Perfect Time for HEAT TRAINING

As the Cebu City Marathon draw near, runners prepare for every aspect of the race including mileage, tapering, clothing and nutrition. You had just completed your last LSD run for the January 9, 2011 race. On weekends, you wake up at 3:00 - 4:00 Am to start your long runs and finish after running 25-30 Km. It takes a regular runner with a speed of 6 minutes per kilometer about 4 hours 12 minutes to finish a 42Km race. If you run slower then you will finish after 5-6 hours. 

The CCM 2011 42Km will start at exactly 4:00 Am. A regular runner finishes at 8:00-10:00 Am. Have you tried running at 8:00 Am? Have you felt the stinging heat of the 9:00 Am sun? If not, then now is the perfect time to do your heat training. 

Heat training is a crucial and yet often neglected part of race preparation. Intense heat makes runners perspire more and lose greater amounts of body water. Electrolytes are also lost together with sweat. So during intense heat, our bodies lose more water, sodium and potassium. What is the outcome? BONK. BONK. BONK. (Bisaya: LASPAG, LASPAG, LASPAG)

To prevent bonking out due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, do heat training at least 2 weeks before the race. Try running until 9:00 - 10:00 Am to feel the heat. Once your body has adapted to the heat, it will try to conserve sodium without affecting potassium stores. So you lose lesser amounts of sodium compared to water and potassium. Heat train 1-2x a week while practicing your nutrition plan for race day.

Always keep in mind that in a long race like the marathon, every aspect of the race must be considered. Preparation is Key.

See you on the road and at the SRP Tunnel Water station on race day. Good Luck!!!