How does HR affect our summer training?

Every morning as a runner, the first thing we should all do, before grabbing our “wake me up” coffee or tea, is check our resting heart rate (RHR). This is a natural indicator of how our training is coming along and whether we should keep advancing or take our foot off the gas pedal. What we’re looking for is 10%. If our RHR is 10% above or below our normal, it’s usually our bodies telling us that we are either overtrained or experiencing some form of stress. This includes lack of sleep, poor diet, anxiety, and many other factors. 

Over time though, our RHR does trend lower through proper training but it’s gradual. A stronger heart has more forceful pumps in less beats per minute than an untrained heart. As with any muscle, the stronger it is, the more efficient it becomes. Bottom line, 10% is the threshold to be aware of.

What if your RHR is above or below 10%? What can we do? Take a day or two off, change up the intensity of your workouts, schedule a massage or just do something that relaxes you. Also, make sure to be health conscious when meal planning. Mental and physical stress reduction goes a long way in the overall health of an athlete.

During the grueling summer months, training takes quite an adjustment, especially when we need to acclimate to new conditions. As heat and humidity rises, so does our normal RHR. Essentially, we’re starting our work load at a slight disadvantage. This can be easily managed with a proper strategy. 

There are specific steps we can take as athletes to ensure we are being safe and training smart. Hydration is a critical first step during warmer weather. In order for our bodies to cool itself down, we inherently sweat. Sweating releases water away from the body to prevent overheating. Even though this is a good thing, we still need to replace what is lost. In order to combat this, we need to replenish with enough water that is being naturally discharged from moderate to vigorous form of exertion. So drink up and drink up often. A rule of thumb from Olympian Jeff Galloway on replenishment, drink 20 ounces of water for every hour of activity or 2-4 ounces every 2 miles. 

Clothing also plays a role in how we interact with outside conditions. During colder months, we typically dress for 10 degrees warmer than it is. For example, if it’s 40 degrees outside, our attire should reflect 50 degrees. This idea plays into how our body responds to rising core temperatures. Building upon this notion, during warmer months, we often wear less but the material we wear plays a role as well. Moisture wicking material such as light weight polyester is your best bet to remove sweat while also keeping you cool. Running with cotton material tends to retain excess moisture, resulting in becoming warmer and less efficient.

Lastly, the time of day can adversely affect performance. Days that reach 90+ during midday, running should be reconsidered unless completed early in the morning or in the late evening. For every 10 degrees above 60, pace is gradually affected. Don’t be afraid to slow down. Rate of perceived exertion or RPE may be a more trusted ally when pace becomes difficult to keep. Rate yourself on how you feel during your runs and rely less on pace when the heat is on!

Hope this helps. As always, reach out with questions and happy training! 🤙