When each and every mile takes a minute longer than usual on a training run, that’s a sure sign something is amiss. But not seeing such a dramatic free fall in performance at this time of year would actually be more concerning.

Running becomes next to impossible in Bermuda during the height of summer. It is little wonder all competitive racing stops in July and August, and there is a considerable tapering of events in the months either side of the midsummer hiatus.

With July and August temperatures hovering around the 85F to 86F range (around 29C) daily, and humidity upwards of 70 percent most days, simply staying hydrated can be a challenge without throwing outdoor exercise, particularly running, into the equation.

No racing is one thing, but that leaves the problem of how to maintain fitness and ‘tick over’ in the oppressive conditions until the cooler months return.

The key indicator each day, over and above the temperature and humidity, is the ‘real feel’. This is what the outdoor conditions actually feel like when the air temperature, humidity, sunshine and breeze are all taken into consideration. During July and August that telltale daily indicator lands around the 93F mark — and that is cause for caution and commonsense.

Just over a month ago, as the peak summer heat started to arrive, I had happily trained without paying much notice of the ‘real feel’ figure creeping up. Then, in the final days of June, it hit me. Because of the rising temperatures I’d already scaled back longer runs to a more manageable 10 miles. But even that proved to be a goal too far, as I discovered halfway into a Sunday long run. All seemed fine until I began slowing noticeably having run only five-and-a-half miles. That shouldn’t have been happening. But I recognised the warning signs and quickly figured out the most direct, least hilly, route back home. Even so, it was a case of alternate running and walking on those few miles of retreat.

When the same thing happened a few days later I knew it was time to curtail all long run expeditions to no more than an hour, or thereabouts. My other sessions were limited to 45 minutes or less, and even these workouts up and down the dusty Trailway, overlooking the tranquil waters of the North Shore, became a battle of mind over matter simply to keep going at a pace that was a minute-a-mile slower than seven or eight weeks previously.

Mind over matter only goes so far. The body has built-in failsafes aimed at ensuring it doesn’t overheat. When the ‘real feel’ conditions are 93F or 95F there isn’t much margin for exercise before the body’s core temperature of 98.6F is placed in jeopardy. Raising the core temperature above its normal range by more than a few degrees for any extended period can lead to the body literally getting cooked from the inside out. Hence the body’s natural reaction to cause you to slow your pace to a level where the transfer of heat, through blood being pumped to the skin’s sweat glands — allowing heat to be dissipated through sweat, is kept at a manageable equilibrium. However, this cooling process is not nearly so effective when high humidity prevents sweat from evaporating.

Which brings me back to the days of 70 percent plus humidity and ‘real feel’ figures of 93F (and above on some days) that are the norm for the summer.

It may not appear rewarding writing down paltry mileage and somewhat laughable times in the training diary, but the steamroller heat of summer demands commonsense, not heroics.

There are rewards though, and none more delicious than an ice cold drink from the refrigerator at the end of run.