Coach Patrick breaks down the process of heat adaptation and the associated habits that can help you. Thanks to some insightful information from Dr. Stacy Sims (online here), we can talk specifics by gender. Learn how you can maximize the effects of your heat adaptation work.

Coach Patrick breaks down the value of off road running and why you should consider running off-road when it fits into your program - or at the end of the season. Here are the key talking points. 

• Running Fitness Building Blocks: Intensity vs Duration
• Value of Consistent, Easy Running
• Off-Road 3-Dimensional Running
• Pace Changes for Terrain
  • Avoiding the Strava Segment Trap

Coach Patrick interviews long-time teammate, Nam Lam, on his first Kona Qualification at Ironman Coeur d’Alene. Conditions were brutally hot, but Nam used the fitness and confidence he built racing at IM Tulsa earlier in the year to run down the competition. Nam shares the challenges and strategies he used to stay on track over the pandemic. Tune in to laugh and be inspired! 

Coach Patrick covers some of the most effective ways to mitigate the costs associated with training in the heat - and still reap all of the benefits. If you have been struggling with the heat, see if any one of these five tips can make a difference for you!

• Train earlier in the day to avoid the peak temperature periods. Do so strategically to hopefully still be able to get enough sleep. 
• Reduce the effort by using your heart rate monitor as the training guide instead of just power or pace. This will allow you to keep your effort consistent and put bigger pieces of work together without accumulating too much stress.
• Optimize your setup for frequent and early access to fluids that have electrolytes. Whether that's gas stations or outfitting / retrofitting your car to be a mobile aid station if needed.
• Consider targeting cooler weather races where you have the opportunity to bring your heat acclimatization to the event and use it strategically to outperform the competition.
• Be sure to write down your lessons learned so you can get smarter every go round whether it's from session to session, week-to-week or even season-to-season.

In this brief in between episode, Coach Patrick discusses the value of organizing your races in small clusters for better outcomes. The more intentional you can be with the structure of your season, the better outcomes you can expect to earn.

• Being able to use a single base training build-up repeatedly instead of having to repeat the cycle over and over again.
• Capturing rapid learning opportunities to get better at decision-making for success and race day

Increase familiarity with race day setup and better execution as a result

Coach Patrick reviews the progress of the Habit Project for athletes who have downloaded the free resource and are working to make improvements. Mid-season is a time for reflection and adjustment. In this talk Patrick discusses Unconscious and Conscious Habits, and how you can stack them to create sustainable, effective change. Learn more and get the free download here: https://www.endurancenation.us/habits

Mastering your performance in hot conditions usually takes a great deal of trial and error. It’s hard to predict how your body will respond without actually putting your body to work in extreme conditions. All safety considerations aside, here are five different aspects of exercising in the heat that can help endurance athletes. 

• Being flexible with your nutrition to incorporate more fluids
• Having extra no salt on hand to be able to process those additional fluids as needed
• Using strategic items such as shade or ice at 8 stations to strategically reduce your heart rate
• Triathletes can make the most out of having sponges available on the Run course to wipe their skin and help conduct more energy out of their bodies into the atmosphere (especially in the humidity)
• Don't stay at a steady speed all the time, take advantage of mini-breaks to get your heart rate down and recover before the next effort.

Coach Patrick covers the logistics and key steps to planning an adventure with your bike while getting in some serious volume. Great adventures are built on the fundamentals of safety and fun. Key points covered include planning the route, accounting for rider safety, managing hydration and calorie needs, and a few bonus items. Don’t head out for that next “big” ride without making sure you’ve thought through everything. You’ll be more prepared and have a much better time, promise!

Coach Patrick covers four key reasons why using a heart rate cap, or ceiling is a very effective way to minimize the effect of extreme heat on your race performance.  This process begins in training and then, with experience, transfers over to race day. Key reasons for a Heart Rate Cap include: 

• Avoiding spikes.
• Understanding the balance between Power and Pace versus Heart Rate.
• Preventing low points / ebbs in your performance when you back off too much. 
• Keeping you honest allows you to save your energy for the end of the day.

At the end of every month, Coach Patrick discusses key questions that have been asked and/or covered inside Endurance Nation. Participants in the live call also have the opportunity to ask Coach Patrick their most burning (see what I did there?) questions. This month topics included:  

• Three tips to manage your heat training: pre-load hydration, better route planning (loops), and improved recovery. 
• Desendervals question from Anna
• Clothing decisions in the heat: arm coolers and buffs or no? 
• Summer maintenance plan for flexibility and fitness maintenance.