Hi there, team. Coach Alexa here, online running coach at We Run. So certainly in the balmy southeast of England today, we have got some lovely warmer weather. It’s hitting highs of 18 degrees today, which is about a 10 degree sudden improvement on last week, and a lot of runners are going, “But it’s a bit warm.”
Why you should train in warmer weather
I would really encourage you to get out and do some training in this warm weather. Particularly if you’ve got a spring race coming up in April or May, or you’re racing over the summer, this is a fantastic opportunity to get out and do some training in warmer conditions in case it is warm on race day.
For example, the London Marathon last year was suddenly a bit more of an unseasonably warm day, and it caught a lot of people out because we had not really had any warm weather at all up until that point.
Build heat adaptation and race readiness
If that happens again for your spring marathon or half marathon, this week and other warm days are a fantastic opportunity to physically prepare. You can get a little bit of heat adaptation in the body and practise your hydration, your electrolytes, and salts.
But also mentally, it is great preparation. If it is warm on race day, you have that inner confidence. You know you have done some training in warmer weather, and you know what it feels like.
Mental preparation through challenging conditions
You have a bit more mental preparation for a warmer race day. You can extrapolate this to all sorts of different aspects.
If you have a spring race and you have been training over the winter in difficult weather, then if we do get a nicer spring day, it is going to feel easier than gale force winds and continuous rain.
There is something about having slightly challenging experiences in training that can help us mentally prepare for race day.
Train in all conditions for better performance
Run in all weathers, because we cannot control the weather on race day. Train on different terrains as well. Not all of your training needs to change, as some of it should stay specific.
For example, if you are training for a flat road race, including some hillier routes in your training will, over time, make flatter routes feel a little bit easier.
Again, mentally, you go into race day thinking, “I have done more challenging routes and trained in tougher conditions, so I am well prepared.”
Final thoughts
Particularly if you have a spring or early summer race coming up, get out in this warmer weather while it is here. Get that heat adaptation and get your mind prepared for what running in warmth actually feels like again.
Happy running.
