I live in Indianapolis and I may be the only person who isn't happy about this early summer in March! The warmer temperatures and humidity are wreaking havoc on my runs, mostly my tempo and speed work. How long does it take for the body to adjust from running in the mid-30s to high-40s one week to running in the mid-60s to 80 the next? Thanks. —Jack
Hi, Jack. You're right, training through this historic springtime heat wave [85 degrees] definitely takes a toll on your performance. To answer your first question, it takes the body about two weeks to acclimate to running in the heat—and even then, running harder effort workouts in excessive heat will still be more challenging than doing so in cooler temperatures. The body has to work a lot harder to cool itself, and even harder when you train faster, which translates to higher effort levels at your normal training paces.
Physiologically, your heart rate and respiration will be higher at your typical tempo pace, and if that isn't enough, the body readily dehydrates, which further increases the intensity of your workout. Toss in the extreme pollen levels [normally, this time of year, 2000—today it was 9400] from the early summer weather, and you have a recipe for really challenging training conditions.
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All this is to say that you are justified in your weather rant. :)
Here are a few strategies to train with quality through this wild weather spell.
- Remember consistency is key. A successful race performance comes from a successful and healthy training season. The ultimate goal is to maintain the quality and frequency of your runs to allow your body to adapt, evolve, and improve over time. The way you do this is to ebb and flow with the elements—whether you're trying to train in the cold and snow or the heat, the ability to modify and adapt will effectively maintain your consistency in training (and racing). If you push hard through a springtime heat spell, you can spend twice as long in recovery mode from the demands of that one workout. Which carries forward to your next workout, your next long run—eventually putting you in training overload.
- Train by your effort rather than your pace. The body knows effort—it doesn't know speed. When you consider the purpose of a tempo workout, it is to run at or just below your "red line," or the effort at which you go from running aerobically to anaerobically. When you train at the right effort on the given day, over time this red line elevates—allowing you to run faster and farther at easier efforts. This is why I never coach runners to go at a certain pace, as that can vary on the given day and during the season. Your tempo "effort" will not match the same magic pace every workout, especially as you make improvements in the season. Once you begin to train by how your body is responding on the day—you unlock the magic training door to more efficient improvement and less risk of fatigue from overtraining. Modify your strategy to train at that red line, versus a specific pace. In doing so, run at a comfortably hard effort, where you struggle to get a sentence out but can still speak words. Let the watch and your pace be the outcome of the tempo or speed workout rather than the tour guide. This takes patience and wisdom—as it is a challenge to train without a number. But it works—and although you'll clock slower overall times, you'll train with purpose, at the red line, and recover more efficiently.
- Take it inside. If you can only get in your workouts mid-day, take it inside to a cooler, controlled environment. What you give up training on the roads, you more than make up in quality being able to push harder without having to fight the heat, not to mention the sky-high pollen levels. And in doing so, your body will recover more efficiently so you can continue your upcoming future workouts as scheduled.
Happy Trails.
Coach Jenny- Co-Author, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals
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