Monday, July 25, 2011

Training in the Heat

From Running Times online

Training in the Heat

Why you're slower in the summer and what to do about it

By Kristin Barry

As featured in the JulAug 2011 issue of Running Times Magazine

As year-round runners facing a myriad of conditions, we all recognize that it's harder to run well when it's hot. Perceived effort is greater and race times typically suffer accordingly. Why does this happen? What happens to the body at a physiological level? And most important, how should we adjust workouts and race expectations to best weather the weather?

It's generally recognized that for every 10-degree increase in air temperature above 55 degrees, there's a 1.5 percent to 3 percent increase in average finishing time for a marathon. (Translation: An extra 3 to 6 minutes for a 3:30 marathon with every 10-degree increase.) This slow-down occurs because heat impacts runners at a physiological level through various means, including dehydration, increased heart rate and reduced blood flow (and subsequently oxygen) to the muscles used for running.

Read on here.

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