It’s the hottest months of the year in Australia and although we are gifted with temperatures that are for the most part perfect for triathlon training, there are some months that are as hot as hell and can be downright dangerous if not managed correctly.
The best way to beat the heat is to stay out of it. That doesn’t mean sitting on the couch with a cup of tea and a Tim Tam in the air conditioning watching The Lord of the Rings series back to back. This means planning your day and your triathlon training to get up early and start training as the sun comes up. That’s right! 5am / 6am start. Running on a treadmill or on an indoor trainer in the aircon is also an excellent way to beat the heat. You can mimic allot of your triathlon training sessions on a treadmill changing inclines and speeds, it can also help with your run cadence. Late training sessions are also fantastic however you can be restricted by light so ensure your safety is treated as number one.
Hydration – Run and cycle
Ensure you are hydrated before you start training and I always recommend weighing yourself before you train, naked! Make sure you have the tools to start with, a fuel belt for running and at least two preferably three bidons for cycling. Whilst training ensure you are using a good electrolyte replacement and if on a long ride / run ensure you have backup stock on you. Water is simply not enough as it is not replacing magnesium and electrolytes. Endura make these great little sachets that are just perfect to slip in your running belt or cycle jersey. When your training session has finished, weigh yourself again, naked. It is important to do this naked as you can hold a good couple of kilos of drenched sweat on your clothing. If you find you are under the weight from your earlier weigh in, you need to drink more. The simple formula to do this is 1 kilo underweight = 1.5 litres of water/ electrolytes. 2 kilos underweight = 3 litres of water/ electrolytes and so on. Another way to know if you are staying hydrated or not or simply by looking at your wee! Yes your urine colour will give you are very good indication as to if you are hydrated enough.
Coconut water is great to finish a session with – full of natural electrolytes and potassium too. If you look in the Asian food area in the supermarket you can find canned coconut water for a fraction of the price of the others. Hydrolyte ice blocks are a welcome treat also post a hot and heavy training session.
Hydration – Swim
So it might not feel that you are getting dehydrated however you are still training and sweating just the same. Swimming is a discipline where athletes often forget to rehydrate and some rarely even take a drink with them at all. Freezing your hydration solution the night before can be a welcome relief rather than having your fluids at 35 degrees while it sits in the sun. Ensure you are hydrated before and take small sips at the end of each set.
Try to remember the facts of hydration for future training. Getting your fluid consumption can be a fine art.. Just remember keep sipping and always take more fluid on every ride and run that you need. Plan where you ride and run and where you have access to water and how often.
Train safe
Coach
Renee Ker
