Impact of Heat on Fitness
.webp)
Every year in the UAE the ‘dreaded’ summer comes round. Training peaks feedback becomes weather related and the race to winter begins.
It can be a really difficult time for training, it can also be a great time for training. How you approach the heat will define how you deal with it and ultimately how consistent you remain with your program.
Some simply chose to stay away from the heat, indoor running, riding and swimming and the comfort of an air-cooled gym. This is fine and certainly any key intense sessions should be done in controlled and cooled conditions, but are you missing out not exposing yourself to the heat?
Exercise in hot conditions places the body under greater physical stress compared to the same intensity of exercise in cooler conditions, that is a fact. A consequence of this fact is performance in the hot conditions is impaired, however, as we know, if we recover properly from stress (training) we develop greater fitness. Remember, exercise breaks down muscle tissue and recovery enables it to be built back up, this is the underpinning mechanism of building fitness. So by increasing stress further through exercising in hot conditions, we can actually gain fitness from it.
This might not be making sense to you if you have experienced slowly melting into the tarmac of Al Qudra, or wobbling slowly down the beach track wondering why you’re seeing double, but if you think about the timeline of the Dubai race season, and when most of the PB’s occur its usually Dec, Jan and Feb time. A reason for this is that training sub maximally in hot conditions has been shown to increase Vo2 max, enhance cooling capabilities, increase blood plasma volume, a stabilised fluid balance and resting cardiac response. All this means you have a great fitness boost as you head into the critical ‘race build’ through Sept, Oct and Nov. That boost in fitness means a higher training load and training stress tolerance. Those who remained indoors, won’t get this affect as fast because they will have to go through the adaptive phase while the outsiders will be cherishing the cooler climate.
So if you’re an indoor athlete in the summer months, it might be worth considering some heat adaptation. Here are some key points to remember when heading back outside.
Stay at sub max intensities. Keep your work rate at 90% or less of threshold HR, pace or power. Basically Do everything at 10% less than you normally would.
Lower your temp immediately post exercise. Iced slushies or smoothies are a great way to do this and should be consumed as close to finishing the session as possible.
Weight yourself before and after sessions, the weight diff is your fluid loss. 1kg = 1L, replace fluid loss by 1.5 times and include electrolytes.
Short term adaptations (7 - 10 days) are rapid, don't give up after 2 - 3 sessions, stick with it to see quick benefits.
Long term adaptations kick in after 10 - 14 days, this is when you will notice performance increasing in cooler conditions and resting metrics (pulse, HRV, lower core temp) start to show.
For those who are exercising outside in the summer already, consider the below to help you get the most from the hot months.
Know your sweat rate, you may have done it at the beginning of summer but as you adapt further and get better at cooling you will sweat more so be conscious of that.
Don't neglect the indoors completely. It is often wise to do your hard (vo2 max/ zone 5 / maximal sprints) indoors if you can. That way you are maximising your anaerobic system which is one area of the bodies physiology that doesn’t improve in the heat.
Be aware that for each day out of the heat, the rate of decay is up to 2.5% per day. So if you have spent a few days indoors, be ready for the first day back outside to feel hot!
You don't get better at retaining electrolytes, you should always be replacing your electrolytes in hot conditions. Sodium being the most important one. Just water in the heat isn’t enough and you will be seriously impacting your fluid balance, recovery and sleep if you don’t replace what you lose. As sweat rate increases, so will electrolyte loss.
So that’s it, maybe its time to stop complaining about the Dubai summer and embrace it!? The InnerFight Endurance team certainly does, it isn’t easy but stick to the 10% less rule, replace your fluid loss and electrolytes, eat frozen açai post session and reap the rewards come cooler months.

