Don't Blindly Follow TP in 40°C Heat – Smart Adjustments to ensure you survive the HEAT 🔥💧

With temperatures soaring towards 40°C (and even pushing close to 50°C in parts of inland NSW, QLD, and SA right now) across Australia this week, it's a timely reminder to be smart about your training! 🔥🌡️

Simply "following" your TrainingPeaks schedule blindly won't cut it in extreme heat, your performance will suffer, recovery will drag, and it can have significant knock-on effects for future sessions (higher perceived effort, increased injury risk, or even heat-related issues).

Here are some practical tweaks to implement over the coming days to stay safe, strong, and on track:

Timing is everything ⏰ Shift sessions earlier—start (and finish) rides/runs an hour or two sooner to dodge the peak heat. Early mornings are gold right now!

Shuffle the deck 🔄 Flexible is key. Move a swim to the hottest part of the day/week if it makes sense, or swap priorities. Avoid stacking hard runs back-to-back—give your body a breather to manage cumulative heat stress.

Hydration & electrolytes on point 💧⚡ Water alone isn't enough—replenish sodium and fluids aggressively. Dehydration hits performance in the current session AND carries over. Walking around constantly sipping on electrolytes in your stanley bottle might actually be appropriate here.

Go indoor when possible 🚴‍♂️🏠 If you've got a trainer, shift the bike session inside and drop volume by ~20%. You'll still hit similar TSS (Training Stress Score), but staying cooler preserves energy and reduces overall strain. Bonus: easier to control hydration indoors!

Refuel like a pro post-session 🍌🥤 Heat ramps up calorie burn (regulating body temp costs extra energy) and pulls more water/salt out. Nail carbs, protein, and fluids right after to kickstart recovery and be ready for the next one.

Stay tuned to how your body feels—listen to it over the plan. If you're feeling off (dizzy, excessive fatigue, nausea), cut it short and recover. An orange light here and there in TP will not ruin your race in 3 months time....I promise.

Please drop any tips and tricks you might have here below for all to learn.

Have an awesome weekend! 🚀

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