• Better with the heat and humidity all the time •
[1½ MIN READ]
I hadn’t been getting accustomed to the heat. But I had an excuse.
The heat has been exceptional, no doubt. The last full week of July saw the 4 hottest days [free access with registration] ever scientifically recorded. That fact comes from thousands of data points across the globe, including from places that are currently experiencing winter (think southern hemisphere).
For my part, I was in native Alaska the 2 weeks of June’s end and July’s start, just when temps were really starting to rise. Not that inland AK was cold, but lows of 50° and highs of 70° were still 25 cooler than Philly. The first run I attempted back at SRC was Saturday, July 20. I stopped at the 10-mile turnaround flush faced and sopping with sweat. I bagged my Shawmont ascent for the first time in many, many months. Every 8-mile-and-plus attempt has gotten truncated since.
Happily, I read OKhen’s ChatGPT-collaboration Newsletter contribution on heat acclimatizing back in June. My big takeaway has been: “Start with short, low-intensity workouts in the heat. Gradually increase the duration and intensity over 10-14 days.” ChatGPT is one knowledge consolidator that perpetuates whatever popular authority the internet has to provide (but no citations to original sources). Then, in steps NYT to provide supplemental journalistic and academic authority: How Our Bodies Can Adapt to Heat [free access]. In addition to OKhen and ChatGPT, here’s another takeaway: “Your body will adjust to the level of work you put it through; light exercise in dry heat, for example, only acclimatizes you to light exercise in dry heat.”
Right there are the smallest bits of comfort to help adapt to these uncomfortable times. Catching up with those who’ve been acclimatizing this whole time, I do believe I’m Getting Better.*
-CtCloser (Calvinthe) “Negative Split or Positive Splat” #dothedue
FINE PRINT *Thanks to The Beatles. ¶Text by Calvin Wang (Wäng), CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. ¶Cross-published: Facebook Shawmont Running Club (ZY Weekly Newsletter 7/27/24), Shawmont Running Club website, Ruminations by CtCloser. ¶This website posting: Rumination with added caption.
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