by
Sean Lunny, B Ed. [Kinesiology]
Out
here on the West Coast it rarely gets really hot, but when it does get hot people
seem to melt. As we enter into the hottest months of the year here, its important
to make sure you prepare yourself properly so that when your exercising or even
racing this summer you can enjoy it and not end up like frosty the snow-man lying
in a heap.
First
off as the weather heats up don't automatically avoid going out in the warm times
of the day. If you don't practice exercising in the heat, you will never be able
to race in the heat. If you train in heat then racing in it won't be such a shock.
Just be sure to prepare properly.
First
hydrate. Drink plenty of water before you head out the door (aim for one water
bottle). Then as you exercise, be sure to drink every ten to fifteen minutes.
I like using a weak mixture of an electrolyte type drink. Try a few out and see
which ones taste the best and make you feel the best. Then after the workout be
sure to drink at least another water bottle, and if it was a pretty tough workout
a protein smoothy is always a good choice.
Before
heading out the door, make sure you have your sunscreen on, something to cover
your head, and some sunglasses. A hat will help keep the sun off your head. Try
a nice light weight "runners" type hat. Helly
Hansen makes one that is super light I usually forget I have it on. Sunglasses
will help you prevent squinting all day, plus they make it feel "shady" out. If
your going to be out on the water then you definitely need all the above.
Clothing
is also important, and though you think that cotton tank top will give you a sweet
tan and be nice and cool, you may be wrong. Cotton as a fabric to exercise in
sucks! Once wet it takes ages to dry, it get heavy as it gets wet, and it clings
to your skin. There are tons of fabrics designed to workout in these days. Choose
something light coloured that breathes well. Helly Hanson again makes a complete
line of exercise clothes that will blow you away when you try them.
If
on race day, you follow all this advice but your partner doesn't and runs into
trouble. Make sure you recognize heat stroke. Look for moist pale skin, headache,
dizziness, or nausea. If anyone on your team does start showing any of these sign,
make sure you notify the nearest CP, get your team-mate into the shade, or a lake
or ocean to cool them down, and make sure they drink as much as they can.
If
you use common sense, drink plenty of fluids and pace yourself, racing in the
heat, shouldn't be all that different from racing in the rain. Just look after
yourself and your team-mates and enjoy the day.
