As well as icy cold, the 国产探花's can provide athletes with experience of performing in a huge variety of challenging conditions such as altitude or extreme heat in - a gruelling 250km race across the Sahara often described as the toughest footrace on Earth.
For her Greenland preparation, Nicky has been working with students and , who are gaining valuable real-life experience for their PhD research in thermal physiology at the university's highly regarded School of Sport and Health Sciences.
Chanel and Rebecca carried out tests at normal 22°C conditions to find out key details about Nicky's heart rate and lactate threshold in her blood, before testing Nicky's running economy and sweat rate in the cold by getting her to run at 7.5km/hr on the treadmill at temperatures of 0°C, -10°C and -20°C for 15 minutes at a time.
"Our focus is usually on heat, as few are brave enough to choose the cold temps Nicky has been training in!," said Chanel. "Nicky came to us not quite sure how her body would cope with the cold or what clothing options she should consider to stay warm throughout the half marathon, but also to ensure it didn’t impede her running.
"In more general terms, when planning on running in sub-zero temperatures, it’s important to know that you don’t acclimate for cold like you do for the heat. Instead your focus needs to be on staying fuelled and hydrated, staying warm throughout and being aware of cold injuries and how to mitigate them."
Chanel offers some tips for anyone planning to run in icy conditions:
- Wear a hat, as you lose a lot of heat through your head.
- Wrap up, especially with gloves to decrease the risk of frostbite injuries.
- Stay hydrated and fuelled – you might not want to eat/drink anything because it’s so cold, but you need the energy!
- Be aware of whose around you and your own signs/symptoms so you can stay safe in the cold.
Nicky is running the Greenland half marathon to: domestic abuse charity Safe in Sussex and Chestnut Tree House children's hospice near Angmering.