Training in the Heat

No blog last week, we decided we needed a holiday. Mind you this being a Roger Alsop holiday it involved a certain amount of training, and that meant for Carole as well as me. We went to one of my warm weather training bases. I have two: one in Ciudad Quesada, Spain, and one close to Dermirtas, Turkey. This time it was Turkey time.

I used this venue to great effect, around the same time, last year. I was preparing for the European Masters T&F Championships, taking place in Hungary. I figured it would be hot in Hungary, I wasn’t disappointed, so needed to get my body used to the conditions. Normally on these holidays I do reduced sessions but last year I was fighting fit and pushed with everything I had in very hot conditions. It paid off too, as I came away from Hungary with a European bronze medal in the 10000m, 25 times round a track in full view of the sun, or so it should have been, but for some reason I ended up running 26 times and gained my medal the hard way. Actually I should have won gold in the 10400m championship, because nobody else was stupid enough to go the extra quarter mile.

This year I don’t have a championship in mind, numerous problems and changes have made this year a more low profile one for me, but now we’re starting to get things settled I’m looking forward to some late summer form in the hope that I can gain selection for England in the Masters International Cross Country. Don’t write me off yet, I’m usually flying in October when things have been slow at the early point of the year. But back to Turkey, once again it was very hot, so I decided not to travel up to Mahmutlar where we usually train on the promenade, instead I attempted the hill on which the property is situated, Sultan Hill.

Day one - it was hot but I was feeling fresh. I remember the hill from 3 years ago but think I can still make it up 20 times. It’s not that far, perhaps 80-100m but it gets steeper as you get further up and the last 10m are a real struggle as lactic burns and the steepest point is reached. It’s the sort of hill you drive down in 1^st gear and we noticed other people were having to stop a number of times when walking up, what a joy it is to be fit, you get to run up, again and again. The first one seemed so easy I thought I might have to add a few more reps but then I hit rep no. 2 or perhaps I should say rep no. 2 hit me, I made it up but boy my legs felt like jelly. I got to about 14 and my legs were asking me to stop, but I ignored them as I generally do. Finally I made number 20, a short warm down followed, which required running back up the hill again and then a quick abs session before heading back down to the pool for a cool down. Carole gave it everything and managed 15 and a bit hills, not quite up to the top but still a good effort for someone who trains a fraction of the time I do.



 

View from the bottom of Sultan Hill, view is better from the top but you have to get there first, 20 times.

 

 

The swimming pool that awaits you after a hard session



 

Day two – it was hot, Carole was unfortunately busy! but that meant I could run into the interior. A nice little run for about 38 minutes but it was a busy road and Turkish drivers are the most scary I’ve ever come across, so I won’t be doing that again.



Carbo loading with an impending sunset, in preparation for another Sultan Hill session. This isn't me by the way



Day three – it was hot as we attempted Sultan Hill again, but now I remember what a killer session it is I decide to just do 18. Mentally I’m telling myself I did 20 on Sunday so 18 should be a doddle, physically it wasn’t, as continuous days and nights of hot temperatures took their toll. But we did it and followed up with another abs workout.

Day four – I think you know what the weather was like, and it didn’t change all week, except the temperature seemed to creep up day by day. We didn’t feel like running today, we’re on holiday, so I came up with a body weight and cardio session similar to the sort I take my clients through. These sessions are tough with very little rest but I manage to motivate clients into their 60s to complete them, obviously I tweak them for each person and quite rightly I tweaked ours to make it extra hard – 30 squat jumps is a bit of a killer but followed by 30 walking lunges with a twist is the sort of training that makes me smile. Not sure that was a smile coming from Carole but she didn’t complain, probably didn’t have the breath or the energy. I have to hand it to Carole, when I’m giving her a session I tailor it to her ability and fitness but if she’s doing a session ‘with me’ it’s at my ability and fitness levels, so good on her, oh and no additional breaks….

Day five – I’m sick of that hill so we head off into Demirtas, where they’ve built a new pavement just outside the village. It’s a nice pavement but not terribly long as we run up and down it to get in the required number of reps. 20 x 1min with 30 secs recovery for me and 15 x 1min with 1 min recovery for Carole (I was in a good mood). It was dry as anything and the wind made it even harder, by rep 15 I was desperate for a drink but the drink was somewhere else. I survived them, as did Carole. No abs today.

Day six – I decided we’d do another body weight and cardio session. This is great for me as I don’t do them myself very often, they’re designed as an alternative to doing cardio blocks in a session and they’re very effective.

And that was it, back home overnight on the Friday/Saturday, we arrived home at 3am (5am Turkish time which meant I’d been awake about 18 hours). The next morning I was up by 8am, I don’t lie in as I have too much energy to burn off. I attempted a 20 x 1min session with 30 secs recovery, I knew I’d be tired so didn’t want to make it too tough. But when it came to it my legs felt like somebody else’s, not sure who’s probably Colin Moir’s, so I switched to 15 reps, which was enough. The rest of the day was spent in relative limbo, a bit like I used to feel after a night shift (boy am I glad those days are over).   

So what can you deduce by all this waffle. You can train hard in hot conditions but be prepared to do a little less and make sure you’re properly hydrated. Sun cream and hats are a very good idea. I have some ultraviolet protection running gear, kindly presented to me by Ronhill and Hilly Clothing Company, not only do they protect me from the harmful rays of the sun but the hat is the most comfortable baseball cap I’ve ever worn. Roger Alsop creates great sessions for his clients. Driving in Turkey is not for the faint hearted.

While I was away I missed one of my favourite races, the BMAF 5k at Horwich. It was a shame as I’ve always run well there and I love the course but sometimes you have to prioritise. However, my pal Ray, who’s benefiting from my training and advice, went there and ran another pb – knocking a further 11 seconds off his time – well done Ray.

View from the balcony



If you found this interesting and fancy following my footsteps in Turkey, get in touch and I can put you in touch with the owner of the property.