It’s that time of year when everything is covered with a thin film of yellow or green pollen and athletes with allergies defy a host of symptoms to train for Spring, Summer, and Fall races. Reducing the impact of allergies on your training, like most aspects of endurance sports, is a thinking person’s game. Here are some tips that I hope will make it a little easier to get out and crush those workouts.
Know Your Allergens
1. If you know which allergen or allergens are causing your symptoms you can use this information to time your workouts and pick locations to reduce exposure.
Manage Your Meds
2. Some medicines are meant to be taken as needed to treat symptoms. Others are designed to be scheduled. They need to get into your system and stay in your system. It’s critical that you get this right. Follow the directions on the package. When in doubt check with your physician or pharmacist.
6 Tips for Managing Seasonal Allergies( Bicycling)
Timing is Everything
3. Pollen counts are generally highest early in the morning. Air pollution is usually highest in the afternoon or evening. You can track pollen counts and air quality at various websites. See resources below. There are also some apps now.
Factor in the Weather
4. Hot, dry, windy days generally mean higher pollen counts. Rain generally reduces the pollen count. If molds are the allergens that trigger your symptoms rain tends to make them worse.
Should I Worry About Air Pollution When Exercising Outside? (Outside)
Dress for Success
5. Use a hat to cover your hair and wash it with your other exercise clothes. If your eyes are being affected, consider wraparound sunglasses. I’ve heard some people run or ride with a mask or bandana over their noses and mouths. I can’t imagine doing that but it’s an option.
Pick Your Workout Spots and Routes Carefully
6. Again if you know which allergen or allergens are causing your problems you may be able to pick a better place to train. Another thought: keep a journal, and use it to discover if one particular park, stretch of road or lake, or time of day seems to be better for you.
The National Allergy Bureau Pollen Counts
EPA Air Quality Website with App
Decontaminate Post Workout
7. As soon as you get home, shower and put your clothes in the hamper or washer. You don’t want to carry allergens indoors with you. And hey, change out those air conditioner filters often.
Know When to Head indoors
8. On those days when you just can’t win, train on the treadmill, bike trainer, or indoor pool.
A Tri-Coach’s Allergy Tips
Here are some tips for making it through Spring workouts with allergies from Janine Pleasant, Triathlon Coach, Johnson City, TN.
Treat your symptoms proactively and reactively with decongestants, antihistamines, nose sprays, and eye drops.
Shower ASAP after all outdoor training. I ran out of time recently and didn’t shower after my bike ride. I got a nasty sinus headache.
Runny noses are one of the best reasons to wear cycling gloves and black shorts. Snot rockets are a related subject. Having a protocol in a group ride is critical to keeping friends.
One more thing, I never ride without Benadryl in my bike bag or run without having close access to it. Benadryl is not just for the allergy symptoms as most people think of, it also helps with stomach issues from allergies.
I Heart Pollen Image by Brooke Novak
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Do you have tips, tricks, or techniques that help you train through allergy season? Leave a comment on the blog.
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