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Running in 88 Degree Heat. Any advice? (Read 718 times)


Anyone have pizza?

    Hi All, I've got a race this Tuesday at 6pm, and even though it's later in the day, they are predicting a scorcher. Normally, I breakdown Dead pretty fast when I run in this kind of heat, but it's for my job and I don't want to disappoint. Does anyone have any suggestions, on how to race well, without melting like butter? Confused
    Trent


    Good Bad & The Monkey

      Drink...wait...depends to the distance and your projected finishe time...how far?


      Anyone have pizza?

        It's a burner. 3.5 miles. Last year, I lined up near the front. I wound up with a pace of about 7:20 per mile, which is overperforming by my standards. Runner's World mentioned about wearing a large enough, but well fitting cap, lined with a sponge, and placing ice cubes on top (lol). Seems a bit drastic, but I'm considering it, if it helps me to keep cool.
          Sometimes it's nice to just carry a cold, wet sponge tucked into the waistband of your shorts to quickly wipe sweat off your face and neck and get a fast cool-down.
          "If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don't spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it."
            for a 3.5 mile race i'd just run and not worry about it. different matter if its a longer race but 3.5 miles shouldn't cause you any trouble. make sure you are properly hydrated beforehand then just run Smile


            #2867

              Drink water constantly throughout the day for the past week and through today and tomorrow. Make sure that you empty your bladder before the race. Stick the shade once you've warmed up. Wear sunscreen.

              Run to Win
              25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

                I like the Runners World brain freeze idea. If you try it, let us know how it worked. Good luck!


                Anyone have pizza?

                  Thanks for the advice Blaine. I'll set my Microsoft Outlook calendar to remind me every 2 hours to have a glass tomorrow while at work and before my race. Ken, in last year's NYC Marathon, they handed out Spongebob Squarepants Painters caps. It's the only thing that may hold ice and thin spongy membrane undeneath it to separate me from the ice. If it's not too awkward, I might give it a shot. Otherwise, Paige's idea might be good, except perhaps I might do it around my neck, since I seem to overheat from the head on down. I'll let everyone know how I did. The race is tomorrow, and I'm a bit nervous because I haven't raced in over 2 months, and I completely bombed out on a 10 miler (due to mental denial over yet another mild tibia disturbance) on Memorial Day. However, I saw "PRIDE" tonight (nothing about running, but great movie about swimming), and I think I'm getting "juiced" up for it now! (but not in the Barroid Bonds sense of the word)...
                    I like the Runners World brain freeze idea. If you try it, let us know how it worked. Good luck!
                    Ah, yes. The ol' sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia.
                    My Masters (>50) Race PR's: 5K - 20:17 10K - 42:36 HM - 1:31:22 Marathon - 3:20:48


                    madness baby

                      Ken, in last year's NYC Marathon, they handed out Spongebob Squarepants Painters caps. It's the only thing that may hold ice and thin spongy membrane undeneath it to separate me from the ice. If it's not too awkward, I might give it a shot. .
                      If you do, we want pictures! I hope the race went well and you're not all melted!
                      deb


                      IMKY13 finish!!

                        Hi All, I've got a race this Tuesday at 6pm, and even though it's later in the day, they are predicting a scorcher. Normally, I breakdown Dead pretty fast when I run in this kind of heat, but it's for my job and I don't want to disappoint. Does anyone have any suggestions, on how to race well, without melting like butter? Confused
                        Best of luck in your race tonight!!! Smile

                        Fitness/weight goals for 2014

                         

                        1) STAY INJURY FREE!!!

                        2) Get to 189 lbs by the end of July 2014...and stay there (as of 4-25-14 was at 203 lbs)

                        3) Complete Ironman Chattanooga in under 14 hours

                        4) Break 4 hours in a stand alone marathon (Goal race=Rocket City 12/13/14)

                        5) 4,500 total overall miles for the year:

                                 Swim: 100 miles

                                 Bike: 3,000 miles

                                 Run: 1,400 miles

                          I know it doesn't help now that the race is in your rearview mirror, but I was thinking of this thread while I was finishing up my run on a hot and humid night in Greater Boston. On nights like this my natural tendency is to finish the distance and want to just drop. Given the conditions I think it's pretty important to avoid that kind of full stop and walk it out for a fair distance. I don't know if it's true for most runners, but temp extremes make a warm-down important for me. Hope your race went well, looking forward to your report.

                          E.J.
                          Greater Lowell Road Runners
                          Cry havoc and let slip the dawgs of war!

                          May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your SPF30, may the rains fall soft upon your sweat-wicking hat, and until you hit the finish line may The Flying Spaghetti Monster hold you in the hollow of His Noodly Appendage.


                          Anyone have pizza?

                            I'm back. I'm pooped. I did the 3.5 mile race in 27:24 good enough for 3rd place at my company out of a field of exactly 100 people. I'm pretty happy about it, because although it was slower than last year, it was much hotter outside this year. Also, I was pretty gun shy too. I've got the NYC Half Marathon on Sunday, and most of my runs have been gearing towards longer distances. But I am alive......and now I am pooped with a capital P. Tongue


                            Anyone have pizza?

                              Hi Ed, Without even reading your suggestion until just now, that's exactly what I had to do..Walk around. Once I got back, I sat down at one of the tables, and felt sick to my stomach. I couldn't even eat, so I got up and walked around. Another thing too....never have beer after a trying race. They had beer everywhere, and I took one only because I couldn't find the water right away, and needed to drink immediately. I took about 2 swigs of Bud Light, and realized right away that this was not cutting it. I finally found water and Gatorade. About the only consolation that I was hoping to find in tonight's race was a breeze. They actually say that in hot weather a light headwind actually cools you down, while a tailwind blows hot on your back (no good). My race was an out and' back type of race (see my blog about it), but I was willing to take the bad with the good. However, I got something else...No wind of any kind. I wound up taking two cups at each water station, one to drink, another to douse. And even then the end result was this -> Dead lol. Oh, and that whole notion about the ice in the cap? Fugghedaboudit! It made the hat impossible to wear. I wound up doing what Paige suggested, which worked fine. However, just to be silly, I may just take a picture of myself with the hat and the ice, and post in my next blog....
                                Congrats on your finish Alex. Your story reminds me of my brilliance when running the Volkslaufe 10K on July 4th a few years ago. It was very hot, about 85 F and muggy. At one aid station, I watched a guy flip a cup of water on top of his head, then, lifted it up so the water poured out slowly, cooling him down. I thought it was a great idea. At the next station, I took a cup and dumped it on my head to cool down. Unfortunately, I had missed the water cups and picked up Gatorade. One of my more embarrassing moments. Rule #1: never dump gatorade on your head during a race.
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