I have been struggling with the heat. I ran when on vacation in Florida in May and it was hot. It is hot here in CT now. But it is also very humid. Ironically as I am typing this blog post I saw in Facebook that Jeff Galloway posted tips for training in the heat.
I was about to write to express my frustration that I feel like I can’t get faster in the heat. I feel like I am going backwards, well maybe not backwards, but I’m not speeding up. I went for a run on Saturday and was going to just do 3 miles, but decided to push to 4. It was mid morning and it was really hot and humid. I didn’t have water on me. But I took it “easy”. My average pace was 11:45. When I got back home my face was red as a tomato for a while after my shower.
So I am going to learn as I write this blog post and read what Jeff has to recommend. His advice is as follows:
Once a week insert hot segments into your workout. If you feel any indication of heat stress you must stop immediately.
Heat training is similar to endurance training. You have to adjust a little bit at a time. But back off so you don’t get hurt. I learned this lesson the hard when when I pushed myself in the heat last summer and had a hamstring strain. I was pushing myself for Dumbo training during a dangerous Heat Wave. Not too smart. I had water with me, but it is dangerous.
By doing a little heat training and then backing off your body adapts each time to deal with the heat for next time.
Here’s the key point I am struggling with. As it gets hot out we are supposed to slow down our pace. So how do I train to go faster if I am supposed to slow down in the heat. Jeff’s formula is to slow down :30 seconds per mile slower for every 5 degrees above 60℉. But he also recommends the following below for heat adaptation.
How?
Jeff says to do the following:
Week 1 – 5-7 minutes
Week 2 – 7-9 minutes
Week 3 – 9-12 minutes
Week 4 – 12-16 minutes
Week 5 – 116-22 minutes
Week 6 – 22-26 minutes
It’s important to warm up for at least 10 minutes of easy running and walking after the heat phase.
During these heat adaptation workouts it is important to run and walk at an easy pace. You are only working on the heat adaptation not your speed. This is where you can get hurt.
If you are beginning to feel any of the symptoms below you must slow down and walk.
- Intense heat buildup in the head
- Headache
- Confusion or loss of concentration or muscular control
- Over-sweating and then cessation of sweating
- Clammy skin and excessive breathing
- Extreme tiredness, upset stomach, muscle cramps
- Vomiting or feeling faint
I was feeling a couple of the symptoms on my run on Saturday. I have run in the heat a lot, but this morning it was a very hot and humid day. I was so hot in my face and sweating like crazy. I also started to feel tired, but assumed it was because of the effort I was putting into my run on a humid morning. When I got home I was dripping with sweat for some time after I was inside in the air conditioning. I took a cool shower and put a cold ice pack on my face. I drank a LOT of water throughout the day. I was very thirsty and I ended up having a headache later in the day. When I ran the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon I had similar symptoms. It’s hard to run in the heat. No doubt about it; but I think with the training like Jeff recommends, it will make me a better runner, especially with the races I do in Disney.