by David B. Glover, MS, CSCS
“I don’t think of myself as unbreakable. Perhaps I’m just rather flexible and adaptable.” — Aung San Suu Kyi
It’s a rainy, cool day here in Boulder – not a day I would pick to go riding.
But, when I talked to my friend, Peter, today, he remind me that I once told him, “Sometimes you have to go out and train in the rain.”
Why ride outside in the rain? Because it might rain on race day.
You can’t control the conditions on race day, but you can and should prepare. Training in adverse conditions will helps you race in adverse conditions.
What happens when it rains during a bike ride? The roads become slick and water may pool requiring more care on turns and during descents.
Will you be racing the run leg of your Ironman® or Half Ironman® during the heat of the afternoon? Then train – at least some of the time – in the heat of the afternoon so that you learn what that feels like and what your body needs to stay hydrated and cool.
The same approach applies for open water swimming. Do you want to become more comfortable swimming in open water? Then you have to practice in open water.
Of course, if weather conditions are too adversee – e.g. freezing rain – then safety and common sense should always come first.
