Charlie wrote:
Since getting burned last summer by the heat I have been wearing 3 or 4 layers of clothes when running . Even in 50 degree weather running easy I sweat pretty good. Today it was 32 I stripped down ran a 5k tempo and sweated! Crazy stuff but interesting. As runners we should understand that adaptation comes from stressing the body but not breaking the body. Turns out this is true with many biological systems.
Curious: Heat exhaustion or heat stroke?
On the cold stuff: Is there a low temp threshold where it's too uncomfortable for you to run in?
Also, I don't follow you on the adaptation for aging runners. IOW, isn't adaptation fine if one adapts? But if you're an aging runner who can no longer tolerate extreme cold then I would think the any adaptation period doesn't exist anymore? (you'll just miserable running and probably not much better post-activity).
I would think the same would be true at the opposite spectrum with heat. You could probably adapt as a younger athlete and get heat acclimated by training in extreme hot temps and staying well hydrated. But as an older runner things may change for the worse with training & racing in extreme heat. Myself and some other older runners I know were able to train in extreme heat (95+ type heat) when we were much younger, but those days are over. In fact, I had heat exhaustion/borderline heat stroke 5 yrs ago at age 53 when trying to show off to my teenage son by doing speed work with him at the track on a 100 degree day! ? A trip to the ER and a stern lecture by the doc wasn't fun either (the doc indicated how dangerous heat stroke is with the risk of permanent organ failure).
He also mentioned age-related hypothalamus degeneration as far as body temp regulation and sensitivity is concerned. Perhaps some of us with increased sensitivity to extreme temp changes might be the result of this?