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Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days?
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 2009-06-25 12:03 PM |
Master  1790     Tyler, TX |  Subject: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days?Every summer we have a few Air Quality Alert days, and today in San Antonio we have one rated as "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups", which includes "adults who exercise outdoors". Normally I'm oblivious to AQAs and just go on exercising, but is seems that recently I've had a few of these days where I have slight trouble taking full breaths (though I have no clue if this was happening on AQA days and just assumed it was the result of some hard workouts). But I was just reading a different thread about someone developing shortness of breath so this is starting to play games with my head....  So, when you have AQAs do you change your training to inside, just ignore it and train outdoors, or just live obliviously the AQAs? Brian PS You can go to http://www.epa.gov/airnow and see the air qualtiy of your city. Today, Houston is the only just plain "Unhealthy" city, though most of the major cities in TX, OK, NJ, and PA are "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" today. Edited by famelec 2009-06-25 12:04 PM |
| 2009-06-25 12:16 PM in reply to: #2242678 |
| Master 1468 Montgomery, Tx | Subject: RE: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days? I am interested myself in what answers this thread produces. I had a 5 mile run recently and my throat was burning when I was done. It was hot, humid and no wind and I was curious if it had to do with air quality/ozone watch. I am north of Houston in the Lake Conroe area. |
 2009-06-25 12:23 PM in reply to: #2242678 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
| 2009-06-25 12:31 PM in reply to: #2242678 |
| Expert 703 Colorado Springs | Subject: RE: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days? x2 to wgraves. |
| 2009-06-25 12:41 PM in reply to: #2242678 |
Elite 2998 Fishers, Indiana | Subject: RE: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days? I had to chuckle a little when I read this...I'm originally from the Houston area, so I know what you mean by the air quality alerts...but I started my endurance training in Iraq '06-'07 for 15 months--talk about crappy air quality, but it was either do nothing, or suck it up (literally I guess). And that's what I did...and when I got back to the states to clean air (well, cleaner than Iraq) and decent temps my times became incredibly better. So, to sum up, unless I was having actual respiratory problems OR it's one of those days where you literally see the cloud of smog descend upon the city (I've seen those--remember when Mexico had those nasty fires 11-12 years ago and it came to TX?) I would probably ignore it--can't be worse than anything else I've dealt with. If you're concerned on it, then opt for a treadmill or trainer ride. Edited by TexasMPGal 2009-06-25 12:42 PM |
| 2009-06-25 12:47 PM in reply to: #2242678 |
Master 4119 Toronto Bronze member | Subject: RE: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days? I generally try to schedule for the morning when it's cooler. If it's still really hot, smoggy and ridiculous out any intensity is removed from the workout and I go for easier paces. You know, hitting my tempo pace is not worth the extended recovery time if just push too hard for the conditions. Same goes for winter - except I don't go out in the mornings in the winters. brrr. Edited by juniperjen 2009-06-25 12:48 PM |
| 2009-06-25 12:54 PM in reply to: #2242678 |
| Extreme Veteran 657 | Subject: RE: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days? Speaking of Houston. I used to run around Rice University. About 5:00pm or so there'd be a huge amount of traffic on Main street. The trees would hold in some of the exhaust. As I was running I couldn't help but think that this just can't be good for you. Here's a Google street view where you can see the overhanging trees on the left over the road and the trail.  |
| 2009-06-25 1:36 PM in reply to: #2242678 |
| Extreme Veteran 575 Concord, NH | Subject: RE: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days? We do not get many in my neck of the woods, but I do take it more cautious when I do go out. If I find it harder to breathe I take it down to a lower intensity and/or shorten the routine. I get really bad spring time allergies and those are more likely to cause me issues up in NH then the couple AQA days we may have a year. |
| 2009-06-25 1:38 PM in reply to: #2242822 |
| Expert 1186 North Cackalacky | Subject: RE: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days? TexasMPGal - 2009-06-25 8:41 PM but I started my endurance training in Iraq '06-'07 for 15 months--talk about crappy air quality, but it was either do nothing, or suck it up (literally I guess). And that's what I did...and when I got back to the states to clean air (well, cleaner than Iraq) and decent temps my times became incredibly better. I hope that's the case for me as well. All I can say is thank goodness for the treadmill, because there are days around here where I just refuse to go running outside. I don't like the taste of Iraq dust in my mouth with every breath. Plus, the dust probably has calories in it that I don't need  |
| 2009-06-25 1:58 PM in reply to: #2242678 |
| Expert 2547 The Woodlands, TX | Subject: RE: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days? I'm in The Woodlands just north of Houston so I can really appreciate this topic today. I don't change my workout plan on days like this, I just suffer more. I can tell though when its a bad air day after about 20 minutes of running. The last 3 days I watched my HR climb up above the zone I like to be in and just sit there. Breathing becomes more labored and it doesn't seem to matter much if I slow down, the problem doesn't really go away until I stop running. I hate it b/c I feel like I am sooooo out of shape on days like today. Can't wait until it cools down to, say, 95 degrees! |
| 2009-06-25 2:35 PM in reply to: #2242678 |
| Veteran 255 Atlanta, GA | Subject: RE: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days? Absolutely. I learned my lesson last summer when I didn't heed the warnings and one run ended with a trip to the ER. Now, I do have asthma, so I am in that group of sensitive people. However, on other nights with high air pollutants, my running buddy who is not included in the sensitive group, experienced problems also. I will always go to the gym instead of doing my outdoor run, it's just not worth the trouble. It's very possible you are having difficulty breathing because of the quality of the air. |
| 2009-06-25 2:52 PM in reply to: #2242678 |
| Regular 88 | Subject: RE: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days? Dude, my company is about to send me to Mexico City for 24 months. Talk about air pollution. Not sure what I'm going to do |
| 2009-06-25 3:47 PM in reply to: #2243289 |
| Expert 1186 North Cackalacky | Subject: RE: Do you change training during Air Quality Alert days? Israelg48 - 2009-06-25 10:52 PM Dude, my company is about to send me to Mexico City for 24 months. Talk about air pollution. Not sure what I'm going to do Since you'll likely be kidnapped by a drug cartel, you probably won't have to worry about it. |
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