Cody Brown's 2026 marching season field study
HIGH WORKLOAD.
SUMMER HEAT.
Cody Brown, a Troopers lead-trumpet performer, wore a Garmin through the 2026 season. His record spans the weeks before summer move-in, spring training, the national tour, and the final Indianapolis show. Pair his workload and recorded recovery with daily regional weather to see the demands behind the music.
Cody's experience · performer feedback
“My body absorbs the march mix incredibly quickly. This makes running back on resets not make my stomach slosh around”
Read the original published feedback
Why MarchMix exists.
High workload in high heat is the practical reason we built MarchMix. Long, sweaty rehearsal days call for a plan to replace fluid and the electrolytes lost through sweat. MarchMix gives marching performers an electrolyte option that fits that routine, alongside water access, meals, breaks, shade, and cooling.
During several hours of sweating, an electrolyte drink can be useful as part of an appropriate hydration plan. Needs vary with the person and conditions.
CDC/NIOSH: hydration during prolonged sweatingThe heat behind the workload · May 23–August 8, 2026
Long days. Summer heat. A reason to plan hydration.
The same calendar that documents Cody's workload also takes the corps through hot summer conditions. Across 78 scheduled camp-and-tour dates, 23 regional airport records reached a sampled heat index of at least 90°F. This is the field need behind MarchMix: an electrolyte option for performers doing sustained work with substantial sweat losses.
Weather is regional context for a scheduled city, not a measurement of Cody's personal exposure. Daytime samples cover 08:00–19:59 local time; they do not identify rehearsal hours, indoor time, shade, clothing, or time in the sun.
Dates with sampled heat index ≥90°F
23 / 78
Highest calculated airport heat index
119°F
Texarkana, TX · Jul 21
Cody's steps on that same date
21,165
Calendar-day total; outdoor portion unknown
Yellow: workload · Blue: air temperature · Orange: heat index
Workload uses the left axis; temperatures use the right axis. Shared dates provide context, not evidence that weather caused a change in steps or calories. Gaps in heat index mark values outside the warm-weather calculation range.
Day 59 - Rehearsal Day
- Highest sampled air temperature
- 105°F
- Peak calculated heat index
- 119°F
- Garmin workload
- 21,165 steps
- 1,951 active kcal
Heat-index sample: 15:53 local · 105°F air temperature with 37.8% relative humidity. The day's temperature and heat-index peaks may occur at different times.
Station: TEXARKANA RGNL/WEBB (TXK) · 12/12 daytime hours sampled.
Open this station's daily observationsEvery day's heat and workload · 78 dates
Download the daily data (CSV)| Date / city | Air temp °F | Heat index °F | Steps | Station / coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23Eaton, CO | 78.0 | — | 13,426 | FNL · 12/12 |
| May 24Eaton, CO | 83.0 | 80.5 | 17,323 | FNL · 12/12 |
| May 25Eaton, CO | 85.0 | 81.9 | 16,196 | FNL · 12/12 |
| May 26Eaton, CO | 82.0 | 80.0 | 17,210 | FNL · 12/12 |
| May 27Eaton, CO | 71.0 | — | 8,059 | FNL · 12/12 |
| May 28Eaton, CO | 78.0 | — | 9,818 | FNL · 12/12 |
| May 29Eaton, CO | 83.0 | 80.9 | 13,572 | FNL · 12/12 |
| May 30Eaton, CO | 75.0 | — | 17,043 | FNL · 12/12 |
| May 31Eaton, CO | 80.0 | — | 14,644 | FNL · 12/12 |
