Quite a few of you are using Sauna after workouts. I will look into that. We have them at the gym but ever used them

---

Dan Kennison

facebook: @triPremierBike
http://www.PremierBike.com
http://www.PositionOneSports.com

"show up very fit and rested"

IMO in most circumstances THIS is the key. I used to get cramps all the time and researched all the ways to get rid of cramps (pickle juice?), but when I got more fit they went away (in the same conditions). When I went to Boulder this year and crumbled in the altitude, it wasn't the really altitude, it was the fact that the fitness I brought to the race wasn't strong enough for those conditions. We come into each race with a certain level of fitness based on training, but if your fitness doesn't match what is needed to race in those conditions (heat/humidity/altitude) it won't really matter how many hours you spent in the sauna. if its not possible to reach that level of fitness for those conditions, find some new conditions.

Ice sock idea has merit. Best to stall cool at all cost... If you come off the bike already overheated and dehydrated you'll never be able to make the deficit back up on the run. Way better off trading 90 seconds on the bike for 30 minutes on the run.
If you don't really listen to your body you'll wind up in medical and then get a ride in an ambulance to the hospital needing 5 IV bags. And that's just for "mild dehydration"...
IMCozumel 2018. 800°F and 3000%RH, Heat Index 10,000°

I agree, no matter what I do, I am terrible in the heat. I cannot do it no matter what I do. Give me cold and I will thrive. I'm a big guy, heat just doesn't work for me. I cannot change my genetics that much.

I try to get in at least one run per week in July and August during the early afternoon.
I run on a black track, and its sweltering.
I dont run long, a few miles for maybe 30 minutes, just enough to acclimate to running in very hot temps and humidity.

During races, (IM & HIM) the last stop at the run aid station is usually ice.
I hold the ice cubes in my hands and run with the ice cubes until they melt.
My theory is that by chilling my hands, it brings down my body temperature.
Ive had more success doing this in some races than others, but found that its better than just dumping water on my head or ice cubes down my tri suit.

I was able to finish the race Sunday without cramping during the whole day. I started 2 day before the race adding more salt to my meals and snacks. Nothing like adding salt to your banana :). Race morning I had my normal pre race meal and headed off to transition. I did sip from a water bottle while i waited for the swim to start. 10 mins before start of swim I drank 12 oz of Infinit. My plan on the bike was to drink my Infinit every 10 minutes (5-25oz bottles)/ GU every 45, Pepsi at halfway point and drink water at every aid station while also pouring it on myself. i only pissed 1 time during the first 4 hours or so. So i stopped around mile 80 to pee and i was pissing needles. I knew i was in trouble, so i made the decision to drink every 5 minutes. once i was out of infinit i started adding Gatorade (I also trained with infinit/gatorade just in case this happen). I also wasn't taking in my GU like i wanted those first 80 miles. By about mile 110 I started feeling really good and started putting in some decent speed. the RUN - I only walked the aid stations and that was only to get what i needed and go. Starting at mile 1 they passed me a sock with ice in it. I put ice in Mr Sockie at every aid station and put it at the top of my back under my kit. I also took in water with Infinit TripWire and put ice in hat/front or sponge what ever they had. I was able to PR by 2 hours. last IM was Louisville 2014 (last Aug race 108 heat index that day, i guess i love hot ironmans lol) 12:13 with a 4:28 marathon. as a note- Mr Sockie will be in my pain gave to remind me how far i can dig.

They had them on the run which was the first I’d encountered that idea. It worked great and was cool for a while at the back of my neck

If you are doing humid races use the hot tub or steam room after workouts ... the research is available ... the sauna can be extreme and you can same results form hot tub and steam room

---

-------------------------
Dave Latourette
http://www.TTENation.com

Here’s your answer.

95+ degrees in the south is tough.

Matt Dixon has a good heat acclimatization program. Starting 10-14 days out, you add in sauna sessions and do your optional sessions dressed warm and in the heat. Keep your main sessions in ideal conditions so you’re not hindering them.

Nothing you do on race day is going to matter if you don’t show up to the race with your body ready for the heat.

At a certain point there are not any. IMCH was a death march. I'm from the south, train on the same terrain, but when its a 104 heat index nothing will work beyond what you did. I saw a pro...who will go unnamed......that I passed (he was on his second loop and I was on my first)....and he was walking and then stopped. I asked him if he was ok and he didn't speak.

He looked like death.

Chattanooga has become the old Louisville in regards to the heat. Ironman will have to move the race to a cooler month because the end of Sep is too unpredictable and Chatty now is the proud owner of the 2 of the top 3 highest DNF rates in IM. Attendance will drop.

Yes, you can go slower, walk, or crawl. You can lower expectations or get lucky your body has a really good day but you can't predict that.

Best advise to mitigate that kind of heat is........race in cooler climates. There nothing else you can really do. As you get older heat tolerance only gets worse.

This is the truth. I live in Houston and unfortunately have trained through the last 2 summers with fall ironmans. You have to go way slower, and you cannot let yourself overheat. Once you do it’s nearly impossible to recover without walking/resting.

Also it’s almost impossible to drink enough. I had a 5hr ride a few weeks ago where I lost something like 17lbs of sweat over the course of it. (Morning weight is 165lbs. Though was only 5lbs lighter at the end of the ride due to drinking 6 liters of fluid over the course of it). I can’t imagine having to run a marathon after that.

I've read a couple places that you the max you can absorb in an hour is a liter but I've definitely seen people guzzling far more than that in races.

I raced this weekend and finished several other hot IM's before (IMChoo'16/ Cabo'14/ Texas'16...) and came to learn that those are always "mind over matter" races.
Start the day like it is a long training day and get comfortable being uncomfortable, throw time goals out the window and know finishing can be done.
Never push not even at the beginning, stay on track with hydration/nutrition and except that it's impossible to get cool.
I raced Chattanooga now for the 4th time and this time i was slower by about an hour (11:27) to '14 and '15 and that's OK.

That sounds about right, and I stopped a few times so cumulative time was probably closer 5.5-6 hrs

training in south texas, and repeatedly getting "heat sick," I tried the skincooler cap and sleeves from Desoto. I feel that they helped a lot, but only if I kept them very wet, not just damp. I carry an extra water bottle now just to wet those items. I have not had a headache or severe exhaustion since. Just a thought.

The trainer road podcast talked a little bit about this recently (and elevation training).

If you do your training in heat to try and acclimate...it robs you of the ability to build strength. Basically, the heat is a limiter that’s prevents you from being able to fully stress/strain your muscles that’s required for them to grow and get stronger. Logically it seems like you should train in hot if you are racing in hot. But really, you should train in “normal” temps to get the most out of training. If you have access to a sauna, then after training you can do a sauna session that will give similar “stress” to your body so it can begin the adaptation. But don’t introduce heat to workouts at the expense of quality training.