ENGINE
A sustained 50-minute aerobic workout designed to build your engine and endurance. Expect continuous movement across the bike, rower, ski erg, and running, all at a manageable, steady pace.
GYMNASTICS
This week is all about the bar! On Tuesday, we’ll continue working on pulling strength, followed by kipping and butterfly progressions. On Thursday, Bar Muscle Ups will make an appearance. Get ready for low bar drills, strength work and BMU progressions galore.
HYROX
A high-intensity session focused on building leg strength and muscular endurance. We will finish each movement with short runs to build resilience under fatigue.
MOBILITY
Back to the flows, yes, back in popular demand, I’m running it back. Full body stretching ended with stability/activation of course.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with a heavy set of RDLS, followed by some Front squat volume, and then some frontal plane strength work. On Wednesday, we have some overcoming isometrics to kick our session off, followed by some cluster sets on the bench press, and then some push-pull accessory work.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is snatch; we are breaking down the movement. Starting with the 3-position snatch. Drilling the timings under the barbell. Followed by snatch pulls and a complex of behind-the-neck push press into OHS.

Monday Ride
A ride dedicated to group riding skills and some fitness. Coach Rob Foster leads this ride, if you'd like to join email Rob Foster
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Bike DXB
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride.
Please email Rob Foster for more details.
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.

Monday
Time: 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be dialling into that Tempo effort (7/10 RPE) for 5 mins blocks. You will take a 2 min recovery after each block and repeat the sequence 5x.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we will be running 300m repeats at 3km pace, each with a very easy float between.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we have intervals in the morning and evening. We will be running 100m effort through the park behind InnerFight, you will then have 300m easy/recovery before repeating the sequence.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
This week we will be working on a negative split run. After 20 mins of easy running you will go into 1 min on, 1 min off intervals for 30 mins. Post session coffees at Common Grounds from 7am.

Monday:
Starting the week with some pressing tempo push-up work, followed by some bench press and death march, and then a strongman-style workout for an epic start to the week!
Strength:
A) EMOM x 8 - 3 to 5 tempo push-ups tempo @31x1
B) Every 90 sec x 10 alt between - 5 Barbell bench press @20x1 (building) & 16 alt DB death march
Conditioning:
For Time:
10-1 Sandbag Over Shoulder
1-10 Dumbbell STOH
Tuesday:
Tuesday, we have some sled work in the strength, and then some Interval work that will challenge your squat and pull endurance.
Strength:
A) 6 mins build to max triple broad jump
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 2 mins x 5 2 length sled push
Conditioning:
4 min window
30 sec wall sit
30 wall balls
15 pull-ups
AMRAP cal ski
Rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Wednesday is all about the barbell in both the skill and a fast-paced
Squat clean and run workout.
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 8 - 2 power clean + 2 push press
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 90 sec x 3 6 BB good mornings @30x1
Conditioning:
For Time:
15-12- 9 Squat Cleans
After each set, a park run
Thursday:
Thursday, we have some strict pull-up work followed by a long endurance workout on the rower.
Strength:
A: In a 2-minute window, establish a MAX unbroken set of strict pull-ups/chest 2 bar/bar muscle-ups
+
B: EMOM 8 @ 33% of A
Conditioning:
30 mins Max Cal Row:
0-10 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpees
11-20 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump
21-30 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump over
Friday:
FUF, we are finishing off with some single-leg and core work, and then 6 rounds of
Strength:
A) EMOM x 6 - 20 sec strict TTB/SLR
rest 2 min
B) Every 2 mins x 4 - 12 alt front rack KB reverse lunge
Conditioning:
6 Rounds For Time:
12 TTB
40/30 Cal Ass Bike and C2 bike (Alternating)
20 Russian KB Swing
.webp)
Every year in the UAE the ‘dreaded’ summer comes round. Training peaks feedback becomes weather related and the race to winter begins.
It can be a really difficult time for training, it can also be a great time for training. How you approach the heat will define how you deal with it and ultimately how consistent you remain with your program.
Some simply chose to stay away from the heat, indoor running, riding and swimming and the comfort of an air-cooled gym. This is fine and certainly any key intense sessions should be done in controlled and cooled conditions, but are you missing out not exposing yourself to the heat?
Exercise in hot conditions places the body under greater physical stress compared to the same intensity of exercise in cooler conditions, that is a fact. A consequence of this fact is performance in the hot conditions is impaired, however, as we know, if we recover properly from stress (training) we develop greater fitness. Remember, exercise breaks down muscle tissue and recovery enables it to be built back up, this is the underpinning mechanism of building fitness. So by increasing stress further through exercising in hot conditions, we can actually gain fitness from it.
This might not be making sense to you if you have experienced slowly melting into the tarmac of Al Qudra, or wobbling slowly down the beach track wondering why you’re seeing double, but if you think about the timeline of the Dubai race season, and when most of the PB’s occur its usually Dec, Jan and Feb time. A reason for this is that training sub maximally in hot conditions has been shown to increase Vo2 max, enhance cooling capabilities, increase blood plasma volume, a stabilised fluid balance and resting cardiac response. All this means you have a great fitness boost as you head into the critical ‘race build’ through Sept, Oct and Nov. That boost in fitness means a higher training load and training stress tolerance. Those who remained indoors, won’t get this affect as fast because they will have to go through the adaptive phase while the outsiders will be cherishing the cooler climate.
So if you’re an indoor athlete in the summer months, it might be worth considering some heat adaptation. Here are some key points to remember when heading back outside.
Stay at sub max intensities. Keep your work rate at 90% or less of threshold HR, pace or power. Basically Do everything at 10% less than you normally would.
Lower your temp immediately post exercise. Iced slushies or smoothies are a great way to do this and should be consumed as close to finishing the session as possible.
Weight yourself before and after sessions, the weight diff is your fluid loss. 1kg = 1L, replace fluid loss by 1.5 times and include electrolytes.
Short term adaptations (7 - 10 days) are rapid, don't give up after 2 - 3 sessions, stick with it to see quick benefits.
Long term adaptations kick in after 10 - 14 days, this is when you will notice performance increasing in cooler conditions and resting metrics (pulse, HRV, lower core temp) start to show.
For those who are exercising outside in the summer already, consider the below to help you get the most from the hot months.
Know your sweat rate, you may have done it at the beginning of summer but as you adapt further and get better at cooling you will sweat more so be conscious of that.
Don't neglect the indoors completely. It is often wise to do your hard (vo2 max/ zone 5 / maximal sprints) indoors if you can. That way you are maximising your anaerobic system which is one area of the bodies physiology that doesn’t improve in the heat.
Be aware that for each day out of the heat, the rate of decay is up to 2.5% per day. So if you have spent a few days indoors, be ready for the first day back outside to feel hot!
You don't get better at retaining electrolytes, you should always be replacing your electrolytes in hot conditions. Sodium being the most important one. Just water in the heat isn’t enough and you will be seriously impacting your fluid balance, recovery and sleep if you don’t replace what you lose. As sweat rate increases, so will electrolyte loss.
So that’s it, maybe its time to stop complaining about the Dubai summer and embrace it!? The InnerFight Endurance team certainly does, it isn’t easy but stick to the 10% less rule, replace your fluid loss and electrolytes, eat frozen açai post session and reap the rewards come cooler months.