| Jun 1Casper, WY | 79.0 | — | 20,103 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 2Casper, WY | 84.0 | 81.1 | 18,081 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 3Casper, WY | 83.0 | 80.1 | 17,807 | CPR · 11/12 |
| Jun 4Casper, WY | 88.0 | 84.0 | 19,345 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 5Casper, WY | 88.0 | 83.6 | 16,079 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 6Casper, WY | 94.0 | 88.5 | 21,718 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 7Casper, WY | 89.0 | 84.7 | 17,901 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 8Casper, WY | 81.0 | 79.1 | 21,340 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 9Casper, WY | 79.0 | — | 19,938 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 10Casper, WY | 75.0 | — | 10,514 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 11Casper, WY | 73.0 | — | 20,456 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 12Casper, WY | 83.0 | 79.8 | 21,774 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 13Casper, WY | 59.0 | — | 20,162 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 14Casper, WY | 66.0 | — | 21,262 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 15Casper, WY | 77.0 | — | 21,332 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 16Casper, WY | 90.0 | 85.6 | 20,114 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 17Casper, WY | 76.0 | — | 19,306 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 18Casper, WY | 81.0 | 78.7 | 19,619 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 19Casper, WY | 78.0 | — | 16,808 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 20Casper, WY | 79.0 | — | 19,834 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 21Casper, WY | 77.0 | — | 17,338 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 22Casper, WY | 84.0 | 81.3 | 21,722 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 23Casper, WY | 79.0 | — | 22,373 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 24Casper, WY | 83.0 | 81.0 | 20,610 | CPR · 12/12 |
| Jun 25Cheyenne, WY | 68.0 | — | 19,879 | CYS · 12/12 |
| Jun 26Cheyenne, WY | 84.0 | 81.4 | 24,736 | CYS · 12/12 |
| Jun 27Fort Collins, CO | 97.0 | 91.4 | 24,351 | FNL · 12/12 |
| Jun 28Ogden, UT | 67.0 | — | 20,225 | OGD · 12/12 |
| Jun 29Cheyenne, WY | 80.0 | — | 18,941 | CYS · 12/12 |
| Jun 30Grand Island, NE | 90.0 | 95.5 | 17,248 | GRI · 12/12 |
| Jul 1Omaha, NE | 90.0 | 97.3 | 19,943 | OMA · 12/12 |
| Jul 2Omaha, NE | 91.0 | 99.6 | 22,317 | OMA · 12/12 |
| Jul 3Rockford, IL | 86.0 | 93.5 | 13,866 | RFD · 12/12 |
| Jul 4Chicago, IL | 82.0 | 86.3 | 26,158 | MDW · 12/12 |
| Jul 5La Crosse, WI | 84.0 | 86.7 | 21,786 | LSE · 12/12 |
| Jul 6Ankeny, IA | 86.0 | 90.6 | 20,585 | IKV · 12/12 |
| Jul 7Ankeny, IA | 89.6 | 94.9 | 22,858 | IKV · 12/12 |
| Jul 8Ankeny, IA | 89.6 | 96.5 | 18,408 | IKV · 12/12 |
| Jul 9Lisle, IL | 84.0 | 89.6 | 18,264 | DPA · 12/12 |
| Jul 10Lisle, IL | 81.0 | 83.4 | 22,780 | DPA · 12/12 |
| Jul 11Whitewater, WI | 84.2 | 85.7 | 22,575 | JVL · 12/12 |
| Jul 12Columbia, MO | 86.0 | 88.9 | 18,836 | COU · 12/12 |
| Jul 13Olathe, KS | 87.0 | 87.9 | 20,801 | OJC · 12/12 |
| Jul 14Hutchinson, KS | 90.0 | 90.5 | 16,997 | HUT · 12/12 |
| Jul 15Hutchinson, KS | 91.0 | 90.7 | 20,661 | HUT · 12/12 |
| Jul 16Dallas, TX | 89.0 | 99.2 | 20,126 | DAL · 12/12 |
| Jul 17San Antonio, TX | 93.0 | 97.5 | 18,200 | SAT · 12/12 |
| Jul 18San Antonio, TX | 94.0 | 98.9 | 19,385 | SAT · 12/12 |
