Heat Training

Wow its expensive.

Initially I dismissed it due to cost but as I was away in Surrey I earned some extra cash and have decided to put it to good use. By the way for anyone reading this considering the MdS, it is expensive, not just the £3500 to go but all the kit, the races, the trips away, the food testing, the exchange of kit, more buying of kit, it goes on and on.

Anyway, Chichester University are running a Heat Acclimatisation course the week running up to my departure. It consists of 7 x 2 hr sessions. Basically you kit up, insert a ... rectal thermometer ... yes you heard right and then run on a treadmill in what is basically a sauna for an hour. They get your core temperature up to 38.5 ish degrees and keep it there for an hour while you run, walk, cycle.

The idea is that acclimatisation is only effect for a very short period but it gets you used to the heat so you can perform better when you experience it out in the desert. The same system is used in Kingston but Chichester is nice and local for me. I suppose you could go on holiday for a week or build your own sauna but this was my choice.

In order to pre prepare I thought about a bit of pre acclimatisation training, so in the 3 weeks before I am also completing the following:

Sauna - Every week day. If its before work I can only squeeze in 30 mins but its nice as the temperature is rising so its not full whack when I first get in. If I;m in later in the day, I have been building up to 15 minutes, break, 10 mins, break then what ever I can manage after or squeeze in, time permitting.


Dynamic Hot Yoga - In Hove I have found a great Hot Yoga class, the temperature isn't as significant as Bikram as it remains just below body temperature but its a full 90 minute class. I'm going 3 times a week and its also a good excuse to get in some quality stretching which I often fail to do.


When I return from Morocco I'll post an update on what I thought of the heat preparation but at the moment I certainly feel that after only a week I can handle the heat I have experienced much better :-)