Monday Ride
A ride dedicated to group riding skills and some fitness. Coach Rob Foster leads this ride, if you'd like to join email Rob Foster
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Bike DXB
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride.
Please email Rob Foster for more details.
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.

Monday
Time: 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be dialling into that Tempo effort (7/10 RPE) for 5 mins blocks. You will take a 2 min recovery after each block and repeat the sequence 5x.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we will be running 300m repeats at 3km pace, each with a very easy float between.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we have intervals in the morning and evening. We will be running 100m effort through the park behind InnerFight, you will then have 300m easy/recovery before repeating the sequence.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
This week we will be working on a negative split run. After 20 mins of easy running you will go into 1 min on, 1 min off intervals for 30 mins. Post session coffees at Common Grounds from 7am.

Monday:
Starting the week with some pressing tempo push-up work, followed by some bench press and death march, and then a strongman-style workout for an epic start to the week!
Strength:
A) EMOM x 8 - 3 to 5 tempo push-ups tempo @31x1
B) Every 90 sec x 10 alt between - 5 Barbell bench press @20x1 (building) & 16 alt DB death march
Conditioning:
For Time:
10-1 Sandbag Over Shoulder
1-10 Dumbbell STOH
Tuesday:
Tuesday, we have some sled work in the strength, and then some Interval work that will challenge your squat and pull endurance.
Strength:
A) 6 mins build to max triple broad jump
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 2 mins x 5 2 length sled push
Conditioning:
4 min window
30 sec wall sit
30 wall balls
15 pull-ups
AMRAP cal ski
Rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Wednesday is all about the barbell in both the skill and a fast-paced
Squat clean and run workout.
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 8 - 2 power clean + 2 push press
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 90 sec x 3 6 BB good mornings @30x1
Conditioning:
For Time:
15-12- 9 Squat Cleans
After each set, a park run
Thursday:
Thursday, we have some strict pull-up work followed by a long endurance workout on the rower.
Strength:
A: In a 2-minute window, establish a MAX unbroken set of strict pull-ups/chest 2 bar/bar muscle-ups
+
B: EMOM 8 @ 33% of A
Conditioning:
30 mins Max Cal Row:
0-10 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpees
11-20 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump
21-30 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump over
Friday:
FUF, we are finishing off with some single-leg and core work, and then 6 rounds of
Strength:
A) EMOM x 6 - 20 sec strict TTB/SLR
rest 2 min
B) Every 2 mins x 4 - 12 alt front rack KB reverse lunge
Conditioning:
6 Rounds For Time:
12 TTB
40/30 Cal Ass Bike and C2 bike (Alternating)
20 Russian KB Swing

ENGINE
A sustained 50-minute aerobic workout designed to build your engine and endurance. Expect continuous movement across the bike, rower, ski erg, and running, all at a manageable, steady pace.
GYMNASTICS
This week is all about the bar! On Tuesday, we’ll continue working on pulling strength, followed by kipping and butterfly progressions. On Thursday, Bar Muscle Ups will make an appearance. Get ready for low bar drills, strength work and BMU progressions galore.
HYROX
A high-intensity session focused on building leg strength and muscular endurance. We will finish each movement with short runs to build resilience under fatigue.
MOBILITY
Back to the flows, yes, back in popular demand, I’m running it back. Full body stretching ended with stability/activation of course.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with a heavy set of RDLS, followed by some Front squat volume, and then some frontal plane strength work. On Wednesday, we have some overcoming isometrics to kick our session off, followed by some cluster sets on the bench press, and then some push-pull accessory work.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is snatch; we are breaking down the movement. Starting with the 3-position snatch. Drilling the timings under the barbell. Followed by snatch pulls and a complex of behind-the-neck push press into OHS.
