Heat training DONE!

Whew! I did a little work on my heat acclimatization today. It's mid-July and I'm still not totally accustomed to the hot temperatures of summer, because (like most Americans) I sit inside in air-conditioned comfort most of the time. So today my workout was a little hotter and more uncomfortable than usual, but I'm doing them in the hopes that if my next couple of race days are extra-hot, I won't be bothered by it so much.

I got an hour swim out of the way first thing in the morning. Water temperature was 82*F, so that was quite comfortable. That actually might be close to what we'll be swimming in next weekend for the aquathlon, if the buoy data is correct (78*F right now for Delaware Bay). I did two 900-yard sets (steady-eddie pace for 18 laps, open turns) to check my half-mile-plus times in preparation for my attack on the oceans of the world again in five days: 22:38, 23:01.

Then (after catching up on a little grocery shopping) I went to the track for a HOT run. I'm careful about heat - it can kill a person! I just wanted to push the boundaries a little, not really exhaust myself. It was still early in the day and although it was in full sun on the unshaded asphalt track, the pavement hadn't soaked up a tremendous amount heat from the sun yet, there was a tiny bit of refreshing breeze, and the humidity was WAY DOWN! Only about 55-60%!! Positively arid! I wore my sunblock, good wicking clothes, sunglasses and a visor.

I did mile repeats much like I'll employ at Ironman Florida: run a mile slowly, then walk a lap until my heart rate is normal and I'm cooled down again. Repeat. Due to the heat I dropped my speed down to the 'barely moving' range - averaging about 12:30 for the mile segments. I also slugged down about 30-40 ounces of Gatorade in the process (one reason it's nice to work out at the track where I don't have to carry the bottle).

I was hot and sweaty, but the 3-5 mph breeze still felt refreshing and I never went over the red line into feeling light-headed or getting goosebumps (in which case I would have stopped promptly and gone home).

When I got done, before 11 AM, it was 90*F air temperature and 98*F heat index.

Let's see, my next BIG race is Steelhead 70.3 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, on August 5th. (Actually, it's a "B" race while I'm on vacation, just for fun and the practice, but it's still a long one). Let's compare:

• Typical temperatures here in Maryland, now: Average High Temperature is 86 F, historical range 73 F to 95 F
• Typical temperatures there in Michigan on race day: Average High Temperature is 81 F, historical range 65 F to 97 F

No sweat!! Barring some extremely bizarre recordbreaking weather pattern, those temperatures will probably feel great, and I'll be ready!