Coach Atul Godbole answers your training related questions…

Q. Nikhil asks “Does weekly mileage include warm up and cool down as well ? For example, if I want to maintain weekly mileage of 50 km, does it is inclusive of warm and cool down or exclusive?”

A. Yes, the weekly mileage includes warmup and cooldown as well as all recovery and easy runs. There is a tendency to count only the “quality” runs, but all mileage counts and should be counted.

Another advantage of this is that when you include everything, you can monitor trends and changes in the total mileage in a meaningful way.

Q. Aditya asks “Would training in the sun (to simulate race day conditions) drain out energy faster? ”

A.  I am not sure that it would drain energy faster. You body heats up more and so the heart has to work overtime to pump blood to your skin and keep your body cool. You will have to replenish the fluid and electrolytes lost via sweat by taking in more water and salt which puts more load on your stomach to absorb and clear that. In short, all your systems are working more (at the same pace) when working out in the sun. However, I am not sure if this translates into more energy expenditure in terms of calories burnt. But it would certain feel more effortful and stressful than running in the early morning.

Runners and triathletes, have training, diet, nutrition related queries? Send email to askthecoach@motiv8coaching.com