Got any experts here who can weigh in on what PM 2.5 readings mean for training/racing, as well as the forecast moving forward through the weekend at this point? advisories and guidelines from public health authorities can be difficult to interpret sometimes. I feel like folks out west deal with this stuff more frequently and know more about what the numbers mean and how it can affect you if you’re outside.
It looks like at least where I am (Hudson Valley, NYS), it is going to be worse tomorrow and there’s potential it could be unhealthy levels through the weekend. I feel for anyone in the super high areas right now like central NY, places like Syracuse the readings are off the charts.
I have a sprint race on Sunday in CT and I’m starting to prepare for the possibility that I won’t be racing because of this. Whether because the race is cancelled or the levels are still high that it makes me uncomfortable to put myself out there for an hour of strenuous exercise.
I am wondering about this also. I am just West of the Hudson Valley in the Southern Catskills and it is so bad that you can smell the smoke inside with all the windows shut. I am also supposed to race 70.3 Western Mass this weekend and wondering if the air quality will have any impact on the race.
I am also wondering about the two 70.3’s (mass and eagleman) this weekend. This isn’t something the northeast / mid Atlantic sees a lot of so it’s hard to predict.
This is our reality back in BC where we have a solid 2 months of smoke every summer. Training in those condition will variate greatly from person to person.
Some will have almost no effect and can be mostly normal training while others will be feeling it even at a very low level. So my best advice and the one i guide my crew is listen to your body and it s very individual.
We find morning to be better…less smoke. Trail run to ‘‘feel’’ better vs expose/city runs. Sometimes, we have no choice to use trainers or treadmill and inside pool as when the condition get bad and visibility is poor… it s very obvious that it can not be good for your health.
But overall, we can get 2 months of bad smoke and we still train in it for most part… we just need to adjuste session on the conditions.
For us…a reading of PM 2.5 is a very good day…go ahead and do anything. once over 60… it s start to be problematic
This website is a good place to start.
Firesmoke.ca
If you’re having issues, N-95 masks work great.
You 100% can run/ride easy with a mask on.
It’s a bit annoying as it gets hotter or the effort is extremely high.
If you’re easily irritated by smoke, they will save the day.
do you know what the PM 2.5 readings are for the conditions you reference? like, the normal “range” that you see in these summers?
I just heard on the national news (5.00 EDT) that the air quality readings in NYC are over PM 3.2 and that tonight’s Yankee’s game was cancelled due to air quality concerns. I’m outside of Boston and last evening’s sun was blood orange–I’ve never seen anything like this before.
I’m interested in hearing other people’s thoughts on this. I’m in the epicenter of dark skies right now. Just got in from my workout, and feel fine but can def taste the smoke. Are we safe for the weekend races?
It looks like at least where I am (Hudson Valley, NYS), it is going to be worse tomorrow and there’s potential it could be unhealthy levels through the weekend. I feel for anyone in the super high areas right now like central NY, places like Syracuse the readings are off the charts.
My sister lives in a Syracuse 'burb and she sent me a screenshot of the PM2.5 that was over 400 earlier this afternoon.
This has been my first experience with it this past week and it has been interesting. I have a rescue inhaler that I use a few times a year in the spring and fall when allergies are bad. I thought I was having asthma issues and used the inhaler only to realize I just had constant agitation in my throat / respiratory tract that wasn’t an asthmatic response like I was used to. I was dumb enough to try multiple day of riding outside before I ventured into information about what was going on so that wasn’t helpful.
Also @ RandMart, I can tell with you its always sunny inside so that Endless Summer 100 / 100 streak is in no danger mate.
Here in Oregon, smoke during the summer is now a regular occurrence. It definitely affects the exercise routine, but can be mitigated with some planning. As has been said, early morning is best.
Anything over 150ppm for me is too much and I will have coughing and wheezing the rest of the day. Light biking or running at 100ppm isn’t too bad as long as the effort level is minimal. Below 100ppm is regular training.
Trying to race at 250ppm would be a no-go for me. Extended duration at effort would have lasting ramifications.
I’m interested in hearing other people’s thoughts on this. I’m in the epicenter of dark skies right now. Just got in from my workout, and feel fine but can def taste the smoke. Are we safe for the weekend races?
It appears that the worst blob of air quality should head out over the Atlantic by midday Friday, so Saturday races may be OK depending on exact location, and Sunday races will probably be OK. I am not racing this weekend so if I train indoors until it’s all better, so be it, but it would be really hard for me to skip out on a race if it was a close call (I have asthma).
I use the purpleair site. https://map.purpleair.com/1/a/m/i/mAQI/a60/p600/cC0#6.63/38.917/-84.523 I’m out west, and air quality and be surprisingly local. Overall, there’ll be a broader area trend, but differences in wind patterns can make a bit difference. EPA says purple air numbers are high due to problems with the standard sensor. Some sites correct for this.
In any case, I will train outside in numbers up to 150. If I think the numbers are going to go down in a day or two, I’ll shake up my schedule and delay longer or harder workouts. If there is significant local variation in air quality, as often happens due to winds, probably partially because we’re near the coast, I will drive to an area with better air quality. It’s not unusual to be able to knock 50 off the air quality score by driving 25 minutes. Other time, of course, it’s covering our entire region.
Numbers above 150 - exercise indoors. We have young children and for their sake and ours, we keep all windows closed and use AC if air quality is bad. Consider upgrading your HVAC filter. You can also buy local air purifiers. I’m not sure how effective these are but I plan to look into it this year.
For those in the US, anything over AQI 200 and you shouldn’t be outside for prolonged periods. The Pac-12 will postpone or cancel games if AQI is above 200 at gametime. Typically AQI is best in the mornings and late at night and it’ll change pretty quickly based on weather. I can’t imagine that races will make a determination until the day before the race. Best thing to do is check the AQI just before the training session because it’ll vary over the course of the day.
Anything over 150 and I’m moving my training indoors.
100-150 = shortened outdoor training or moved inside.
Under 100 = train as normal.
I live pretty close to your race Sunday, and the readings are still pretty high today but nothing like yesterday. You can see the sun today, the smoke smell is not as strong. It’s not quite blue skies but it’s not orangey-yellow. I would just email the race director and see if she has a go/no go line.