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Tip: Year to Year Comparisons - NikeRunning.comPublished by
The summer months bring lots of road race opportunities for those who are inclined to race. Many of you will be racing courses this year that you've raced in the past, and you'll no doubt want to compare your times to a year ago. But should you? Let's say that during the 2011 edition of a 10k race the skies are cloudy and the air is cool. Perfect running conditions. But let's say that on that same course a year ago the sun was out and you were melting under the heat. Then we have two dramatically different race scenarios. So the question is, does this matter? If someone ran 10-20 seconds faster in 2011 than 2010, was it fitness or was it simply better running weather? I'll go out on a limb and say that the difference between the two years could easily be 20 seconds over 10k if the weather is hot one year and perfect the next year. The human body does not work as efficiently in the heat which means that runners, from recreational joggers to elite athletes, run slower in the heat. So when you're running your summer racing schedule this year make sure you compare this year's performance with past years through the lens of temperature and weather conditions.
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