113. Degrees and Counting Down Fractions
The fancy sign in front of my middle school read 113 degrees, and I was on my second one-mile loop of the campus. Three days a week, summer mornings, that was my life. All I remember is counting down the fractions of laps until it was finally over. A quarter. An eighth. Just get to the corner.
I did not grow up thinking, "I can't wait to be an adult so I can run in this voluntarily."
And yet. Here I am. An adult who actually enjoys running—and I still hate the heat, most of the time. I lace up anyway, because I know it's good for my system, and because, if I'm being honest, I'm a better person when I run regularly. The heat doesn't get a veto. But it does get a little more respect than it used to.
Because Tennessee heat isn't just hot. It's the kind of humid, heavy, won't-let-your-sweat-do-its-job heat that makes a 7am run feel like a punishment you didn't earn. If you've lived here for more than one summer, you know exactly what I mean. The heat index—not the thermometer—is what actually tells you how hard your body is working. When humidity is high, sweat can't evaporate the way it's supposed to, which means your body's cooling system is running at a disadvantage before you've even hit the first mile. Add that to the fact that your body is now splitting its energy between running and trying not to overheat, and suddenly your "easy" pace feels anything but. That is not a fitness problem. That is physics. Give yourself some grace.
This week especially—the South is sitting under a significant heat wave right now, and Knoxville is not exempt. So if your runs have felt harder than they should, or you've been wondering why your pace is slower than it was in April, here's what I actually do differently when July shows up:
I always carry water. Always. Even if I'm only going out for a mile. Even if I feel fine. I'm not always drinking it, but I want the option to either take a sip or dribble it over my head and neck if things start to go sideways. You do not need a fancy hydration vest for a short run—a handheld bottle works fine. Just bring something.
Ballcap, sunglasses, sunscreen. Cover up, or you will regret it. The watch tan is unavoidable and we've all just accepted that. But burning your skin and your corneas is not inevitable, it's just lazy preparation. A lightweight cap does more than block sun—it keeps sweat out of your eyes and gives you something to soak at a water stop if you need it. Sunscreen takes 90 seconds and your future skin will thank you.
Electrolytes, not just water. This is where most people under-prepare. Sweat isn't just water—it's sodium, and Tennessee humidity means you're losing more of it than you think. If you're finishing runs with headaches, muscle cramps, or that weird extra-exhausted feeling that doesn't match the effort, plain water alone may not be cutting it. I wrote a more detailed breakdown of fueling and hydration in the heat over on the Knoxville Track Club blog if you want to go deeper on the specifics.
Take it easy on yourself. It is hot. Genuinely, dangerously hot this week across the South. Recreational running is not worth heat sickness just to prove you got your whole run in. Monitor your body—slow down if your heart rate is spiking, walk if you need to, turn around early if something feels off. If you don't feel confident reading your body's signals yet, or you're not sure how to adjust, run on the treadmill until it cools off, or get out really early before the heat index climbs. There is no shame in that. The goal is to keep running for the long haul, not to tough out one July run and spend the next three days recovering.
This Friday is the Fireball Classic—one of my clients is running it—and being at a race like that always reminds me why I do any of this. People showing up in the July heat, doing something hard, choosing to be out there, and cheering each other on. That's the whole thing. You don't have to run fast. You don't have to run far. You just have to be smart enough to keep coming back.
Stay hydrated out there. And if you want a framework for fueling that actually holds up when it's this hot, the freebie is a good place to start.
-bk