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- Reduce your pace/speed, and therefore your
metabolic internal heat production. Slow down!
- Intervals of rest and recovery should be taken during your long
duration workouts. You may want to do your shortest, high intensity speed work with ample
rests/recoveries between repeats on particularly hot days, rather than do your long walk.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink fluids before, during and after racing
and training. 400-600 ml (about a pint or 16 fluidounces) before exercise, and about 200
ml every 15 minutes during aerobic exercise. Don’t mistake dehydration for loss of
fat after training or racing. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. A marathon costs
about 2500 calories from both carbohydrate and fat substrates. Drink 16 ounces of water
for each pound of lost water-weight after training. If you train or race over an hour, add
fluid replacement drinks (FRD’s) to your training diet.
- Acclimate yourself to heat/humidity gradually over at least 7-14 days.
The physiological adaptations gained by acclimatization are:
- an increase in blood plasma volume
- an earlier onset of perspiration
- an increase in perspiration rate
- a reduction in lost sodium in perspiration
- a reduction of blood flow to the skin (allowing that blood to carry O2 to the working
muscles instead of to the skin surface for cooling).
- Avoid direct sunlight. Wear
sunblock. Stay in the shade if possible. Leave
the tangent on a road course for the shade when it’s advisable to do so.
- Wear loose, high-tech, cooling fabrics and styles of skin-covering opaque
clothing,
including a hat.
- Attend to your Polar Heart Rate Monitor. Train and race according to your heart rate
monitor’s report or your RPE, rather than according to some predetermined pace/speed.
Remember that your workload (as measured in heart rate) at the same pace/speed increases
as the temperature and humidity increases, by at least 1bpm for each degree above 77F/25C.
* Think of increasing heat and humidity as increasing the incline on your treadmill or
roadway. Slow down! In dangerous heat/humidity conditions it’s especially important
to attend to how we’re feeling. It’s a matter of mind with body, not mind
over body.
- During longer races, like the marathon, you’ll be offered
ice. Take it and
put some into your hat. I take the paper cup in which they offer the ice, and put the
entire cup and ice into my hat. It really feels good, and it will help you. Ladies
sometimes put a little ice into their bra tops as well. Also, since you’ll be offered
both fluid replacement drinks (FRD’s) as well as water, use only the water over your
head.
- Sunglasses. No, RayBans won’t cool you down, but they’ll make you look
cool! Let’s relax, too. Actually, good UV protection of the eyes will reduce the risk
of cataracts as we age, and that’s cool, too.
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