Acclimation

Here's my approach to heat acclimation in the lead up to the Shepparton HIM. There is a lot of science behind heat acclimatisation or acclimation, to read more on this check out The Science of Sport Blog.

I started three weeks out from the HIM as it is generally accepted it takes about 14 days for the body to make the appropriate adjustments. Based on the long term weather outlook, it looks like I can't rely on Mother Nature to provide the best conditions. Instead I'll have to generate the conditions myself. While I don't have to perform every session in the heat, it is best if I include a moderately hard effort most days. The basic prescription is at an intensity greater than 70%VO2 for a minimum of 40min which will see an appropriate shift in blood volume and electrolyte management, but preferably at over 90-120min to see changes in substrate metabolism.

To achieve this I will perform my runs with an extra layer, head gear and gloves. The bike will see me wearing a thermal layer while outdoors, and indoors I will keep the temperature at around 30-32 degrees Celsius. Most training sets will be somewhere between 90-180min which fits in with the guidelines.

It's a simple approach that has worked for me in the past. Basically I just follow my normal program, but increase the indoor temperature or wear more clothes. I'm starting to notice that the simpler I make my training ideas, the easier it is for me to stick to them. Maybe there is something in that.