Effect of heat on pace: down to which distance ?

General discussion on Training. How to get better on your erg, how to use your erg to get better at another sport, or anything else about improving your abilities.
User avatar
Carl Watts
Marathon Poster
Posts: 4688
Joined: January 8th, 2010, 4:35 pm
Location: NEW ZEALAND

Re: Effect of heat on pace: down to which distance ?

Post by Carl Watts » July 18th, 2023, 4:00 am

aegis wrote:
July 18th, 2023, 3:27 am
I sweat a ton and a headband definitely helps!
Yep been there done that, had to wear fingerless gloves to soak up the sweat as well, hopeless.

Used to get off the rower with a stream of sweat down the centre of the slide and rear of the seat was a big puddle.

Can not be good for you to sweat that much, not just the water its a whole pile of electrolytes and other elements leaving the body that need replacement.
Carl Watts.
Age:56 Weight: 108kg Height:183cm
Concept 2 Monitor Service Technician & indoor rower.
http://log.concept2.com/profile/863525/log

HornetMaX
5k Poster
Posts: 521
Joined: September 14th, 2021, 5:41 am

Re: Effect of heat on pace: down to which distance ?

Post by HornetMaX » July 18th, 2023, 4:07 am

aegis wrote:
July 18th, 2023, 3:27 am
I sweat a ton and a headband definitely helps!
Head band + 2 large wrist bands and fan facing me full blast.

Still, end of last HM (in 31C, 76% humidity) I had quite a pool of sweat under the RowErg and my feet were literally bathing in my shoes. Had to pour the sweat off the shoes before putting them out to dry :o
1973, 173cm (5'8"), LW, started rowing Sep 2021 (after 10 years of being a couch potato), c2 log
RowErg PBs:
Image

aegis
500m Poster
Posts: 96
Joined: June 18th, 2022, 4:09 pm

Re: Effect of heat on pace: down to which distance ?

Post by aegis » July 18th, 2023, 4:30 am

HornetMaX wrote:
July 18th, 2023, 4:07 am
aegis wrote:
July 18th, 2023, 3:27 am
I sweat a ton and a headband definitely helps!
Head band + 2 large wrist bands and fan facing me full blast.

Still, end of last HM (in 31C, 76% humidity) I had quite a pool of sweat under the RowErg and my feet were literally bathing in my shoes. Had to pour the sweat off the shoes before putting them out to dry :o
I find that I have sweat behind my C2, it normally flies off me.
Carl Watts wrote:
July 18th, 2023, 4:00 am
aegis wrote:
July 18th, 2023, 3:27 am
I sweat a ton and a headband definitely helps!
Yep been there done that, had to wear fingerless gloves to soak up the sweat as well, hopeless.

Used to get off the rower with a stream of sweat down the centre of the slide and rear of the seat was a big puddle.

Can not be good for you to sweat that much, not just the water its a whole pile of electrolytes and other elements leaving the body that need replacement.
Yes because I sweat a ton, I will take an electrolyte drink if its 1.5hours or more. Normally I program my PM5 to have breaks every 15min or so for a drink. I haven't attempted any TTs above 5km and I think managing water/electrolyte intake will be tricky for me.

JaapvanE
10k Poster
Posts: 1305
Joined: January 4th, 2022, 2:49 am

Re: Effect of heat on pace: down to which distance ?

Post by JaapvanE » July 18th, 2023, 5:55 am

HornetMaX wrote:
July 18th, 2023, 4:07 am
Still, end of last HM (in 31C, 76% humidity) I had quite a pool of sweat under the RowErg and my feet were literally bathing in my shoes. Had to pour the sweat off the shoes before putting them out to dry :o
When temperatures go above 25°C, I tend to step it down a notch or two. And I move my training to the 22:00 time period to capture the cooler winds. We had a heat-wave where temps were like that for a week or 3. Only did HR Zone 2 stuff with 2 fans on me (one being a Wahoo headwind at full force). Might not be the best for my power development, but I rather not make it to the news as one of those idiots that hurt himself by ignoring environmental conditions and suffer a self-induced heatstroke.

Me, Myself and I
Paddler
Posts: 24
Joined: October 22nd, 2021, 4:34 pm

Re: Effect of heat on pace: down to which distance ?

Post by Me, Myself and I » July 18th, 2023, 4:07 pm

It's not just the heat. Cooler weather can catch you out also.
Now middle of winter where I live. Here especially, it's the humidity that knocks you for six not the heat.

Did a session earlier on. 8,000m @ 2 watts per kilo, constant pace. Start 4:00am. Temp: 12°C. Humidity 100%. Windows on our house were fogged up.
Had a fan going full blast and still worked up a good sweat.
Didn't affect my HR. However my body was protesting in the later stages where normally I would do the session easily.
67, 175cm, 65kg.

HornetMaX
5k Poster
Posts: 521
Joined: September 14th, 2021, 5:41 am

Re: Effect of heat on pace: down to which distance ?

Post by HornetMaX » July 26th, 2023, 9:08 am

I managed to mitigate a bit simply by rowing with:
  • No tshirt
  • No shorts (just swimsuit trunks because .. well, yeah ...)
  • No shoes
The "no shoes one" is a bit tricky: I was used to row my long sessions without the foot straps (I find it helps me rowing better), but going no shoes has the obvious problem of your heels rubbing on the plasticky back of the foot rest. I tried a 1H session and yeah, got blisters. But it wasn't terrible. Next session was an HM and I did it with some foam wrapped around the foot rest and it went fine. Today another 1H session (no shoes,foam, no straps) and it went smooth as silk.

I'm kind of wondering if, when I want to row with no shoes (due to temperature), I can row removing the foot rest (the thing that can slide up/down depending on your foot size) completely: I'll try, first sight it shouldn't be an issue for long steady state sessions.
1973, 173cm (5'8"), LW, started rowing Sep 2021 (after 10 years of being a couch potato), c2 log
RowErg PBs:
Image

jcross485
6k Poster
Posts: 762
Joined: February 27th, 2022, 10:04 am

Re: Effect of heat on pace: down to which distance ?

Post by jcross485 » July 30th, 2023, 8:18 am

Me, Myself and I wrote:
July 18th, 2023, 4:07 pm
It's not just the heat. Cooler weather can catch you out also.
Now middle of winter where I live. Here especially, it's the humidity that knocks you for six not the heat.

Did a session earlier on. 8,000m @ 2 watts per kilo, constant pace. Start 4:00am. Temp: 12°C. Humidity 100%. Windows on our house were fogged up.
Had a fan going full blast and still worked up a good sweat.
Didn't affect my HR. However my body was protesting in the later stages where normally I would do the session easily.
I agree that humidity is a big factor. I normally train in my garage in Las Vegas, NV - it can get rather hot in there in the summer (albeit cold in the winter) and the heat does affect my pace. That said, I am in FL for a few days and went for a run this morning - cooler than back home but much, much more humid and dew point significantly higher - and my HR crept up more during the run than it would for something similar back home.
M, '85; 5'10" (1.78m), 175lbs (79kg)

iain
10k Poster
Posts: 1125
Joined: October 11th, 2007, 6:56 am
Location: Reading, UK

Re: Effect of heat on pace: down to which distance ?

Post by iain » August 1st, 2023, 8:25 am

Interesting answers. I would have suspected that removing my clothes would make matters worse (at least in higher humidity) as the sweat would not be held to cool you and the heating effect would be minimal.
56, lightweight in pace and by gravity. Currently training 3-4 times a week after a break to slowly regain the pitiful fitness I achieved a few years ago. Free Spirit, come join us http://www.freespiritsrowing.com/forum/

Post Reply