Weather & Poor Conditions

From time to time athletes may need to train or compete in bad weather. As a general rule practice and competitions are not cancelled due to weather. Below are some suggested ideas to help you get through these days.

Cold Days

If the weather is cold but not raining I recommend that athletes dress in layers and bring those layers to the site of the workout (Track, Jump Pit, Throwing Ring, etc). It is most important to keep your core and chest warm, but athletes like vaulters and throwers may want gloves to keep their hands warm between exercises. Please note that if it is raining extra layers are not helpful, see below.

On cold days it is super important NOT to have long breaks between exercises. All athletes should be especially focused on warming up properly and not wasting time between exercises. Cold muscles are more likely to sustain injury. On especially cold days athletes may be asked to remain in their locker rooms until all instructions for the day are given.

Rainy Days

A key thing NOT to do in Rainy weather is wear a heavy cotton shirt or sweatshirt, they will get waterlogged and make you colder. Instead wear a lightweight waterproof jacket or light t-shirt outside. I often recommend that in heavy rain distance runners, and sprinter/jumpers doing longer continuous exercise just workout shirtless/in a sports bra; the body is quite good a keeping warm in rain if you are moving continuously.  On rainy days all athletes should have a set of warm dry clothes (could be their school clothes) in their sports lockers for after the workout. The key is to get out of wet clothing quickly after practice.

On rainy days like on cold days it is super important not to have long breaks between exercises. All athletes should be especially focused on warming up properly and not wasting time between exercises. On especially rainy days athletes may be asked to remain in their locker rooms until all instructions for the day are given.

Hazardous Air Quality

In the over the past few years we have needed to modify and or cancel practice due to bad air quality from Fires.  We follow the school district’s lead on whether practice can occur. However, absent outside direction this is our protocol for practice in bad air: You can check the current air quality at: https://airnow.gov/ enter your zip code. (BHS 94704)
My general rules of thumb for air quality are below.
  • AQI 0 – 50 Good (green) – Practice as Usual
  • AQI 51 – 100 Moderate (yellow) – Practice as Usual, Coaches will check-in specifically on athletes with known breathing issues
  • AQI 101 – 150 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) (orange) – Limit outside practice to light work e.g. no intervals, breakdowns, or extended long runs
  • AQI 151 – 200 Unhealthy (red) – No outside practice, inside practice instead (weight room, hallways, etc)
  • AQI 201 – 300 Very Unhealthy (violet) – Limit indoor practice to light non-aerobic work e.g. light lifting, stretching, & rolling
  • AQI 301 – 500 Hazardous (maroon) – No Practice athletes should attempt to leave the area as simply breathing the air may cause damage.

Lighting & Other Hazards

Electrical Storms, Flooding, and Other Hazards could cause practice or competitions to be cancelled if they are severe. Coaches will try to notify athletes as soon as possible, but we may need to make in the moment assessments to protect athlete safety.