Racing Hot in the Age of Global Warming |
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To PTS Home > Sometimes Mother Nature doesn’t share the same vision of an ideal race day that you do. Although one cannot control the weather, it is entirely possible to race well in adverse conditions. Specifically, knowing how to adapt your race strategy when the temperature and humidity are extreme could mean the difference between a podium finish and a trip to the emergency room. Preparing for a hot race starts several weeks before race day. The first thing you want to do is to get your body acclimated to working in a hot environment. Complete at least one key bike and run workout per week in the strongest heat of the day. Your goals for training in the heat are to practice pacing, perspiration, hydration, and nutrition. These sessions will be demanding and will require more recovery time, so watch carefully for the danger signs of dehydration and overtraining. Don’t overdo it! Take careful notes in your training log about how you felt before, during, and after and how your nutrition plan worked. Before you head out the door for a hot training session, consume as much water or sports drink as you can comfortably tolerate to make sure you start out properly hydrated. If you have a high sweat rate, glycerol (a.k.a. glycerine) hyper-hydration may help your body store more fluid in blood plasma. Although safe, there is still considerable debate regarding glycerol’s effectiveness, especially for long-distance racing. Since there is potential for unpleasant side effects (nausea, bloating, stomach and muscle cramps, headache, etc.), it’s wise to experiment with this supplement only during training and low priority races. As a reminder, apply sunscreen to any exposed areas of skin. Choose a “lighter” sunscreen that doesn’t block your skin pores from sweating effectively. When you return from your workout, consume one or perhaps two recovery drinks immediately (before showering!). The challenge of racing in the heat lies in the tradeoffs that your body will make with a finite supply of blood. During exercise, your body has to allocate blood for all of the following: (1) the skin for sweating and evaporative cooling, (2) the stomach for digestion, and (3) the muscles for movement. If you push the pace too hard for too long, expect one or more of these areas to shut down completely. Heat acclimatization and pre-hydration will teach your body to expand its blood volume up to a certain level, the rest will be up to you. Heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke are actually clever interventions designed to keep the brain cool and safe! Hot conditions will usually suppress an appetite for solid foods (sometimes gels, too), so focus instead on drinking lots of fluids (think 1.5-2.0 times normal amounts) and getting enough electrolytes. Alternate between a sports drink and plain water in order to aid absorption. Small sips every 5 minutes are usually more agreeable and effective than larger gulps every 10-15 minutes. Your electrolyte needs will also increase proportionally with intense heat and a higher sweat rate. Try for the upper end of 500mg-1000mg of sodium and potassium per hour. Practice this protocol as part of heat acclimatization and evaluate its effectiveness. If you drop a water bottle, or any other food item, take the time to go back and get it. The time lost retrieving the article will be gained later in the race. Once you’re on the race course on a smokin’ hot day, you have many options for keeping cool. The most obvious (but often psychologically difficult) thing to do is to slow down, possibly very. Racing well in the heat might mean you need to let go of a PR, but patience may put you on the podium as others jackrabbit ahead only to blow up before the finish line. Visualization of this scenario may help tremendously on race day when the adrenaline is flowing. You may also be able to modify some physical conditions for better cooling. If you have a choice, dress in lighter colors and try to run in the shade. Since most heat loss occurs through the head, consider wearing a visor instead of a hat. If you’re follically challenged (like me!) or your racing attire requires a hat, take it off frequently and put ice into it at each aid station. Cold, wet sponges are great for drenching the head and torso. Other key cooling areas are the armpits, neck, and groin area. If running off-pavement is an option, try it and see if you can notice a drop of a few degrees. If you’ve ripped off your wetsuit, changed clothes, sweated profusely, and otherwise showered yourself with wet sponges and lawn sprinklers, it’s probably time to reapply sunscreen. Watch your heart rate carefully for signs that you’re running the engine too hot. At first, it will be easy to elevate your HR in the heat, especially if you’re trying to maintain a fast pace. To play it conservatively on race day, one strategy is to set up new zones that are 5-10 beats below normal and use the alarm function. If you’ve become dehydrated, your heart rate might decrease at the same effort as the blood is now more viscous; it is better to slow down and increase fluid intake. If you start to feel the onset of cramps, slow down immediately and try ingesting some salts. Chew a few tablets or capsules before swallowing with water to speed up absorption. After a few minutes of easy walking and stretching, build your effort back very gradually, and continue to consume additional salts. When the race is over, you can dramatically enhance your recovery by getting out of the sun and by consuming lots of fluids, carbohydrates, and salty foods. Go for a refreshing dip in the water to help bring your core body temperature down. Pack some aloe vera with your post-race gear in case you picked up some sunburn. Helpful resources:
Racing in the Heat (In a Nutshell) Before: During: After:
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