Lessons Learned from Cozumel

Lessons Learned from Cozumel

Nothing says vacation like a warm tropical island with ocean views. I thought we were going to Cozumel to spectate our athletes at the Ironman and to train in a beautiful location but we left with so much gratitude and joy.  I've had the opportunity to travel to several countries and places around the world but the places that I enjoy the most are the ones that I visit for a race. When visiting an international destination for a triathlon or bike event, I get to see so much more than simply visiting for a vacation.  When we travel, we usually stay in Airbnb's. This allows us to have plenty of space, with a kitchen to prepare our own food. Because of this, we are required to shop at the local grocery store - which is always an interesting experience. And when it comes to cooking or meal prep, we are forced to use whatever kitchen gadgets are in our Airbnb. When we have a rental car, we must drive like the locals, learning the road signs, laws and etiquette. Sometimes we have AC, sometimes we have a washer. Often times, we don't. Sometimes we have fast internet speed, sometimes it is very very slow or non existent.  Traveling can be an eye-opening experience to how others live, but only if you allow for the opportunity to live like a local.  During our week-stay in Cozumel, we shared an Airbnb with our 7 athletes. There were specific rules in our Airbnb like turning off the AC when you leave. Cleaning up every crumb because of ants. Always locking the front gate. Never drink from the tap water. Taking the trash out daily to the bin outside. Only flush what comes out of your body down the toilet (no toilet paper). We didn't have a microwave so cooking/boiling water was a bit slow in the morning. We were also limited to plugs for appliances. But we loved it all because it allowed us to live like a local. We didn't have a car so we walked everywhere (or took a taxi). We made several trips to the grocery for food and it was always fun to find different and similar food options. Some of the showers did not have hot water, which was fine after spending all day outside in 80+ F degree weather and high humidity. We experienced flooding due to the rain. We felt extremely safe walking around the island.  Cozumel is not a country but a municipality in the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico. But if you only stay at the resort, travel via ferry or cruise or visit the beaches or touristy spots, you may consider it to be a well-established vacation destination. Although we had several comforts of home (we slept amazingly well), it was apparent that we take for granted things like water, electricity and sanitation services. Here are a few things I learned from our 7-day stay in Cozumel:  Life can exist without "necessary" items - dishawasher, garbage disposal, Amazon prime, microwave, washing machine, Starbucks.  It's easy to take for granted "necessary" items - clean accessible water and food, medical care, safe working conditions, shelter and education. People who have very little are often happier than those who have a lot. Far too many people align life around materialism. Your worth is not based on your money or profession.  The poor are frequently stigmatized and blamed for their poverty as it is a matter of laziness or irresponsibility. Most immigrants have a very strong work ethic. This is largely driven by necessity. Be mindful what you complain about. A little more gratefulness goes a long way.  Learn to live a simple life. Appreciate what you have.  If you are interested in a delicious recipe, check out these Gingerbread energy balls.

Endurance performance in the heat

The human body functions the best at a stable temperature of around 97.7-98.6°F
Thermoregulation is the maintenance of internal core body temperature by balancing heat generation with heat loss. 

When I was participating in XTRI ICON in Livigno, Italy on September 1st, I experienced symptoms of hypothermia after the swim portion of the race. The air temperature was 32 degrees F and the water temperature was 52 degrees F. Although I had on a thermal swim cap, gloves and booties, my gloves filled up with water and I was forced to remove them. Spending almost an hour to cover 3.8K caused my body temperature to drop - I was losing heat faster than I could produce it. After I exited the water, I was shivering uncontrollably. The brain recognized that my body temperature had dropped and it made me shiver - producing heat through muscle activity. Thankfully, Karel and a few others athletes helped me out by getting me out of my wet clothes, putting on dry clothes (and lots of layer) and making me drink warm tea. and after almost 30 minutes, I was able to continue with the race. Thankfully, my body allowed me to perform for over 14 more hours. 

Hypothermia is extremely scary. 
And so is hyperthermia. Unfortunantly, athletes often overlook the risks of exercising in the heat, all in the name of performance. Whereas many athletes are afraid of getting too cold, some athletes don't have the same fears in hot conditions. 

Hyperthermia is the opposite of hypothermia. It's an abnormally high body temperature - or overheating. Hyperthermia occurs when your body absorbs or generates more heat than it can release.

Heat is produced as a byproduct of metabolism (any reaction that occurs in the human body). However, the body is very inefficient during exercise. You lose ~75% of energy as heat from the working muscles. And for that heat to removed from the body, it can be lost through the processes of conduction, convection, radiation and evaporation. Evaporation is the primary method of losing heat from sweating.

It is well known that exercising in the heat induces thermoregulatory and other physiological strain, negatively impacting the endurance performance and physical health. When exercising in the heat, skin blood flow and sweat rate increase to allow for heat dissipation. Sustaining adequate hydration is essential for proper body functioning in the heat. Otherwise, there is great risk for dehydration and experiencing a heat illness. And dehydration will further exacerbate thermal and cardio strain.

Although fluid intake, sodium and carbohydrate are very important during endurance exercise in the heat, athletes tend to make the following mistake.....

Consuming an excessive amount of fluid, sodium and carbohydrates while/as the body is overheating.
 

If your body is overheating because your muscles are creating too much heat in order to move you forward, there's a great risk for GI issues, fatigue and heat stress. Reduced blood flow to the intestines during exercise is one of the primary contributors to GI symptoms. GI issues are exacerbated when the body is unable to regulate body temperature and when dehydrated. Because blood is diverted from the gut and to the working muscles, the lack of blood flow in the gut slows gastric emptying. As a result, the delivery of nutrients and fluids to the muscles gets delayed (which brings on early fatigue) and may cause gut discomfort (and many other uncomfortable side effects). Reduced blood flow to the intestines may also contribute to increased permeability of the gut wall, which may trigger an inflammatory response resulting in prolonged GI distress.

In other words, if your body is creating too much heat because of your effort, fatigue or poor economy, no amount of extra nutrition, sodium or fluids on top of what your body can actually digest and absorb (which at this point may be minimal) will help your body perform better in the heat. 

Instead, to optimize performance in the heat, you need to focus on ways to reduce internal heat build up. This will require reducing your effort, including more stop/walk breaks throughout the race, being disciplined to not overconsume products beyond what you've trained your gut to tolerate and to pay attention to the warning signs of heat stress.