.webp)
Every year in the UAE the ‘dreaded’ summer comes round. Training peaks feedback becomes weather related and the race to winter begins.
It can be a really difficult time for training, it can also be a great time for training. How you approach the heat will define how you deal with it and ultimately how consistent you remain with your program.
Some simply chose to stay away from the heat, indoor running, riding and swimming and the comfort of an air-cooled gym. This is fine and certainly any key intense sessions should be done in controlled and cooled conditions, but are you missing out not exposing yourself to the heat?
Exercise in hot conditions places the body under greater physical stress compared to the same intensity of exercise in cooler conditions, that is a fact. A consequence of this fact is performance in the hot conditions is impaired, however, as we know, if we recover properly from stress (training) we develop greater fitness. Remember, exercise breaks down muscle tissue and recovery enables it to be built back up, this is the underpinning mechanism of building fitness. So by increasing stress further through exercising in hot conditions, we can actually gain fitness from it.
This might not be making sense to you if you have experienced slowly melting into the tarmac of Al Qudra, or wobbling slowly down the beach track wondering why you’re seeing double, but if you think about the timeline of the Dubai race season, and when most of the PB’s occur its usually Dec, Jan and Feb time. A reason for this is that training sub maximally in hot conditions has been shown to increase Vo2 max, enhance cooling capabilities, increase blood plasma volume, a stabilised fluid balance and resting cardiac response. All this means you have a great fitness boost as you head into the critical ‘race build’ through Sept, Oct and Nov. That boost in fitness means a higher training load and training stress tolerance. Those who remained indoors, won’t get this affect as fast because they will have to go through the adaptive phase while the outsiders will be cherishing the cooler climate.
So if you’re an indoor athlete in the summer months, it might be worth considering some heat adaptation. Here are some key points to remember when heading back outside.
Stay at sub max intensities. Keep your work rate at 90% or less of threshold HR, pace or power. Basically Do everything at 10% less than you normally would.
Lower your temp immediately post exercise. Iced slushies or smoothies are a great way to do this and should be consumed as close to finishing the session as possible.
Weight yourself before and after sessions, the weight diff is your fluid loss. 1kg = 1L, replace fluid loss by 1.5 times and include electrolytes.
Short term adaptations (7 - 10 days) are rapid, don't give up after 2 - 3 sessions, stick with it to see quick benefits.
Long term adaptations kick in after 10 - 14 days, this is when you will notice performance increasing in cooler conditions and resting metrics (pulse, HRV, lower core temp) start to show.
For those who are exercising outside in the summer already, consider the below to help you get the most from the hot months.
Know your sweat rate, you may have done it at the beginning of summer but as you adapt further and get better at cooling you will sweat more so be conscious of that.
Don't neglect the indoors completely. It is often wise to do your hard (vo2 max/ zone 5 / maximal sprints) indoors if you can. That way you are maximising your anaerobic system which is one area of the bodies physiology that doesn’t improve in the heat.
Be aware that for each day out of the heat, the rate of decay is up to 2.5% per day. So if you have spent a few days indoors, be ready for the first day back outside to feel hot!
You don't get better at retaining electrolytes, you should always be replacing your electrolytes in hot conditions. Sodium being the most important one. Just water in the heat isn’t enough and you will be seriously impacting your fluid balance, recovery and sleep if you don’t replace what you lose. As sweat rate increases, so will electrolyte loss.
So that’s it, maybe its time to stop complaining about the Dubai summer and embrace it!? The InnerFight Endurance team certainly does, it isn’t easy but stick to the 10% less rule, replace your fluid loss and electrolytes, eat frozen açai post session and reap the rewards come cooler months.

