As I got caught in a heavy downpour during my ride this morning I started thinking about the benefits of training in poor/bad weather.
Oh sure, I receive comments at home, and glances from drivers and pedestrians who are trying to get inside, but the truth of the matter is that these days prepared me for less than ideal race day conditions.
The purpose of training is to prepare your body and your mind for race day. That means trying to replicate, as closely as possible, the different course conditions. And weather is a condition that needs to be considered.
We all like to think (read hope) that our race days will be sunny, warm, and wind free. But the reality is that we cannot predict race day weather...so a dark, cold, wet, and/or windy day is just a likely.
So by choosing to train in less than ideal conditions you will be prepared for anything Mother Nature throws at you on race day.
Wet? You'll be confident handling your bike on the wet road. And you'll know that you need a band aid to keep the blisters away during the run.
Choppy water? You know how to time your breathing so you don't swallow water, and adjust your stroke.
Windy? You know what gearing you'll need to spin through the gusts.
So when race day conditions are not so great you will be able to concentrate on the task at hand...getting to the finish line.
So the next time the weather forecast is less than ideal look at it as a perfect training day. Grab the proper gear and have a great session.
But remember safety first. Do not go out in unsafe conditions. Thunder, poor visibility, extreme heat, extreme cold are conditions that make me think twice.
|Have fun, and keep tri'n.
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