In case you didn't notice, it's "Heat Month" here at Endurance Corner. While our columnists have shared a lot of information about how to train and race in the heat, our team still has a few more tips to share.
Kevin Purcell, D.C.
- Just like riding indoors on a trainer versus riding outdoors, you may need to alter efforts and data points in heat relative to cool weather.
- When going long in heat, warm up very well and raise efforts slowly to help control early HRs. You want to prime the gut to process water early on long sessions.
- Be especially vigilant with hydration before, during and after sessions. Plant bottles on long runs or plan water stops on long rides.
- Don't ignore unusually high HRs no matter how good you feel. They are a measure of cardiac strain and a signal that possible trouble lies ahead.
- Get started early to limit exposure to the hottest hours of the day.
Sue Aquila
- Start workouts as soon as the sun rises.
- Freeze a second bottle for a long ride.
- Wear technical fibers and the lightest possible clothing in terms of color and material.
- Consider doing some or all of the workout indoors. Treat extreme heat days like extreme cold days.
- Carry extra water to squirt on your body.
- Don't wear a visor in races. Wear a hat instead, since you can put ice under the hat to cool your head.
- For the women: put some ice in your bra.
- Consider a cooler in T2 with a Fuel Belt. Have very cold or frozen bottles already attached to the belt and ready to go.
- On long training days, coordinate with a friend to act as a SAG vehicle.
Mimi Winsberg, M.D.
Managing hydration becomes even more important in the heat. Take in plenty of fluids during exercise and competition, but also hydrate before exercise begins. Before hot races, I try to sodium load the day before the race in order to increase plasma volume. Sodium loading allows the athlete retain more water and is associated with improved exercise capacity in warm conditions.
Applying ice or cold towels to various skin surfaces can also cool the body and reduce perceived exertion. Best places to apply ice or cold sponges are the forehead, neck, wrists and groin. If ice and sponges are not available, I pour cool water over my head at aid stations.
I freeze any special needs bottles, so that they are chilled when I pick them up.
Gordo Byrn
The most common mistake that I see athletes make is placing their most important workouts at the hottest time of the day. With your key sessions, give yourself every opportunity to perform. That means shifting run workouts early, or even indoors, and taking time to bring on enough fluids for all sessions (swim/bike/run).
The main tips that I use are:
- Run early or indoors.
- Cool yourself way down once per day either via cold bath, cold pool, basement sleeping or air con.
- Remove heat stress ASAP after all training sessions.
- Plan workout routes with fluid stops in mind.
...and a final, very technical tip from another of our medical experts:
Bob Albright, M.D. 
"Ice in unspeakable places."
Endurance Corner members can continue the discussion on the EC forum via this companion thread.