Monday
Time: 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be dialling into that Tempo effort (7/10 RPE) for 5 mins blocks. You will take a 2 min recovery after each block and repeat the sequence 5x.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we will be running 300m repeats at 3km pace, each with a very easy float between.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we have intervals in the morning and evening. We will be running 100m effort through the park behind InnerFight, you will then have 300m easy/recovery before repeating the sequence.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
This week we will be working on a negative split run. After 20 mins of easy running you will go into 1 min on, 1 min off intervals for 30 mins. Post session coffees at Common Grounds from 7am.

Monday:
Starting the week with some pressing tempo push-up work, followed by some bench press and death march, and then a strongman-style workout for an epic start to the week!
Strength:
A) EMOM x 8 - 3 to 5 tempo push-ups tempo @31x1
B) Every 90 sec x 10 alt between - 5 Barbell bench press @20x1 (building) & 16 alt DB death march
Conditioning:
For Time:
10-1 Sandbag Over Shoulder
1-10 Dumbbell STOH
Tuesday:
Tuesday, we have some sled work in the strength, and then some Interval work that will challenge your squat and pull endurance.
Strength:
A) 6 mins build to max triple broad jump
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 2 mins x 5 2 length sled push
Conditioning:
4 min window
30 sec wall sit
30 wall balls
15 pull-ups
AMRAP cal ski
Rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Wednesday is all about the barbell in both the skill and a fast-paced
Squat clean and run workout.
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 8 - 2 power clean + 2 push press
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 90 sec x 3 6 BB good mornings @30x1
Conditioning:
For Time:
15-12- 9 Squat Cleans
After each set, a park run
Thursday:
Thursday, we have some strict pull-up work followed by a long endurance workout on the rower.
Strength:
A: In a 2-minute window, establish a MAX unbroken set of strict pull-ups/chest 2 bar/bar muscle-ups
+
B: EMOM 8 @ 33% of A
Conditioning:
30 mins Max Cal Row:
0-10 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpees
11-20 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump
21-30 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump over
Friday:
FUF, we are finishing off with some single-leg and core work, and then 6 rounds of
Strength:
A) EMOM x 6 - 20 sec strict TTB/SLR
rest 2 min
B) Every 2 mins x 4 - 12 alt front rack KB reverse lunge
Conditioning:
6 Rounds For Time:
12 TTB
40/30 Cal Ass Bike and C2 bike (Alternating)
20 Russian KB Swing

