We’ve all been there. You sign up for a big event, and before the confirmation email hits your inbox, those internal conversations begin:

What did I just do? What did I just sign up for? Why??
I’ll never be in shape in time!
What have I done?!

Or you commit to your friends that this is the time you are going to get in shape/complete a triathlon/qualify for Boston/PR a 5k … and then you panic!

Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

There is something about actually registering for an event – or just choosing to take the next steps towards a big change – which can prompt anxiety, even fear. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is a big deal!

Anxiety anywhere in our life usually does one of two things: It’s a huge motivator or it’s completely paralyzing.

If you waited for it to be the perfect time, when you’re perfectly in shape and the planets are aligned, would you ever do it?

With temperatures suddenly climbing in Seattle to give us above average temperatures, I have heard from several athletes that they “don’t do well in heat.”

What happens to you physically and mentally when you train or race when it is hot? And what can training in heat do for you? Can training in the heat benefit you in other ways?

We have been talking a lot recently about the mental side of training and here is a perfect place to practice acknowledging the heat and that is it hot but rather than this being a negative instead make it something you can use.

Instead of whining to yourself about the heat, turn that mental conversation around and learn what the benefits to heat adaptation are. Training in heat and humidity can give you a big fitness boost if you are smart about it.

Bring on the heat!