What's Worse - Running in the Heat or the Cold?

[Scootin'By]

There has been a lot of discussion lately about how miserable it is to run in the hot, humid summer months. No disagreement here. But I was looking at my running calendar and thinking about a race in January when I suddenly remembered (on this beautiful August day) what it's like to suck down ice cold air in the middle of winter with your nose running and the tips or your fingers close to numb.

So here's my question, what's worse: running in the awful heat and humidity of summer or the dead cold of winter when it gets down below freezing?

 

[Naomeri]

Heat is 1000% worse. I actually set my (virtual) half marathon PR on a day when it was 3°F. My only issue with winter is “will the roads be plowed properly?”

 

[Dug720]

Heat is 1000% worse. I actually set my (virtual) half marathon PR on a day when it was 3°F. My only issue with winter is “will the roads be plowed properly?”

This. Absolutely this. Especially as someone who overheats easily. My first 15K was in Central Park on a really cold day (it was at least freezing, maybe a little below). I had friends cheering at the 102nd St transverse so they'd go between sides of the park to cheer and collect anything we wanted to throw off. It was not super far from the starting line, but by the time I got there the first time, they had my top shirt, by the second time I saw them (on the other side of the park) they got my hat, the third time they got my gloves. I finished in leggings, a t-shirt, and arm sleeves - and I was still warm.

Give me cold any day.

 

[Naomeri]

As the common wisdom goes: you can always keep adding clothes to get warm, but there’s a limit to how much you can take off to get cool

 

[Herding_Cats]

The answer is YES. And this is why we have treadmills.

 

[Scootin'By]

So for me, I have noticed that exercising below 40F is harder than above. I consistently used to bike to work year round (when I used to work in an office). And I could tell how cold it was by how hard it was to bike those few miles. And when that awful cold wind blows and sucks the air right out of you. Brrr!

At least in the summer time you can run early to beat the heat. Or, that's my opinion.

 

[pks_domer]

Give me the cold. We live in the coastal southeast, and yeah you can manage the mornings. Just, 80s or hotter with 80% humidity... ugh. There have literally been days that I was sweating so much on a run I didn't even notice it had started raining. In contrast, running in the snow is glorious (as long as it's not icy or the snow is too deep!). I do concede there's such a thing as too cold, though for me the bigger problem in the winter (at least, when we lived more up north) was more the lack of daylight hours than it was temps.

 

[nancipants]

I wouldn't know. I don't think I've run in any weather colder than 60 degrees, haha. But then again I didn't start seriously running until January of this year and we didn't have any super cold days after that.

We'll see how marathon weekend does this year. Right now, I would love it being colder, but I also HATE being cold, so I'd probably hate life running in freezing, overcast weather.

 

[Z-Knight]

I actually believe this is a dual answer question. Heat is awful to run in, but great to train in. Meaning , on race day i want 45 to 50 degree weather, but during training i want some days to be hot to force me to train harder. i live in houston, last year i ran in 97 degree heat and it helped me achieve a 4.5hr marathon even being 30lbs too fat. this yeat it has been hotter so I've run less but am ramping outside heat running again. though i think im in worse shape so worried i wong hit that good marathon time.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

Heat and humidity is way worse. Thankfully I don’t live in the Northeast anymore. I took my running shoes to Brownsville, TX to visit my MIL and noped out of running as soon as the planes doors opened. I’ll take my chances with the thin air, the wildlife and the snowfall. Although we got in the neighborhood off of 600 inches last winter, that was freakish.

 

[camaker]

My answer has changed in the last couple of years. I’m very cold-intolerant and chill very easily, so historically I have preferred running in the heat and humidity here in central NC. I just needed a bit of time to heat acclimate for the season and then I was good to go, only needing to adjust my pace for the T+D. I’d run in the cold, but was miserable doing it.

The past two years, the heat and humidity have really started to get to me, though. Once the T+D gets over 145-150, I don’t seem to be able to maintain even an adjusted pace that’s faster than my easy pace. I don’t know if it’s age or something else catching up to me, but I’m just not handling it well. I’ll still complain about and dislike the cold, but at least I can get through full runs in it without having to drop to a run/walk.

 

[Bree]

I may have to go with heat.

I don’t have a lot of experience running in the extreme cold. I always used a treadmill because where we lived up north there was nowhere safe to run. We’d be lucky if our streets were plowed. There were honestly times I could not go to work because snow removal was so bad in our town! Also running in the cold requires way more thought when getting dressed.

Running in the heat…..sports bra and a pair of shorts/skirt, electrolytes and I’m on my way. yeah I complain that it’s worse every year here in FL, but I really do like living here I spend a lot of time on the treadmill in the summer. I consider it my chance to catch up on all the TV I miss the rest of the year

 

[Beachmom0317]

I live in New England and running in heat is worse! Only bummer about the cold is dodging icy spots

 

[FFigawi]

At least in the summer time you can run early to beat the heat. Or, that's my opinion.

Laughs in Middle East weather

 

[DopeyBadger]

I'm a cold runner through and through. My PRs have all come in 30-40F temps when wearing shorts and a tank top. When the Temp + Dew point exceeds 130, then my race performance suffers far worse than the calculated slow down. I can train in the T+D 130-150 range, but because of the rest intervals it isn't like racing in the heat. I'm not sure where I start to see a negative effect on my racing due to the cold, but I'd venture to guess it's less than about 5F based on my training data. I've run in as hot as a T+D 177 (Temp of 95F, Dew of 82F, and Feels like 119F), and the coldest was -35F (all in WI).

 

[Guidman]

Heat, hands down for me. The first mile might be a little rough in the cold (I'd say <15 degrees) but if you're dressed appropriately, you eventually do warm up*. In the heat, for me, there's really not a point where it starts getting better. You start out sweating quickly and it continually gets worse from there.

*As long as you're moving.

 

[lukemorenus]

Heat is much worse... I can perform in the cold, as long as I don't get hit by the snowplow

 

[pluto377]

I'm definitely a cold weather runner. Heat is not my friend at all. I love a crisp winter morning run.

 

[Disney316]

Definitely prefer the cold. I've run three marathons (2 Disney and one in April) and in each training cycle have had at least one run where I outran the temperature (i.e. 20 miles when it was 17 degrees out).

I think the key is to dress as if its much warmer out so you won't sweat. Once you start sweating your wet clothes/skin will make it wayy worse than just being in the cold air.

 

[prncssjas]

So here's my question, what's worse: running in the awful heat and humidity of summer or the dead cold of winter when it gets down below freezing?

While I love warm weather and live for the summer, I am a cold weather runner for sure. My strongest race performances are mostly in colder temps (~35 to 40 degrees F). Once the temps creep past 55 degrees, I tend to overheat and my body starts working harder to remain cool (and why would I want to work any extra harder than needed during race? ). Now for training, the hot runs are great but come race day, I'll take my lovely Michigan fall/winter temps.