Hot weather race execution

Hot weather race execution

What can you do?

This is a really tough question because typically people are looking for answers the day before when they find out some event they have been training for is going to be a cooker.  There is no silver bullet. Different people handle heat in races better than others.  There are some things you can try.

Much of it depends on what you are used to and the training you are taking into the race.  One of the early Boston marathons that was run on a hot day was won by a furnace stoker.  He was used to the heat.  How your body reacts is dependent on how well conditioned it is to the heat.

If you have been training in the snow and ice your body isn’t going to be ready.  If you’ve been training in Miami Beach you will be in better shape.

The tricky thing about racing in the heat is that it’s different than your normal challenges like wind and hills.  Heat doesn’t require more energy; it just makes you less efficient.  After your core temp rises to a certain point your body stops functioning as efficiently.

Therefore the challenge to racing in the heat is to keep your core temperature low enough that your body can still race effectively.

How do you keep your core temperature low?

1. Reflect the heat.

This means anything you can do to have the energy from the sun bounce off you is a plus.  Light colored fabric reflect the sun’s rays instead of absorbing them.  A light colored, technical hat with a broader brim can keep the sun’s energy off your crown.

1. Stay out of the heat.

Before and during your race find those opportunities to stay out of the sun.  Running in the shade of a building or a tree line can be several degrees cooler.  Scout the course and look for shade opportunities.  In a slanting sun you can even stay in the shade of other runners.  It’s your call but it may be worth it to miss a couple tangents to find some shade.

1. Remove the heat.

Water has some amazing chemical qualities.  One of them is that it absorbs energy when it changes state.  When water evaporates, changes from liquid to gas, it absorbed 300 Kcal per mole.  The more you can get water to evaporate off of your skin the more energy it will absorb in the form of heat.

This means that the cold water you drink helps but the cold water you splash on your arms and legs helps more.  Try to spread a thin layer of water across as much exposed skin as possible.  The insides of your arms is a great place to spread some water to cool you down.

When I have raced in the heat I will squirt water from my water bottle into my palm and spread it on my arms and legs to maximize the evaporation surface.

Of course evaporation works best on dryer days and if there is some wind.

1. Turn the furnace down.

Finally, as hard as it is to stomach, if you haven’t trained in the heat you’re going to have to run slower and with less effort.   Go into the race with the knowledge that you may have to let this one go so you can live to fight another day.

Speaking of stomach, don’t wrongly assume that you need to take in more calories.  Since heat causes loss of efficiency, more calories are just going to make you nauseous.  Keep an eye on your water consumption and consider adding in electrolyte supplements, but back off on the calories.

Many people struggle with how much water to drink.  It’s not rocket science.  Weigh yourself.  Run on the treadmill at room temperature at a zone 3 effort for an hour.  Weigh yourself.  The difference is your baseline sweat rate.

Depending on how you have been training and how your body reacts to heat will determine how you handle hot weather racing.  If you’re not trained or ready for it then there really isn’t much you can do.  If you try to run through it you won’t last and will end up in the med tent.  If you are accustomed to running in the heat then there are a few tactical tweaks you can make to give yourself a better chance.  Either way, be realistic and have fun.  It’s not worth dying over.