It’s Hot out There – Training for Hot Weather – Part 3
One day a week, you can train yourself to deal with the heat by inserting the hot segments below into your workout, even if you are starting in the middle of winter. Of course, you need to get in at least two other days per week, and you must do this heat training day every week. Before doing each hot segment, read Part 1 and 2 posted previously. At the first indication of symptoms, stop the workout before you get into trouble. The process of heat training follows the same principles of conditioning for endurance and speed. By pushing yourself a little bit and then backing off, your body makes adaptations to better deal with the heat the next time. As the weather gets hotter, you must slow down your pace from the beginning: 30 seconds per mile slower for every five degree increase in temperature above 60℉.
Week 1, 5-7 min; Week 2, 7-9 min; Week 3 9-12 minutes; Week 4, 12-16 min; Week 5, 16-22 min; Week 6, 22-26 min
On each of these sessions, warm up for at least 10 minutes of easy running and walking after the heat phase. If the outdoor temperature is cool, you may put on one or more layers of clothes, especially on the upper body, during the hot segment. You may also do these segments indoors. Run or walk at a very easy pace on these segments. You’re only working on heat adaptation.
