Running in the heat sucks, but here’s the annoying part: it works. Really well. If you’ve ever wondered why your fall races feel easy after a miserable summer, it’s because heat training basically forces your body to level up whether it wants to or not.
Most runners avoid heat because it’s uncomfortable. They prefer pretending a new pair of shoes or another gel flavor will fix their endurance problems. Spoiler: it won’t.
Heat training actually will.
Here’s the real guide. No hype. No gel-industry fairy tales.
Why Heat Training Works (No, It’s Not Magic)
When you run in heat, your body increases plasma volume. Translation: more blood, more oxygen delivery, lower heart rate, and better endurance. Meanwhile, your sweat system becomes smarter so you stop overheating like a broken iPhone.
You don’t need a PhD to understand this. Work in heat. Adapt. Get faster. Done.
This is why elite runners deliberately train in miserable conditions while the rest of us hide in air conditioning and hope our fall half marathon “comes together.” The heat is doing more for them than the expensive hydration products they pretend are the secret.
How to Actually Start Heat Training Without Ending Up on the News
Do not jump straight into a ninety-minute effort in full sun like you’re starring in a survival documentary.
Start like a normal person:
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Short, easy runs
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Warmer temps, not death valley
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Stop before your brain feels like it is cooking
Your body adapts fast. Within a week or so, the same heat that made you question your hobbies will feel “annoying” instead of “I’m never running again.”
If you feel like collapsing, the problem is not heat training. The problem is your decision-making.
Hydration and Electrolytes (Where People Mess This Up Daily)
The hydration “gurus” will tell you to drink eight hundred ounces and slam gels with fifty ingredients. Ignore all of that.
Here is the actual play:
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Drink to thirst
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Take electrolytes if you’re sweating like a faucet
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Avoid chugging straight water because yes, you can dilute yourself into feeling terrible
Most mid-run meltdowns are not dehydration. They are electrolyte failures disguised as “I must need another gel.” You probably don’t. You need sodium, potassium, and magnesium so your muscles and brain stop glitching.
But sure, go ahead and take another sticky sugar packet and hope for the best.
How Much Heat Exposure You Really Need
Not much. Certainly not the extreme nonsense people brag about.
Two to four sessions per week of 30 to 45 minutes in warm conditions. Easy pace. Repeat for ten days. That’s it.
Heat training is shockingly simple because the body adapts whether you’re fancy about it or not. You don’t need a sauna, a heat chamber, or influencers screaming on Instagram about their “protocol.”
Consistency beats theatrics every time.
Fueling in Heat (Where Gels Go to Die)
Heat increases carb burn. Your body chews through fuel faster than your pace is dropping. You need steady carbs, not a giant sugar bomb that hits your stomach like hot glue.
This is where chews quietly win while the gel companies keep pretending they’re the only option runners are allowed to use.
IntraChew gives you 19 grams of carbs at a time with electrolytes that actually matter. Also, it doesn’t turn into warm syrup in your pocket like gels do. Small detail, big difference.
Fuel early. Fuel consistently. Not complicated.
What Not to Do (Please Read This Part)
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Don’t turn every run into a heat workout
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Don’t demand your cool-weather paces in July
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Don’t expect your heart rate to behave normally
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And for the love of all things sane, don’t try a new gel during a heat run
Heat already stresses your system. Adding a random gel to the mix is like lighting a scented candle in a room full of fireworks.
The Bottom Line
Heat training works because your body adapts whether you enjoy it or not. It improves plasma volume, cools you more efficiently, and makes fall racing feel like you secretly upgraded your fitness overnight.
Run in heat. Go slow. Take electrolytes. Use fuel that doesn’t sabotage you. Stop treating heat training like an extreme sport. It’s just uncomfortable cardio with long-term ROI.
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