TRAINING WITH THE HEAT
by Bikin Mike
Each summer I hear the same thing. “It’s too hot to ride. I’ll wait until it’s cooler.” “How can you ride when it’s this hot?” Or my favorite, “Only an idiot would ride in this heat.” What these people don’t know is that heat is my friend. People riding for fitness need to realize that heat is not the enemy. Heat actually helps them accomplish their goals of losing weight, getting lean and becoming a stronger rider. In order to learn more about heat and how riding in the heat will make us stronger, we need to look at five items.
ENDURING HEAT WITHOUT GETTING HURT
The first step is to understand the impact that the heat has on our bodies. When the temperature is above 91 degrees, the environment is hostile. Walk out into the heat and you begin to sweat. The increased effort to cool down causes an elevation in heart rate – and we’re standing still.
When we ride in the heat, don’t try to conquer it or push it – just endure it. Ride at a moderate pace so that you can watch how your body responds by watching your heart rate. I recently rode in the Peach Pedal and finished in just under 3 hours. It Was Hot. Holding my moderate pace through the distance, I noticed that my heart rate was 25 beats per minute higher when I finished the ride (127 vs 152).
While I ride 12 to 15 hours each week – I am in air conditioning the other 153 hours each week – so I know that my body is going to struggle if I push it. Unless you are out in the heat a lot, my suggestion is to stay moderate with your pace. Find the balance between ease and effort.
COOLING DOWN BURNS CALORIES
Once we have built up a certain amount of internal heat, our bodies begin to increase sweat production. As the sweat reaches the surface of our skin, it evaporates. This action cools down our skin, which cools down the blood near the surface of the skin. This blood circulates back into the body, cooling it down. The hotter we get, the more it needs to circulate this blood – so the heart rate goes up. We also see the heart rate go up when we work harder – but this is to fuel the muscles/remove waste. These two actions together can make a big difference in heart rate. Research indicates that we burn 65% of our calories cooling the body down when we are in hostile heat. As a result, I suggest that you eat during the ride to fuel the cooling/working mechanisms while you watch your heart rate to moderate your effort.
COOL IT!
In order for our bodies to stay cool, we have to sweat. In order to have water for the production of sweat, our bodies need water. Just think of your body as a motor working overtime to pedal your bike. It is very similar to driving your car down a busy freeway in the summer. If you tried this with and empty or half full radiator, you would pull over with a steaming engine pretty quickly. In addition to the steam, you’d have a damaged motor. Your body is more sensitive than a car. If you let your fluid level drop 1%, your body will start telling you to drink. It’s called the thirst mechanism. It’s there to make sure that we don’t let our bodies run dry. To make sure that your body works best, drink water before, during and after you ride. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty, because that may be too late. The hotter it is, the more you need to drink. Just don’t slam down a lot of water infrequently, but try to drink a little at frequent intervals. I find that the Camelbak drinking system works very well when the heat really hits. Used along with water bottles, it provides plenty of water to last 20 miles. Wind can also cause us to need more water by drying the sweat faster when it hits the skin. Just remember DRINK, DRINK, DRINK.
KEEP YOUR SHIRT ON!!
Every time I work at an event that gets hot I see them. Manly men with no shirts. Flexing their pecs and getting that all over tan. You might have seen them too. Maybe you even thought it looked like a good idea. Think again. Taking your shirt off will make you hotter. And, according to the folks at the Hotter N Hell Hundred, the more skin you have exposed, the faster you dehydrate. When you keep your jersey on, the sweat stays on your skin longer and evaporates slower. This keeps you cooler. Polyester jerseys were made with this thought in mind. They absorb the sweat and let it evaporate, which works like a little air conditioner. Cotton jerseys don’t work as well, because they hold the moisture too long. So guys, don’t take those jerseys off. Keep them on and keep drinking water. If you are too hot, and don’t feel like you can cool down, slow down and don’t ride so hard.
Women are a bit more modest, but I see more and more of them wearing sleeveless jerseys and sports bra style jerseys. Ladies, the same rules for exposed skin apply to you. You would be better off wearing a jersey over that sports bra.
PACE YOURSELF!!!
Okay. So now we all know that we burn up more calories when we ride in the heat. Now before you go out there and hurt yourself, remember that overheated car. Don’t push it too hard. Due to the heat you may not be able to ride as fast and the ever-present wind will also take its toll. Just don’t avoid the heat, but instead pace yourself for more miles of fun in the sun. I hope to see you out there, spinnin’ and grinnin’!
With that being said, when looking at how heat impacts ALL cyclists, it is important to note that these are physiological realities that happen when the temperatures are above 91 degrees.
So, I did a bit of research and discovered that the temperatures at the Hotter’N Hell (1982 through 2021) revealed that we have had hostile heat (91+) at 33 of those events – with 10 of them above 100. Using the techniques that I shared previously, I have never cramped or had heat issues at any of the 35 Hotter’N Hell rides that I participated in.
For my first 4 years at the Hotter’N Hell, I was one of a very small number of mechanics providing technical support on the 100 mile route. I got to talk with 100s of cyclists and began to recognize similarities between those who struggled versus those who handled it well. Many of those lessons have helped me develop successful techniques for myself and those that I have trained/helped prepare for the ride.
In the spirit of transparency, I had to bail out of a century ride in Death Valley back in 2003 at mile 80. By monitoring my heart rate I could tell that I was getting in trouble and decided to call it quits before I got into trouble. To date, it is the only century ride (100 mile ride) that I bailed on. Live to ride another day.
I am sharing this information because I am reading some posts and comments that are making me very concerned. People are talking about “pushing through the heat” and “riding out hard to beat the heat” – as if we can conquer the heat.
Trust me. We CANNOT conquer the heat – but we can ENDURE it.
Our ride is an Endurance Ride.
So, please go back and read what I have previously stated. Proper hydration, nutrition, pace and technique are what we need to succeed.
Trying to beat the heat will earn you a place in a medical tent getting an IV.
Stay safe. Train Smart. Start Smart. Ride Smart.
I hope to see you at the WheelBrothers.com Blazin Saddle 75 on August 6th, as the Road to Hotter’N Hell continues.
