Marathon in low temperature but high humidity

Run and Jump

Checking the forecast for the Tralee Marathon on Sunday morning, I noticed that it predicts a nice cool, dry morning of around 6 degrees, light onshore breeze... but with around 80% humidity.

Has anyone any ideas* on whether high humidity impacts marathon performance even in low temperatures? I remember after the Dublin Marathon last October that a lot of people remarked on how a similar high humidity level had a detrimental effect on runners, though the temperature might have been touching 10 or 11 degrees that day.

*e.g. snappy factoid I can repeat down the pub.

TFBubendorfer

Taper madness is a beast, isn't it ? You start worrying about the silliest of things.

Temperatures in Dublin that day were 16 degrees (http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/EIDW/2014/10/27/DailyHistory.html?req_city=Dublin&req_state=&req_statename=Ireland&reqdb.zip=00000&reqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=03969), which is a lot warmer than 10 or 11.

6 degrees will feel cold, no matter what the humidity is going to be like. Conditions in Tralee will be a lot better for marathon running than the ones in Dublin had been.

Run and Jump

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Taper madness is a beast, isn't it ? You start worrying about the silliest of things.

Temperatures in Dublin that day were 16 degrees (http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/EIDW/2014/10/27/DailyHistory.html?req_city=Dublin&req_state=&req_statename=Ireland&reqdb.zip=00000&reqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=03969), which is a lot warmer than 10 or 11.

6 degrees will feel cold, no matter what the humidity is going to be like. Conditions in Tralee will be a lot better for marathon running than the ones in Dublin had been.

Trying to shake off a chest infection before Sunday so I already have enough to worry about - weather issues can take my mind off it!

It was remembering comments about Dublin that made me ask the question. That said, I don't recall it feeling as warm as 16 degrees that day, and I didn't find heat or overheating a problem that day. (I had other problems that day, alas.)

average_runner

Run and Jump wrote: »

Trying to shake off a chest infection before Sunday so I already have enough to worry about - weather issues can take my mind off it!

It was remembering comments about Dublin that made me ask the question. That said, I don't recall it feeling as warm as 16 degrees that day, and I didn't find heat or overheating a problem that day. (I had other problems that day, alas.)

With a chest infection, be sure not to go off on target pace, just ease into it and look at things at half way.

davedanon

I've had problems with overheating in the past. Seems to be something I am particularly sensitive to. IMHO, the problem is this: With high humidity, as well as warm conditions, the body sweats as it heats up. The purpose of sweat is to cool the body down, by evaporation on the skin. In high humidity, the sweat can't evaporate as easily. I remember one DCM, think it was 2011, when despite the seemingly cool conditions, I found myself drenched in sweat after only a mile or so, just as we were running down O'Connell St. I suffered that day, as I suffered last October. I've fared better in summer races when the temperature was higher, even though as I say, I'm sensitive to heat. If it's really hot it's probably not going to suit me.