3 Steps to Adjust to the HEAT:

As Most of us are likely training year round, we do not have the ability to escape the summer heat and we all recognize that it is harder to train when it is HOT!  The Perceived effort is greater and race and training times typically suffer accordingly. Why does this happen? What happens to the body at a physiological level?  Most important, how should we adjust workouts and race expectations to best weather the weather?

There are many studies out there that  generally recognized that for every 10-degree increase in air temperature above 55 degrees, there's a 1.5 percent to 3 percent increase in average finishing time for a marathon.  For an Ironman athlete looking to run a 3:30 marathon that is 3-6 min. This is compounding even more in my eyes for in triathlon as a lot of us are starting the Marathon in a more dehydrated state and I believe it is more like 8-12 min.  The  slow down occurs because heat impacts athletes at a physiological level through a few different means, including dehydration, increased heart rate and reduced blood flow  to the muscles used for running.

Perspiration has a cooling effect on the body because it removes excess heat through evaporation. The rate of evaporation–and subsequently how well the body is cooled–changes depending upon humidity. When humidity is low, evaporation increases and we have a great cooling affect when humidity is high, the rate of evaporation decreases and the cooling affect decreases. 

WHAT TO DO?

1) ADJUST YOUR PREPARATION. 

We can adjust our preparation to become more adjusted to the humid heat by wearing a cap or long sleeves while training

2) ADJUST YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

When you are heading out into a Hot environment adjust our expectations of the work out and be sure to build into the effort so you don't drive your core body temp up to start 

3) ADJUST YOUR MINDSET.

Mind set is a huge thing. If you know it is going to be hot and you don't have the above steps, having a positive mindset to deal with things is huge. 

If you think it is hot running go stand in a port-o-potty for 60 sec. upon exit it will feel cool!  It is all relative :)

See you at the races! 

Chris McDonald, 6x Ironman Champion

Multitasking 101: Life is Busy, but Recovery is Essential

LIFE: it is a continuous cycle of BUSY for most humans. We get understandably trapped in the daily hustle and bustle of things to do, accomplish, conquer and achieve. Whether you do sport as a lucrative profession, a rewarding hobby or as an occasional participator, you still need to find even a small pocket of time to properly recover.


What does the word ‘Recover’ mean? The true definition is ‘to return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength.’ So how can one do this most efficiently and effectively in effort to stay in a happy, comfortable and euphoric state of being? The answer is simple; invest in the Recovery Pump system. It is easy to say that this is just another endorsement by a sponsored athlete because they are under contract but this is far from the truth. Even when I was a struggling age grouper toiling through the ranks, I still made it a point to use Recovery Boots. The system is an essential part of my tool kit to be able to get back on the horse and train or race again quickly. They are completely worth the investment, busy life or not, for the reasons diagrammed below.

One of the great quandaries in this day and age is having enough time to be able to accomplish everything that is important to you. This is the essence of multitasking. Around four times a week, after dinner, I put on my Recovery Boots and do work on my laptop, return emails to family and friends, have quality time with my husband, talk on the phone to my parents or any number of activities while I recover. The beauty of this is I can accomplish many jobs that are important to me while being able to have a steady hour  or two of leg revitalization. I also concentrate on hydration and nutrition while in the boots along with much needed relaxation if need be. If I have a niggle too, it is easy to use cold treatments on the affected area during these Recovery Boot sessions. This is multitasking 101!

Being able to use the system in the car was a game changer for me.  Like many, long airplane and car rides have traditionally wreaked havoc on my legs and they end up being a swollen mess. Now, after a plane flight, I can sit in the passenger seat of the rental car and receive proper recovery driving to the destination. This curbs the affects of traveling on my body so I can bounce back quicker than before. If I am driving the 1.5 hours to Russian River valley from the Bay Area to race or train, I can put the boots on and arrive at the event with fresh legs. One of my favorite phrases is: ‘the little things make the big things happen’ and this is true when it comes to being able to use the Recovery Pump system on a regular basis when traveling. The difference between breaking down in those last few miles on the run or sprinting strong through the finishing shoot could be the amount of time in the boots.

One of my favorite tricks before and after a race is to use the Recovery system. I wake up on race morning, go on an early wake up run, take a shower, make breakfast and get in my Recovery Boots. This gets the juices flowing in the legs, allows me to have a relaxing breakfast, and I can concentrate on the task at hand. Right when I get back to the hotel room after a race, the boots are again working their magic on the legs. This is a preemptive strike to the inevitable swollenness that comes from pushing your legs to the max. Once the race is over, your next race is your most important one so after the excitement dies down, you have to focus on recovery. Those hours are crucial after a race in order to speed up the mending of your body.

If you perform the aforementioned tasks with your Recovery Boots, you are well on your way to returning to a normal, fluffy, invigorated and resilient state of health, mind and strength! Racing is fun; it takes true discipline to recover!

-Meredith Kessler, Ironman Champion

Hillary Biscay's Foolproof Steps for Finding Your Way Out of a Slump:

"At a panel recently I was asked about navigating one's way out of a slump so I thought I would address that topic today. For me, a slump means being out of shape and, well, this is a particularly appropriate topic because that's where I am right now. After an 8-week racing stint and a mid-season break, my body pretty much hates me. It is not a fun place to be, but after 25 years of being a serious athlete I do know how to get out of here.

These are my foolproof steps for finding your way out of a slump:

1) Accept the reality of where you are.
Resist the urge to compare yourself to your fit self. Temporarily accept your unfit state as the new normal so that you can appreciate your progress from there.


2) Do work to be just a little bit better every day.

Once you have accepted your "new normal," keep your mind focused entirely on one simple task: getting a little bit stronger/ faster/ more fit every day.

3) Know this: there is no other way to get through it than to go through it. 
The reality is that training when you are not in great shape is often not that fun. It hurts even to go slow. Delaying the process because of dread of this feeling is only going to make it hurt more. And unfortunately there are no shortcuts, nor can this process cannot be outsourced. It simply has to be suffered through, one day and one workout at a time! But as I have tried and tested this process many times over, I can assure you that you WILL work through it and it will be worth it."

-Hillary Biscay, Ironman Champion & Ultraman World Champion