| Jul 19McKinney, TX | 94.0 | 105.9 | 12,863 | TKI · 12/12 |
| Jul 20McKinney, TX | 96.0 | 103.9 | 25,821 | TKI · 12/12 |
| Jul 21Texarkana, TX | 105.0 | 119.1 | 21,165 | TXK · 12/12 |
| Jul 22Hattiesburg, MS | 84.0 | 96.0 | 21,343 | HBG · 12/12 |
| Jul 23Birmingham, AL | 87.0 | 95.6 | 20,943 | BHM · 12/12 |
| Jul 24Birmingham, AL | 81.0 | 88.3 | 23,388 | BHM · 12/12 |
| Jul 25Atlanta, GA | 88.0 | 96.8 | 17,858 | ATL · 12/12 |
| Jul 26Winston-Salem, NC | 84.0 | 87.7 | 20,365 | INT · 12/12 |
| Jul 27Woodbridge, VA | 90.0 | 93.3 | 22,371 | HEF · 11/12 |
| Jul 28Annapolis, MD | 86.0 | 94.0 | 21,112 | NAK · 12/12 |
| Jul 29Allentown, PA | 81.0 | 82.8 | 22,867 | ABE · 12/12 |
| Jul 30Allentown, PA | 80.0 | 81.6 | 20,923 | ABE · 12/12 |
| Jul 31Allentown, PA | 86.0 | 86.5 | 23,616 | ABE · 12/12 |
| Aug 1Pittsburgh, PA | 81.0 | 82.3 | 12,608 | PIT · 12/12 |
| Aug 2Pittsburgh, PA | 80.0 | 83.5 | 18,472 | PIT · 12/12 |
| Aug 3Lexington, KY | 81.0 | 82.1 | 18,633 | LEX · 12/12 |
| Aug 4Indianapolis, IN | 84.0 | 83.5 | 22,787 | IND · 12/12 |
| Aug 5Indianapolis, IN | 84.0 | 84.7 | 22,230 | IND · 12/12 |
| Aug 6Indianapolis, IN | 81.0 | 83.4 | 21,120 | IND · 12/12 |
| Aug 7Indianapolis, IN | 89.0 | 95.4 | 15,791 | IND · 12/12 |
| Aug 8Indianapolis, IN | 89.0 | 97.1 | 22,063 | IND · 12/12 |
Weather sources, heat index, and WBGT
Airport observations come from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet ASOS/METAR archive. Each supplied calendar city is paired with a regional airport; its station is identified above and in the daily table. Stations represent regional conditions, not rehearsal-field sensors. Eaton uses Fort Collins/Loveland airport where the Greeley routine archive has insufficient coverage.
We use routine reports from 08:00–19:59 local daylight time. A daily value requires observations in at least 9 of those 12 hourly slots. The reported temperature is the highest sampled value, not a certified daily maximum. Heat index uses temperature and humidity from the same report, following the NWS Rothfusz equation and humidity adjustments. It is shown only where air temperature and the preliminary heat index are at least 80°F. Blank heat-index cells on cooler days are not zero.
Heat index describes shade and light wind. WBGT also accounts for sun, wind, and radiant heat and is useful for active marching performers. Historical on-field WBGT readings were not provided, so no measured WBGT is claimed here. Wet-bulb temperature alone is not WBGT. See the National Weather Service comparison.
The airport archive has limited quality control. Calendar locations, personal exposure, rehearsal times, and indoor/outdoor activity are not independently verified. Weather was retrieved in October 2026. These historical values help explain the demands of the season; current activity decisions require the program's heat policy and current local measurements.
Troopers spring training began May 23 in Eaton, Colorado, followed by Casper on June 1 and Cheyenne on June 25. The first scheduled competition was June 27 in Fort Collins; the final show was August 8 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Before move-in, the export contains 26 activity days and 25 sleep readings (April 27–May 22). These are preparation days, not necessarily an untrained baseline.
Daily steps
+100.9%
Before camp → Tour: 10,137 → 20,367
Phase means; Indy covers only August 6–8.
