“It’s so hot!”
Ya, it’s Summer; so, stop complaining and start training.
By Dr. Rick Kattouf
II
“It’s so hot!”
“I just cannot workout in the heat!”
“I don’t race well in the heat!”
Da Heat
I am sure you’ve heard such statements thousands of times
from athletes. Or, maybe this is your negative self-talk. Working out, training
and racing in the heat is no more difficult than it is in cooler weather; so,
stop complaining. It’s Summer, of course it’s hot. And it’s going to be hot
next Summer, and the Summer after that and so on.
The only reason it may seem to be more challenging is
because individuals do not approach warm weather workouts properly and their
expectations are unrealistic. When it comes to running for example, most
runners follow pace per mile as the main parameter. They may also follow
perceived exertion as well. For example, if an individual has a 10-mile run,
half marathon race, marathon, etc., they have a pace per mile goal that they
are going to try to maintain. Now, using pace and RPE (rate of perceived
exertion) are great to use and quite valuable. But all too often, they do not
take the race conditions into consideration. Therefore, whether it is 40° or
90°, the runner is going to try to maintain their goal pace per mile, no matter
what. And herein lies the problem.
According to
Cardiologist/Electrophysiologist, Richard N Vest III, M.D., "only
following pace, speed and perceived effort is very shortsighted because we are
ignoring the most important factors, and that is heart rate.”
Take Heed to Your Heart
One of the main issues here is that the runner is not
focusing on the most important number and that is their heart rate. Let’s say, for example, the runner’s goal is
to maintain 8:00 per mile. Physiologically, this pace per mile is going to
produce a different result in 40° weather versus 90° weather. In warmer
weather, the body has to drive blood to the skin to try to keep the body cool.
And at the same time, the body has to drive blood to the working muscles as
well. What does all of this demand mean for the heart? Well, it’s pretty
simple. This means that the heart has to beat faster. As a result, we
are going to have a higher heart rate in warmer weather. And if we choose to be
short-sighted and only follow pace (and not heart rate), the result may not be
just subpar, but it may be close to a disaster in the heat.
In addition, hydration plays a huge role on heart rate and
proper hydration is critical in the heat. As we become dehydrated, our blood
volume decreases and blood viscosity increases. In turn, this affects
(increases) heart rate. As the miles click by in a workout and/or race and as
the temperature continues to climb, cardiac drift is occurring. Simply put,
your heart rate will continue to increase over time (even if the pace stays the
same). Now, add in the dehydration and cardiac drift will be even greater. At
this stage, the runner may find themselves moving at a snail’s pace even
though, early in the race, they were ‘on
goal pace’ and feeling great. How can we minimize cardiac drift? We simply
have to focus on heart rate and hydration from the start of the race.
Focus on Physiology
In summary, training and racing in the heat can be amazingly
successful. But in order to make this a reality, runners must closely monitor,
physiologically, how their body is performing. This is done by focusing on
heart rate. In addition, keeping the body extremely well hydrated all day long
and before/during/after workouts will be a huge assist in the heat. Does this
mean you will run a PR in the heat? Maybe, maybe not. But the PR is not the
main focus. Rather, by following your heart rate and by staying optimally
hydrated you will be guaranteed success. And the guarantee is this: you will
have the best possible performance, on that day, in the given conditions. Now
that is one heck of a guarantee.
In marathon racing, there are not many guarantees of course,
but here is something that is as close to a guarantee as it can be; a
great final 10k of a marathon, all but guarantees a great race performance.
But, neither a great opening 10k nor a great middle 10k guarantees a great race
performance. It’s all about how you finish, not about how you start. And this
is where the proper heart rates and proper fueling will set you up for amazing
success.
Create a new
normal
Gone are the days where you have train wreck workouts in the
heat or your pace is reduced to a slow walk on a hot race day. That is the
past. Let’s start to create new habits and let’s create a new normal. If you
are ready to embrace the heat and have some incredible performances, let’s
check that athletic ego at the door and put pace-per-mile on the back burner.
Focus on your heart rate and hydration and you will crush it in the heat!
WORKOUT SMART, EAT RIGHT, GET RESULTS®!
Download the TeamKattouf®
Nutrition LLC app: Apple Android
Rick Kattouf II, O.D. is a 2x
Best-Selling Author and Fitness & Nutrition expert and has been named one
of America’s PremierExperts® and one of the World Fitness Elite® Trainers of
the Year. Rick is a Sports Nutrition Specialist, Heart Rate Performance
Specialist, Master Personal Trainer & Triathlon Coach. He has been seen on
ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates around the country as well as in the USA Today,
Chicago Tribune, National Examiner, Ironman.com, Livestrong.com, Runner’s
World, Bicycling Magazine, Men’s Health UK, FIGHT! Magazine, Florida Cycling
Magazine and The Independent in the UK. Rick is the CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf® Inc, CEO/Founder of
TeamKattouf® Nutrition LLC, CEO/Founder of Virtual Gym LLC, Creator of
TeamKattouf® Nutrition Supplements, Host of Rx Nutrition, author of Forever
Fit, Creator of 5-Round Fury® Nutrition Supplement, 5-Round Fury Fitness®
workout app, Creator of Coach2CEO,
Creator of Fuel Keeper®,
Entrepreneur and Inspirational Speaker. Dr. Rick has personally coached
individuals in 30+ states and 10+ countries.
