplements

3. Safety

• Sunscreen
• Skin protection supplements
• UV Index

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Enjoy your next run!