Active calories
+143.7%
Before camp → Tour: 578 → 1,409 kcal/day
Phase means; Indy covers only August 6–8.
Garmin-recorded sleep
−1.94 h
Before camp → Tour: 7.44 → 5.49 recorded h
Phase means; Indy covers only August 6–8. Bus sleep may be missed.
Workload
Fitness estimates
Recovery
Daily steps
steps/day
Before-camp average 10,137 → Tour average 20,367 · change +10,230
Aug 8 · Indianapolis, IN
World Championship Finals · Daily steps: 22,063
Lucas Oil Stadium. Troopers competed in Finals; scheduled time 6:47 p.m. ET.
Calendar sourceScheduled dates provide context; they do not confirm a performance, the member’s location, or the cause of a daily change. Missing watch readings stay blank.
Yellow: daily reading · Blue: trailing 7 calendar-day mean (at least 3 readings) · Shaded: before May 23 · Orange lines: scheduled show dates; brighter line: selected stop. When sleep is selected, purple bands flag assumed overnight travel arrival dates.
| Period | Mean | Readings |
|---|---|---|
| Before campApr 27–May 22 | 10,137 | 26 |
| Spring trainingMay 23–Jun 26 | 18,213 | 35 |
| TourJun 27–Aug 5 | 20,367 | 40 |
| Indy finalsAug 6–Aug 8 | 19,658 | 3 |
Demand increased across the season
Before move-in to tour: steps rose 100.9%, active calories rose 143.7%, and highly active time increased from 0.95 to 3.08 hours/day. Acute training load rose from 67 to 414. Spring training already averaged 18,213 steps/day, showing that the workload increased before the first competition.
Recovery needs travel context
Before move-in to tour: Garmin-recorded sleep fell from 7.44 to 5.49 hours/date, and morning Body Battery fell from 85.4 to 59.0. Resting heart rate fell from 54.5 to 51.5 bpm and endurance score rose 10.3%, while VO₂ max did not show a sustained increase. During tour, recorded sleep averaged 6.75 hours on dates with the same scheduled city and 4.84 hours on dates with a changed city. Bus sleep may be missing. The reported 2:1 bus credit is a corps accounting rule, not measured sleep or evidence of equivalent physiological recovery.
Troopers 2026 camps, corps events, and 22 scheduled DCI stops
Select a date to highlight it in the daily chart. Show dates are the published schedule, including stops affected by weather; this is not a GPS route.
| Date | City | Calendar event |
|---|---|---|
| Eaton, CO | Spring training begins | |
| Casper, WY | Spring training moves to Casper | |
| Casper, WY | Ft Caspar standstill · supplied calendar | |
| Cheyenne, WY | Spring training moves to Cheyenne | |
| Cheyenne, WY | Show Premiere · supplied calendar | |
| Fort Collins, CO | Drums Along the Rockies | |
| Ogden, UT | Corps Encore | |
| Omaha, NE | Drums Across Nebraska | |
| Rockford, IL | Show of ShowsScheduled stop; weather cancellation reported by DCI Forge. | |
| La Crosse, WI | River City Rhapsody | |
| West Des Moines, IA | Celebration in BrassScheduled stop; weather cancellation reported in the contemporaneous show thread. | |
| Lisle, IL | Cavalcade of Brass | |
| Whitewater, WI | The Whitewater Classic | |
| Olathe, KS | Brass Impact | |
| Hutchinson, KS | DCI Hutchinson | |
| San Antonio, TX | DCI Southwestern Championship | |
| McKinney, TX | DCI McKinney | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | DCI Southern Mississippi | |
| Birmingham, AL | DCI Birmingham | |
| Atlanta, GA | DCI Southeastern Championship | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | NightBEAT | |
| Annapolis, MD | DCI Annapolis | |
| Allentown, PA | DCI Eastern Classic — Friday | |
| Winchester, KY | DCI KentuckyDCI markets this event as Lexington; the stadium is in Winchester. | |
| Indianapolis, IN | World Championship Prelims | |
| Indianapolis, IN | World Championship Semifinals | |
| Indianapolis, IN | World Championship FinalsLucas Oil Stadium. Troopers competed in Finals; scheduled time 6:47 p.m. ET. |
Calendar references: Troopers spring training · Troopers 2026 schedule (LotBeat) · DCI finals. Lead-trumpet role supplied by the participant’s representative.
