Other than some lingering fog there is only one draw back to training in on the Monterey Peninsula — you get used to the mild weather. The weather in my past two races has been hot and humid. The first one was respectable, but my last race was a disaster. I got up at 5:30 a.m., three hours before the start to do a 10-minute run and some quick strides. As I exited the hotel I felt like I was stepping into an oven. It actually felt a little cooler when I started warming up for the race two hours later. I think I was a little deceived by the temperature. I wound up having to drop out after six miles.
In any case, I learned the hard way that you can’t take heat acclimation for granted. I guess there was a reason we went to Beijing training camp three weeks before our events in the Olympics. But for these small races, I don’t have the time or the means to go acclimate like I did before the Olympics. Live and learn. I luckily do not have any more hot and humid races planned unless a freak warm spell hits the Houston Olympic Trials in January.
In any case, I learned the hard way that you can’t take heat acclimation for granted. I guess there was a reason we went to Beijing training camp three weeks before our events in the Olympics. But for these small races, I don’t have the time or the means to go acclimate like I did before the Olympics. Live and learn. I luckily do not have any more hot and humid races planned unless a freak warm spell hits the Houston Olympic Trials in January.
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