01‑17‑1999

John Hughes

UltraCycling

HEAT ADAPTATION: HEAT TRAINING AND CONDITIONING

     I have just had the honor of being asked by John Hughes to prepare an article on heat training/conditioning for this magazine of which I have been receiving complimentary copies. They go along side my UltraRunning magazines.

     What appears below is not based on any scientific evidence and should only be used as helpful hints for training. I am not sure how to correlate running and biking however I have usually felt it to be a 1 to 4 sort of thing. That is, about one mile of running equals the effort of four miles of biking. The environment seems to go by about four times as fast with biking as it does with running. When I do get on a bike I use these conversion credits but I has to realize that I am not getting ready for the Tour de France, etc. There may be more perspiration loss and need for fluid replacement with biking as there is more wind to create evaporation.

     One advantage I have in regard to heat training and adaptation is that I live in the high desert in the Eastern Sierra. In Lone Pine, it gets to above 100 degrees F in the summertime and it is very dry with less than 10% humidity. It is usually 20 degrees hotter in Death Valley no matter what time of day or day of the year it is. All I have to do is go east and hang around in the heat and throw in some exercise.

     I began to increase my exposure to the heat in 1990 when I went out on the Badwater 146 course to see and help several friends who were in the Race. While out there, I became acquainted with most of the participants as well as with Richard Benyo and Tom Crawford of "Death Valley 300" fame; that is, they went from "Fire to Ice to Fire." As a result I have been dubbed the Mayor of Badwater and my wife, Denise, the First Lady of Badwater. I completed the Race in 1991, 1992 and 1993 and did not finish on the next two attempts in 1994 and 1996. My failure in 1994 after 40 miles was because I did not start the race hydrated well enough and that I stopped manufacturing urine. I gave myself four liters of IV=s as I laid on my casket in the U-Haul before I started putting out urine. I felt that if I were to continue I would wind up on the renal ward being dialyzed. In 1996 I was under a lot of stress from the horrible changes in the practice of medicine and was unable to properly train. Because of the extra heat that year and fatigue that existed, I pulled myself at 50 miles. I could have continued but I went ahead to support my wife and free up my crew for her as I would have finished in over 60 hours. My wife finished successfully in 1994 and 1996. Hi‑Tec Sports, USA, Inc. has put on the Race since 1987 after Benyo and Crawford decided not to promote it as a race. They gave up when   many of those wanting to do it kept inquiring about where were the day-care-centers, hitching posts and ATM booths. At that time Hi‑Tec was promoting a running shoe called the "Badwater 146." The shoe failed but Adrian Crane and Tom Possert were successful in their challenge. Before them were several dozen solo performers who have been listed in Benyo's archives. The "mas macho" start‑time has always been an AM‑start such as at 0600 which Hi‑Tec started doing in 1996. This interested and attracted even more runners than the earlier 1800 start‑time. People seem to want to make it as difficult as possible to complete the six marathon-length course with 20,000 feet of climb. There is also  considerably more of a challenge and more heat exposure with a 0600 start. Besides this, it has been established to be within the "July‑August" window. It is, of course, hotter then as it usually gets to 120 to 130 degrees in the daytime. There is a safer and a relatively non‑mountaineering finish to the top of Mt. Whitney during those months. At 146 miles the contrast is remarkable in that it can be over 100 degrees cooler at night) up there.

     Your interest in reading this and, perhaps following the hints, is to be able to perform successfully in the "hot" races such as RAAM, the Furnace Creek 508, the UMCA 24‑hour Championships, BAM and others.

     John first asks: "How long do you need to train in hot conditions to acclimate?" My answer is as long as possible but practically about three weeks. Try to spend as much time above 100 degrees F as possible and that means traveling to the low deserts of Southern California or the eastern desert areas such as Panamint Valley and Death Valley. It is necessary to spend time outdoors in these areas and just try to relax. The training can be eased into. Of great importance is to have the potential crew members along also. The event being trained for can almost be more difficult and hazardous for them than for the performer. Most athletes cannot afford the time and cost of doing all of this, unfortunately.

     The next question is: "When acclimating, how long and how hard should you exercise each day?" Long is more important than hard. Start easy and then work up. I like Walt Stack's creed of "start slowly and then taper off!" For the Hi‑Tec Badwater/Whitney Race, 20‑minute miles will cover the 135‑mile course from Badwater to Whitney Portals in 45 hours. One can buckle in 48 hours. To be recognized as a finisher, 60 hours is the time limit. For this 135-mile Race, most of it is flat and I tried to do 15‑minute miles for these 71 miles. I treated the 19 downhill-miles as flat miles at the same pace to save the legs. The uphill 18 miles from Stovepipe Wells Village to the top of Towne's Pass and the 12 miles from Panamint Valley to the Darwin Flats I tried to do at a 20‑minute-per-mile pace. For the steeper 13 miles from Lone Pine to the Portals, I tried to do at a 30‑minute per-mile pace. The 11 miles up the Whitney trail I allowed a 1‑mile-per-hour pace. So, setting a pace for the terrain of the anticipated race is necessary. This is not possible for a continuous race lasting more than 48 hours. The intensity and duration of training can be adjusted upwards for each additional day of training, but allow a few rest‑days or, at least, a few rest‑hours for you compulsive people. I would say try to do a mild level of exercise for about 8 to 10 hours each day. The intensity can be adjusted upwards to a moderate level later. It is virtually impossible and essentially inadvisable to train at an intense level in these conditions. Try to gauge how many hours or days it will take to get through the anticipated event and heat and practice accordingly.

     The third question is: "Is passive acclimatization possible?" It certainly is and this is mostly what I do. My exercise base has usually been 1‑2 hours of exercise a day every day in my calculated fitness range. [This is three to six times what is needed for general and basic health]. I have always been at the back‑of‑the pack, or, as I often announce, in the top 98%.In getting ready for this race, I like to go out to the desert and just kick back and do some hiking as well as strolling on the dry lake beds and over the sand dunes. I take a camera and a microcassette recorder as well as some techno‑nerd items. Try to have fun and visit with other desert rats. Be sure to write up  your story even if you "fail." Pass on what you learn. With progressive heat adaptation, I have found that I don't seem to sweat as much and my skin doesn't seem to taste as salty, even if I am not exercising at the time. Fluid and electrolyte and calorie replacement are extremely important in these conditions for you and your crew. These are separate issues which could be covered later. Passive conditioning can get you by better than by vigorous exercise. Decide what it is that you are trying to accomplish and set some goals.