Australian Triathlete — December 2017

82 | AustrAliAn triAthlete

text by JulIe tedde

photogrAphy by Getty ImaGes for Ironman

F

irstly, wow, what an exciting

journey you are about to start

on. Secondly, what I’m going to

discuss in this article really applies

to anyone heading to a race destination that

is traditionally warm/hot or humid, or both.

The FACTs

One of the most important things for you

to know is that heat and humidity will slow

your performance by making you work

harder. Your body typically responds to

hot/humid conditions by increasing sweat

rate – you will sweat more. This requires

that you take in greater amounts of fluid to

stay hydrated, and it requires you to

replace more salt and electrolytes to

absorb this fluid. These are the main

aspects of dealing with heat and humidity.

However, I want to explore a different

angle - how to think about heat as part of

your race, and how to develop a strategy

I’ve just watched Kona and

it’s got me pumped but I hate

the heat. Coach, what are

your tips?

to learn how to adjust your race tactics to

deal with or even excel in the heat.

Your training strategy needs to include

increasing your tolerance to the heat and

being able to dissipate heat more

effectively. Following is a list of methods

that are believed to assist with preparing

your body for hot/humid climates.

hoW To ACCLIMATIse To

RACInG In The heAT

The two main ways of acclimatising

to the heat of race destinations like

Hawaii or even Busselton include:

1. Live and train in a similar climate to
   what you are expecting in at your race
   destination.


2. Stay at home and adapt to the heat by
   training in an artificial environment.

Can you

handle the

heAT?