Imagine you have a race at eight in the afternoon, Is it convenient to train at the same time as the competition? For this question the two possible answers may be worth.
In the beginning, training at different times than you will have the competition will not be an excessive disadvantage. There are studies in which the performance of runners at different times of the day has been compared and it was concluded that there is no advantage or disadvantage in terms of training time. In the case of strength training, it is more interesting to train in the afternoon, according to studies.
On the other hand, It does not hurt to do some training at the same time of the competition. This I see very suitable for example now in spring that begins to get hot. It is not the same to train at nine in the afternoon, when it gets dark and say « cool », than run at twelve in the morning, when the heat can be considerable.
If the race is at noon and we have never run at that time, we will probably notice how heat affects our performance: increased sweating, higher heart rate, dehydration and consequently, tiredness and premature fatigue, appearing that feeling of not being able to pull the legs when we are apparently trained and prepared for the test.
A small hourly acclimatization never hurts, as I say, especially for the races that are very hot in the morning and to which we are not accustomed. Less important is for example when it comes to a night race. In this case, what can influence eating habits: if we are not used to running at a certain time, our digestive system will not be either and it can surprise us.
In my opinion, at least It is convenient to do three or four workouts before the time of the competition, especially to see what sensations we have at that time running: heat, activation, digestive system … Psychologically it can also help us, accustoming the body to that at that time we have to make a great effort, so on the day of the race we do not It will surprise. Of course, if for you the race is not a competition and is simply a way to have fun, train whenever you want.
This article was originally published by Juan Lara in May 2014 and has been revised for republication.
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