i set a new PR (personal record) for running in the sauna! -and just after doing 20 minutes yesterday!
the guy that convinced me that running in place in a sauna was a good idea, even if my race is going to be in the snow(!), told me that 'running in the sauna is altitude training for midwest runners.' at the time, i hadnt done enough research to see the genius of the statement, and so was skeptical. in a way he was absolutely right, but in a way he was completely wrong. altitude training is known for helping distance runners by increasing red blood cells, therefore thickening your blood, and allowing it to carry more oxygen. sauna training on the other hand, helps us by increasing the amount of plasma in you body (by up to 2 liters!). plasma is the liquid part of your blood and it is what regulates your body's temperature. so sauna training thins your blood to allow it to move faster through your system, which in theory means that your heart wont have to work as hard to pump blood around you body.
check my "current training endeavors" page for a little more about sauna training.
also, if physiology interests you, and i hope it does because you just read alot about it, try some of your own research on heat acclimatization and decide for yourself. feel free to tell me that my this makes no sense if that what you find.
my entire workout:
>30mins running in sauna (and i swear i almost got attacked by a paper towel in the last 10mins.. my brain probly got too hot..)
You know you're a runner when... "i swear i almost got attacked by a paper towel in the last 10mins"
ReplyDeleteI wish I could just edit my first comment (or can I?), but anyway it reminds me of the time when I thought a fire hydrant with a black bag over it was a lost child with a big jacket in a blizzard one time in an undeveloped subdivision (just a bunch of roads and dirt... and fire hydrants).
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