No, I don't mean Hot Yoga...but that could apply here. Spring is here, and soon, summer will come. With both come increased temperatures and humidity in most places. Training and racing in cool weather is VERY different from training and racing in heat and humidity. The 3 items listed here are all important, and are listed in no specific order as all 3 are essential.
The first thing you need to do is Acclimate. This means spending time outside in the heat and humidity. In an ideal world, outdoor athletes (those whose sports require them to compete outside) will train outdoors on a regular basis year-round. If you are an outdoor athlete who mostly trains in climate-controlled environments, especially in the hotter months, you are doing yourself a disservice. Get outside and train. If you do this now, you'll adapt as the weather gradually changes. If you get on this too late, you'll need to take a much more gradual approach to adapting as it would be unwise to go from 70 degrees and no humidity in the air conditioning, to jumping into a full training session in 90 degree weather with 70%+ humidity.
We are the premier coaching business in the world for Custom Online Endurance Programming in the sports of Obstacle Course Racing, Hybrid Competition, and Tactical Events. We have the success stories, we have the education, and we have the competition resumes. Sign up now.
The second thing you must always keep in mind is Hydration. Look, everyone alive should stay hydrated as much of the time as possible...it's essential for everything your body does. Those who train frequently especially need to stay hydrated, and those training in hot and humid environments MUST stay hydrated, or risk serious injury or death. Hydration isn't just water, it is also electrolytes. Stay hydrated always and you'll perform better and stay healthy.
Finally, you need to know when to quit. You won't always hydrate properly...it's a reality. You'll make a mistake sometime. You'll underestimate the heat, the effort level, the distance...something. You'll mess it up. That's life. When it happens, you need to have wisdom to know when to quit. Look, I'm not a quitter. I have an inherent hatred for giving up on something I care about unless it's absolutely necessary...and even then, I'm never happy about it. That being said, there will likely be a day when I'll need to quit a training session or race to prevent long-term injury or bodily damage. I highly recommend that you do a little research to know the signs of dehydration. If you know you're pushing past what is safe, and you still have a few miles left to go, it's probably worth stopping. What do you lose? A few miles of training? Who cares. I promise you that that small loss in time/mileage will not be the difference between you being an average athlete and you being a professional one. It could, however, have long term affects on your health which could set you back for a long time...or worse. Be wise. Push yourself, but don't injure or kill yourself.
Implement those 3 things, and you'll be ready and safe this Spring and Summer!
Comments