ENGINE
A sustained 50-minute aerobic workout designed to build your engine and endurance. Expect continuous movement across the bike, rower, ski erg, and running, all at a manageable, steady pace.
GYMNASTICS
This week is all about the bar! On Tuesday, we’ll continue working on pulling strength, followed by kipping and butterfly progressions. On Thursday, Bar Muscle Ups will make an appearance. Get ready for low bar drills, strength work and BMU progressions galore.
HYROX
A high-intensity session focused on building leg strength and muscular endurance. We will finish each movement with short runs to build resilience under fatigue.
MOBILITY
Back to the flows, yes, back in popular demand, I’m running it back. Full body stretching ended with stability/activation of course.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with a heavy set of RDLS, followed by some Front squat volume, and then some frontal plane strength work. On Wednesday, we have some overcoming isometrics to kick our session off, followed by some cluster sets on the bench press, and then some push-pull accessory work.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is snatch; we are breaking down the movement. Starting with the 3-position snatch. Drilling the timings under the barbell. Followed by snatch pulls and a complex of behind-the-neck push press into OHS.

Monday Ride
A ride dedicated to group riding skills and some fitness. Coach Rob Foster leads this ride, if you'd like to join email Rob Foster
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Bike DXB
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride.
Please email Rob Foster for more details.
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.
.webp)
Every year in the UAE the ‘dreaded’ summer comes round. Training peaks feedback becomes weather related and the race to winter begins.
It can be a really difficult time for training, it can also be a great time for training. How you approach the heat will define how you deal with it and ultimately how consistent you remain with your program.
Some simply chose to stay away from the heat, indoor running, riding and swimming and the comfort of an air-cooled gym. This is fine and certainly any key intense sessions should be done in controlled and cooled conditions, but are you missing out not exposing yourself to the heat?
Exercise in hot conditions places the body under greater physical stress compared to the same intensity of exercise in cooler conditions, that is a fact. A consequence of this fact is performance in the hot conditions is impaired, however, as we know, if we recover properly from stress (training) we develop greater fitness. Remember, exercise breaks down muscle tissue and recovery enables it to be built back up, this is the underpinning mechanism of building fitness. So by increasing stress further through exercising in hot conditions, we can actually gain fitness from it.
This might not be making sense to you if you have experienced slowly melting into the tarmac of Al Qudra, or wobbling slowly down the beach track wondering why you’re seeing double, but if you think about the timeline of the Dubai race season, and when most of the PB’s occur its usually Dec, Jan and Feb time. A reason for this is that training sub maximally in hot conditions has been shown to increase Vo2 max, enhance cooling capabilities, increase blood plasma volume, a stabilised fluid balance and resting cardiac response. All this means you have a great fitness boost as you head into the critical ‘race build’ through Sept, Oct and Nov. That boost in fitness means a higher training load and training stress tolerance. Those who remained indoors, won’t get this affect as fast because they will have to go through the adaptive phase while the outsiders will be cherishing the cooler climate.
So if you’re an indoor athlete in the summer months, it might be worth considering some heat adaptation. Here are some key points to remember when heading back outside.
Stay at sub max intensities. Keep your work rate at 90% or less of threshold HR, pace or power. Basically Do everything at 10% less than you normally would.
Lower your temp immediately post exercise. Iced slushies or smoothies are a great way to do this and should be consumed as close to finishing the session as possible.
Weight yourself before and after sessions, the weight diff is your fluid loss. 1kg = 1L, replace fluid loss by 1.5 times and include electrolytes.
Short term adaptations (7 - 10 days) are rapid, don't give up after 2 - 3 sessions, stick with it to see quick benefits.
Long term adaptations kick in after 10 - 14 days, this is when you will notice performance increasing in cooler conditions and resting metrics (pulse, HRV, lower core temp) start to show.
For those who are exercising outside in the summer already, consider the below to help you get the most from the hot months.
Know your sweat rate, you may have done it at the beginning of summer but as you adapt further and get better at cooling you will sweat more so be conscious of that.
Don't neglect the indoors completely. It is often wise to do your hard (vo2 max/ zone 5 / maximal sprints) indoors if you can. That way you are maximising your anaerobic system which is one area of the bodies physiology that doesn’t improve in the heat.
