Will I eventually acclimate to this heat???

[bboston88]

I went out on a 22 mile (very hilly) ride yesterday around 10am. Damn it was hot. Mid 90s in Atlanta. I went through about 4 water bottles (stole 2 from my husband). I can only carry 2 unless I stick one in my jersey. Is this just me needing to acclimate? I tried drinking beforehand as I have a tendency to dehydrate. Yikes!

[makbike]

IMO, it takes time to acclimate to hot and humid conditions. Unfortunately, it appears the 4-6 weeks we are often afforded to make this transition will not happen this year. Several riders on today's century commented how hard today's ride was simply because they did not have time to adjust to the hot/humid conditions we have been hit with this summer. We typically do not experience this type of weather until mid-July. Keep drinking before, during and after your rides.

[F8th637]

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[OakLeaf]

Get a hydration pack. I can easily go through a two-liter Platypus plus both my water bottles on a 3-hour ride.

Unfortunately I don't have a way to carry water on my runs and I'm going to have to figure something out. I'm the gal who sweats out a liter an hour when it's 75 degrees F.

I hate having anything on my back when I ride too, but it beats the heck out of heat stroke.

[Bad JuJu]

+1 on the hydration pack.

Even once you're acclimated, you still need to carry and ingest plenty of fluids, and a hydration pack is the best bet for that. I also find that I feel better on hot rides if I replace electrolytes. If you don't like Gatorade, there are other 'lyte replacement fluids on the market. I carry water in my pack and Gatorade in my water bottle, and plan a stop at a convenience store if I think I'm going to need more than that.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You are way better off going out at like 7 or 8 am instead of 10, especially if you are doing a hilly ride and the temps are going to hit the 90's during mid day.

[Aggie_Ama]

We really hate summer riding in Texas (hot & humid) because we can no longer afford not to start at sunrise. Last summer we hit the road at 6:45-7:00 if we were doing a long ride. I take a lot of naps after rides!

You will acclimate but I find it easier to adjust through the course of the ride. I cannot start out at 10 am since the sun gets really intense by about 10:30.

[sundial]

I went out on a 22 mile (very hilly) ride yesterday around 10am. Damn it was hot. Mid 90s in Atlanta. I went through about 4 water bottles (stole 2 from my husband). I can only carry 2 unless I stick one in my jersey. Is this just me needing to acclimate? I tried drinking beforehand as I have a tendency to dehydrate. Yikes!

Don't ya just love humidity? It will zap all your energy and make you curse Mother Nature.

I ride with a Camelbak (with Elite added to my water) when the temps start rising. I also carry 2 "shower bottles" in my cages so I can douse my jersey when I need to cool off a little. We ride in open areas with no trees for shade and we are pretty cautious about staying hydrated. Is there a chance you can set your clock to be out by 5:30 a.m. to ride? There's enough light by then and little traffic. You also wont encounter the heat coming up from the asphalt that adds to your misery.

[Tuckervill]

All this talk about acclimating....I'm curious about what biological process or factors we might be talking about here?

Maybe it's just a matter of changing our minds?

I abhor humidity, but I don't mind riding my bike in it, because there's always a breeze on my face when I ride. Running, walking, on the other hand--not enough breeze to get any evaporation. In the car in the summer time I have to have the AC vents pointed right on my face or I wilt (until the car cools off--and not so bad now that I don't wear make-up--but if "I got my hair did" it better be COLD in the car before I get in).

With AC in the house only on my bottom floor, I've learned to sleep in a almost hot room. So if it's mind over matter, and I'm wondering what we're talking about when we wonder about acclimating?

Karen

[sundial]

With AC in the house only on my bottom floor, I've learned to sleep in a almost hot room.

Oh my, I would melt!

[Jolt]

Ugh...riding to the Y this afternoon (I was filling in as a lifeguard) was *#@!# miserable!!! It was about 95 degrees and humid--yuck! Biking is definitely better than running in this heat, but still pretty rough. About the only thing that seems to help is to get totally soaking wet before getting on the bike.

[mimitabby]

All this talk about acclimating....I'm curious about what biological process or factors we might be talking about here?


Karen

no, i think it's real. Raleighdon did a bunch of travelling a few years ago, from here (cool Seattle) to both New Orleans and Florida.
He went on some gungho rides on both ends and had trouble. Your blood "thins" apparently in hot weather. it takes a couple weeks to get used to the opposite extreme. At least in his case.

[OakLeaf]

All this talk about acclimating....I'm curious about what biological process or factors we might be talking about here?

I can't be more specific, but what we learned in aerobics instructor training is that your body learns to sweat more profusely while conserving electrolytes. When heat stroke isn't threatening, the biological priority is to conserve water, so you sweat less, and when a body isn't adapted to the heat, you're not sweating enough to cool you adequately. Next, you start sweating more but also sweating out a lot of electrolytes. When you're fully adapted, you're sweating a higher proportion of water.

[salsabike]

Not everyone adapts equally well. My sister has always done well in humid heat. I grew up in the same humid heat and never could function well in it. There are some individual, physiological tolerance ranges--we're not all built exactly the same.

[crazybikinchic]

the cycling coach that I train with in the winter and for the HHH sets the air at 80 degrees year round. He does this so that we are acclimated to the warmer weather in the spring and for the 100 degree weather for the HHH.