1. Two words: hemoglobin gains.
After you’ve been a Heat Champion for about 3 weeks, your body will have created extra hemoglobin. Which means more power, lower heart rate, and higher VO2max. It’s a great way to reach a new 5-minute power peak. You’ll keep those gains for as long as you stay Heat Champion.
2. You’ll be prepared for the change in season.
Athletes’ worst performances are often during late of spring and early summer. Then, sudden warm spells kill your performance, but aren’t long enough to get you heat adapted. If you’ve spent the winter heat training, you’ll be ready for those early-season heat waves. This reason is super important for anyone racing a spring marathon.
3. It gives purpose to the off season.
Winter training is often low-intensity recovery and base building. But endless zone 2 can be booorrr-iiing. A structured heat training program, where you’re collecting Heat Training Load points and building a Heat Adaptation Score, gives weekly, tangible targets and rewards. A goal of ‘Heat Champion by April’ is a big winter motivator.
4. Indoor racing.
Are you racing on Zwift? Or even just trying to max out your FTP? Intense indoor efforts virtually guarantee a high core temp. The only way to avoid performance loss is to be heat adapted.
5. When the weather’s cold, it feels great to sweat.
Some people tolerate cold winters with saunas and hot tubs. To each his own, but we find all that sitting-around to be a bit dull. Sweating buckets while on the bike trainer or treadmill serves two purposes; it keeps us hot and keeps us active and fit.
6. Treadmill intervals.
Some runners need to train indoors during the winter – either from icy roads or lack of daylight. And they know how challenging intervals on the treadmill are. Being heat adapted makes them quite a bit easier.
7. It’s addictive. Really.
We know those first few heat sessions of the season are a challenge. But once heat adapted, some of us truly look forward to each week’s heat sessions. Honestly.