Be aware that for each day out of the heat, the rate of decay is up to 2.5% per day. So if you have spent a few days indoors, be ready for the first day back outside to feel hot!
You don't get better at retaining electrolytes, you should always be replacing your electrolytes in hot conditions. Sodium being the most important one. Just water in the heat isn’t enough and you will be seriously impacting your fluid balance, recovery and sleep if you don’t replace what you lose. As sweat rate increases, so will electrolyte loss.
So that’s it, maybe its time to stop complaining about the Dubai summer and embrace it!? The InnerFight Endurance team certainly does, it isn’t easy but stick to the 10% less rule, replace your fluid loss and electrolytes, eat frozen açai post session and reap the rewards come cooler months.
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Every year in the UAE the ‘dreaded’ summer comes round. Training peaks feedback becomes weather related and the race to winter begins.
It can be a really difficult time for training, it can also be a great time for training. How you approach the heat will define how you deal with it and ultimately how consistent you remain with your program.
Some simply chose to stay away from the heat, indoor running, riding and swimming and the comfort of an air-cooled gym. This is fine and certainly any key intense sessions should be done in controlled and cooled conditions, but are you missing out not exposing yourself to the heat?
Exercise in hot conditions places the body under greater physical stress compared to the same intensity of exercise in cooler conditions, that is a fact. A consequence of this fact is performance in the hot conditions is impaired, however, as we know, if we recover properly from stress (training) we develop greater fitness. Remember, exercise breaks down muscle tissue and recovery enables it to be built back up, this is the underpinning mechanism of building fitness. So by increasing stress further through exercising in hot conditions, we can actually gain fitness from it.
This might not be making sense to you if you have experienced slowly melting into the tarmac of Al Qudra, or wobbling slowly down the beach track wondering why you’re seeing double, but if you think about the timeline of the Dubai race season, and when most of the PB’s occur its usually Dec, Jan and Feb time. A reason for this is that training sub maximally in hot conditions has been shown to increase Vo2 max, enhance cooling capabilities, increase blood plasma volume, a stabilised fluid balance and resting cardiac response. All this means you have a great fitness boost as you head into the critical ‘race build’ through Sept, Oct and Nov. That boost in fitness means a higher training load and training stress tolerance. Those who remained indoors, won’t get this affect as fast because they will have to go through the adaptive phase while the outsiders will be cherishing the cooler climate.
So if you’re an indoor athlete in the summer months, it might be worth considering some heat adaptation. Here are some key points to remember when heading back outside.
Stay at sub max intensities. Keep your work rate at 90% or less of threshold HR, pace or power. Basically Do everything at 10% less than you normally would.
Lower your temp immediately post exercise. Iced slushies or smoothies are a great way to do this and should be consumed as close to finishing the session as possible.
Weight yourself before and after sessions, the weight diff is your fluid loss. 1kg = 1L, replace fluid loss by 1.5 times and include electrolytes.
Short term adaptations (7 - 10 days) are rapid, don't give up after 2 - 3 sessions, stick with it to see quick benefits.
Long term adaptations kick in after 10 - 14 days, this is when you will notice performance increasing in cooler conditions and resting metrics (pulse, HRV, lower core temp) start to show.
For those who are exercising outside in the summer already, consider the below to help you get the most from the hot months.
Know your sweat rate, you may have done it at the beginning of summer but as you adapt further and get better at cooling you will sweat more so be conscious of that.
Don't neglect the indoors completely. It is often wise to do your hard (vo2 max/ zone 5 / maximal sprints) indoors if you can. That way you are maximising your anaerobic system which is one area of the bodies physiology that doesn’t improve in the heat.
Be aware that for each day out of the heat, the rate of decay is up to 2.5% per day. So if you have spent a few days indoors, be ready for the first day back outside to feel hot!
You don't get better at retaining electrolytes, you should always be replacing your electrolytes in hot conditions. Sodium being the most important one. Just water in the heat isn’t enough and you will be seriously impacting your fluid balance, recovery and sleep if you don’t replace what you lose. As sweat rate increases, so will electrolyte loss.
So that’s it, maybe its time to stop complaining about the Dubai summer and embrace it!? The InnerFight Endurance team certainly does, it isn’t easy but stick to the 10% less rule, replace your fluid loss and electrolytes, eat frozen açai post session and reap the rewards come cooler months.

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