Training in a hot climate

[Deleted User]

Please can anybody suggest what is the best way to train in a hot climate (Dubai)
I am living abroad and the temp is around 40+ and keeping milege and speed up is a big problem for me.
Does anybody have a trainig schedule or ideas for me to Try
Adrian

[Deleted User]

Ade, I live in Canada, yes i know cold place, but not in the summer. It gets nasty hot here and this summer has been the hottest in recent memory. Have had days with humidex of 44. I run early in the morning or after sunset. I drink a ton of water. I stay close to home and if I feel funny I will take walk breaks. Also I have a Tri bike and do not notice the heat as much as when I run.
Robin

[Deleted User]

i was in dubai this year and it was treadmill i'm afraid for me.

if i was to venture out i would be doing 1 mile loops so that i didn't get too far from water

WildWill

I did some training in Zante last year, and for me it had to be early in the morning – before it got too hot

Will

[Deleted User]

Linked to this, I have a wild notion to run a marathon in Sri Lanka (currently based in Bucks, England).

Any ideas on things to do in training to prepare (apart from speaking to a shrink!)

[Deleted User]

Usually when living abroad the heat becomes less of a problem than for people who are visiting for short periods, due to the acclimatization process that the body goes through.

Most 'visitors' find that they have to drop the intensity and duration of their runs for around a week before the body has acclimatised and then gradually begin to up the level of training until they are back to a 'normal' state. However in extreme climates, ie. heat above 40 degrees, even those who are residents in that environment will struggle, due to the enormous load placed on the homeostatic functions of the body. Advice in these conditions would be:
a) Try to exercise in the coolest part of the day - morning or evenings
b) Wear light-coloured, breathable fabrics, which help to shift heat away from the body and keep a cooler layer of air next to the skin.
c) Drink a much greater quantity of fluid - a light electrolyte solution to replace lost water and minerals - than you would in a temperate environment
d) Try to exercise where there is some shade or (as Wolf with Runs suggests) on a treadmill in an air-conditioned gym!!

[Deleted User]

There's a previous thread on this on page 9 with some suggestions.

[Deleted User]

I live and work in Saudi Arabia - 3 hours into the desert and know exactly the type of temperatures we're talking of here & humidity! I agree completely with Strider's suggestions - setting the alarm for 4am to beat the heat - though August is never a good month and investing in some good quality dri-fit/coolmax kit!!! IF the humidity gets really bad that's the only time I'll head for the treadmill, other than that I'm out pounding the desert tracks 12 months of the year!

[Deleted User]

Given I'd only be thinking about finishing, not trying to do any time - how long before the race do people think I'd need to go to Sri Lanka before the actual race day.

[Deleted User]

For runs on holiday in hot places (mainly Greece/Spain) i go early in the morning, and wet my hair before going out, then put a damp headscarf on top. Seems to keep me cool for an hour or so.

Chaos

I was going to mention the idea of wearing something that was damp to begin with. I've noticed that a soaking wet cap really helps keep the head cool. Coolmax might even dry out too quickly - would the normally-annoying slow evaporation quality of cotton actually help here in cooling down the body?

On the Marathon des Sables and similar runs they often wear long-sleeved kit and of course those hats with a flap on the back. Not sure what materials are used but there may be a website or forum for these events somewhere.