See the actual days before camp
| Date | Steps | Active kcal | Resting HR (bpm) | Sleep (h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27 | 2,537 | 122 | 64 | No reading |
| Apr 28 | 13,964 | 891 | 59 | 7.25 |
| Apr 29 | 12,841 | 537 | 56 | 7.92 |
| Apr 30 | 7,903 | 319 | 56 | 7.18 |
| May 1 | 8,120 | 341 | 55 | 7.92 |
| May 2 | 16,563 | 2,349 | 56 | 6.72 |
| May 3 | 8,839 | 765 | 56 | 5.88 |
| May 4 | 9,970 | 813 | 55 | 8.38 |
| May 5 | 13,964 | 818 | 55 | 6.87 |
| May 6 | 19,514 | 815 | 56 | 7.63 |
| May 7 | 8,708 | 357 | 55 | 6.82 |
| May 8 | 7,180 | 396 | 56 | 8.13 |
| May 9 | 7,157 | 229 | 55 | 7.73 |
| May 10 | 8,899 | 586 | 54 | 8.32 |
| May 11 | 8,844 | 553 | 53 | 6.97 |
| May 12 | 9,866 | 540 | 52 | 8.35 |
| May 13 | 9,278 | 487 | 53 | 8.1 |
| May 14 | 11,375 | 568 | 53 | 7.15 |
| May 15 | 6,662 | 280 | 52 | 8.17 |
| May 16 | 15,216 | 1,022 | 52 | 7.52 |
| May 17 | 4,443 | 174 | 53 | 7.18 |
| May 18 | 7,937 | 274 | 52 | 6.57 |
| May 19 | 11,208 | 414 | 53 | 7.62 |
| May 20 | 10,093 | 493 | 52 | 6.73 |
| May 21 | 11,628 | 527 | 52 | 7.5 |
| May 22 | 10,843 | 363 | 51 | 7.27 |
Data coverage, methods, and interpretation
Participant-provided Garmin export, joined by calendar date. Activity records start April 27, 2026. The chart ends August 8, the final Indianapolis show. Phases follow the corps calendar: before move-in (April 27–May 22), spring training (May 23–June 26), tour (June 27–August 5), and Indy competition days (August 6–8). Pre-camp coverage is 26 activity and heart-rate days, 25 sleep/HRV readings, 12 endurance readings, and no included VO₂ max estimate. The participant’s individual arrival date is not independently confirmed. Public show cities provide calendar context, not GPS tracking or confirmation of the participant’s location or performance. Day-by-day city and rehearsal context came from the supplied Troopers calendar. At the user’s direction, a city change from the prior date is treated as assumed overnight travel; the same city is the stationary comparison. The calendar does not verify actual travel hours, floor sleep, bus sleep, departure time, or arrival time. Some sleep episodes occur after arrival in the morning, so chart dates are export calendar dates rather than strictly nighttime dates. May 23 is excluded from the overnight-context comparison because the prior date is a leadership retreat rather than a full-corps day.
Means use available values, including valid zero activity values. Missing readings remain blank. Where metrics contain multiple readings on a date, the latest exported timestamp is used. Recorded sleep is deep + light + REM; morning Body Battery is the sleep-end value. The daily trend uses a trailing 7-day calendar window with at least three observations. VO₂ max is shown as individual points only.
One person’s observational record does not establish that DCI caused a health change, or that March Mix improved hydration, performance, or recovery. Product use was not established. Garmin scores are estimates; wear time, travel, heat, activity type, and other training may affect them. No hydration benefit is inferred from these records.