I am leaving to go on holiday to Greece for a couple of weeks and I am going to take my bike over to get a bit of training in as I want to stay 'race-fit' when returning home.I was planning to get in early morning rides (starting 6-7 a.m) before it starts cooking(35-40C).
Not coming from a hot country(uk),I dont know how much of an effect trainning hard in hot weather is on the body.I want to keep similar training that I am doing at the moment(race specific),but being cautious of not 'over-heating' and dehydrating.Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
My philosophy here (coming from Queensland) is to drink an amount of water that you know is far too much, then drink some more. It's not unusual for me to go through 10-12 litres of water in a day. Another thing is to listen to your body. If you can feel the heat starting to really affect you, ease off the intensity for a few minutes.
Hey, the heat can REALLY take it out of you on the bike. I usually have HORRIBLE rides when I go out in the mid day heat.
Definitely go the early morning or dusk route. Also, I find that using a very diluted mixture of an electrolyte drink will keep you well for the hot rides. I usually do a little as 1 part energy drink to 3 parts water...and, at most, do half and half. And, drink drink drink! I usually drink A LOT at the beginning of a ride and then I am okay for the rest. I just like to make sure I am good to go from the start.
Oh, and major big point, don't eat anything that may be considered even slightly heavy or spicy before riding...I don't care if it is an hour before. In the heat, you WILL be tasting that meal again during your entire ride.
You are going to struggle initialy because you are not acclimatised to the heat. However you will feel more at home as the first week of training comes to an end.
Interestingly, children can acclimatise to exercise in the heat by just siting arround, but adults need to exercise in the heat to acclimatise to exercise in the heat.
So drink lots, take it easy at first, be aware of sunburn. Remember that cycling causes air to flow over your skin which helps you feel cool, however this is caused by sweat evaporating so don't underestimate just how much fluid you will lose.
