As happens each year whether you like it or not, our muggy months of July and August are here and the hot humid stretches are seemingly endless! Every year my TY Team of Runner's, Cyclists, and Triathletes all start to run a bit low in the motivation department due to what I refer to as the "Summer Heat Lull". In most parts of the country, especially here in the south, July and August seem to make or break athletes as they try to extend their fitness and racing goals through the end of the year. The body simply cannot perform up to par in extreme temperatures. Your hear rate rises prematurely and your body's cooling system goes into overdrive leaving zero blood flow for the working muscles. Quality training becomes obsolete and therefore motivation sinks! As a coach you have two options. The first is to explain to athletes the physiology of what the body is doing or not doing and console them with encouraging words :). haha! The second option, and the one I prefer, is to train them differently and take advantage of a crucial time where they can actually get ahead of their competition! I have 3 areas in which I coach differently to help my athletes stay motivated and away from the mental and physical fatigue! If you can make a few changes in your routine, you'll be able to bridge your fitness level and set yourself up to excel through the end of the season. When September rolls around and the air becomes brisk and cool, you'll be a step ahead and ready for a great late season surge of personal bests!
The second change I make for athletes is to shorten the duration of the workouts and then up the quality by increasing their sports specific strength training. After early season weight training took a back seat in April and May, my athletes will typically show a dip in their strength after 2 months of racing and training. With racing comes tapering and recovering, therefore little time is available for crucial strength training. I would suggest easing back into some of your strength training by incorporating light sessions after your sports specific workouts. Here's an example of one of the TY Run Team's 5 minute post run workouts that can help you gain back some of your run strength too! I call these short workouts THE TY DiFFERENCE w/o's because in competition champions are doing the little extra things when their competition is not!
The TY DiFFERENCE Max
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1 Wall sit to fatigue, then 30 sec rest
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30 sec of calf raises, then 30 sec rest
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Deep squats (Match the time of your Wall sit) then 30 sec rest
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1 set of push ups to fatigue, then 30 sec rest
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Walking Lunges (Match the time of your Wall sit) then 30 sec. rest
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Plank in prone position
Note Your goal with this workout is to increase to duration of the wall sit every 1-2 weeks by 10-15 seconds. Therefore, the time of the remaining exercises, except the calf raises and push ups, will increase as well. Make sure you consult a local personal trainer to help with your form and technique with these exercises. Form is crucial, not only for injury prevention, but also for allowing the proper muscle groups to perform the exercise!
The third and final change I make with athletes during the "Summer Heat Lull" is to suggest changes to their food selections at the training table! Antioxidants and electrolytes from the foods you eat are essential for combating the free radials we talked about and for hydration! Yes, proper hydration does come from a combination of the foods you eat and the fluids you drink. Your body is desperate for the extra antioxidants and electrolytes in order to battle the twofold enemy before you! Foods rich in antioxidants and electrolytes are typically the foods which will carry extra water as well, just another advantage to your choosing wisely! To clarify, electrolytes are those nutrients in certain foods and drinks that help your body stay "PROPERLY" hydrated. As we know, the fluid in your body is the one thing required above all for survival. However, it must also be stored and kept in the proper areas of the body. Electrolytes will balance the fluids in your body and keep the blood, intracellular, and extracellular fluid levels where they need to be! Keep it simple and just choose better "Hot foods" to get the extra electrolytes, antioxidants, and fluids you need to bridge over this "Hot Summer Lull"! Here's 5 of my top 5 favorite heat boosters!
1 Berries! (All)
2 Other fruits ( plums, oranges, apricots, and grapes)
2 Colorful Veggies (tomatoes, red bell, spinach, sweet potato)
3 Whole Grains (quinoa, oats, and brown rice)
4 Nuts and Seeds (almonds, walnuts, chia seeds)
5 Salt and Seasoning :)!
Hopefully these tips can help you bridge your fitness to coolers temperatures ahead!
