How do you deal with the heat?

[tulip]

Ride early and ride lightly. I got sick the other day after only 7 miles because of the humidity and because I was dehydrated from 2 days of traveling. I went out way too hard. It was not fun and I had to be rescued by my brother. Oh, and I didn't eat breakfast beforehand either. I made all the mistakes.

[Koronin]

I still haven't been able to acclimatize to the summer heat and humidity here in eastern NC to just walk outside to get to the car to go to work. It took me about 2 years to get semi used to the summer weather in Charlotte, NC, but 2 years and I'm still not even closed to being able to deal with the summers here yet. Don't know if I ever will be. This weekend the temps will be close to 100 plus high humidity, I think I'm just going to go to the beach and swim if I do anything at all outside.

[OakLeaf]

I'm fine in heat once I'm acclimated. The trouble is the weather has been so variable in the last couple of years, it's hard to acclimate.

[malkin]

Not very well.
My ancestors were bred to live in a fog in a bog.

[solobiker]

I don't do well in the heat at all. On the weekends I head up to the mountains to escape the heat. On weekdays..I don't want to get up any earlier then I do for work ( I am at work by 5am) because I get up at 430am so I do my workouts inside.

It has been over 100 for a week here....blahhhhhh

[tzvia]

If it goes north of 100f, or there is high humidity over 90f, I try to ride in the morning or evening. Otherwise, I load up the bike into the back of the trusty Tundra (trucks rule) and head for rides where there are the cooling sea breezes if possible.

For my commute, I take the trusty Tundra if it is going to be over 100f; call me a wimp that's ok. I have ridden home in 102f in jeans and it was not fun. Now I take cycling shorts and a shirt, and change before going home in the heat. I use those arm coolers (yea they help) and I freeze one of my two water bottles, which melts real quick but is better than nothing, to pour on my head.

It's easy to get overheated and get sick, so I take it easy when it's really hot. I take some extra cash to buy water or electrolyte drinks at the minimart and I use routes that pass by parks with shade and bathrooms, so I can duck in and get some water on my Headsweat and shirt. I also pack a small vial of sunscreen to reapply after a good sweat or wetting.

[Blueberry]

You all have made me feel a bit better about not being tolerant of these temperatures. Up to 90, I feel like with proper feeding/taking it easy and riding well within my abilities, I can tough it out. Over that, I'm just plain miserable.

Sadly, coolers don't really help with the climate here. It's too humid. Koronin and I are dealing with similar climates. Coolers don't hurt - and I wear them for sun protection, but the evaporative advantage isn't there. There is also no where close to get relief (mountains/beach).

I don't have a goal event right now (I need one, but that's another thread) - so no real training direction. Good and bad. My current plan is to ride the trainer (Spinervals) and hit the gym. Cross training and/or swimming are on my agenda for the really hot days.