Any tips for racing in the heat?

I assume you're talking about the Distance Classic - which starts at 6:30 AM. Hopefully you'll be done by 8 or so before it gets too hot. I ran it last year and the heat wasnt a factor, despite the fact mid-day temps got to 80+. Good luck in the race.

Thanks for the post. For some reason I thought it had an 8:00 start. I hope I'm not still on the course around 8:00. 6:30 shouldn't be so bad.

run faster before it gets hot

Soak your shirt in cold water before the start and leave it quite wet. Pour water over your head at all the water stops. You can usually get through a half that way even if you're not heat trained. I would wear a t shirt rather than a singlet to keep more area covered with cool water.

I would plan better the next time though. You don't have to do hard workouts in the heat to get used to it but it is a bad idea to be constantly running when it's most comfortable as far as temperature goes. Racing rarely is.

Try to stick to the shade as much throughout the race as possible. There is nothing that will drain you more then getting hit directly by the sun.

If the race starts at six thirty, it's not going to be that hot? By the time the sun is becoming a factor, whatever he's wearing is going to be soaked.I can't imagine anything more uncomfortable or weighty to start a half wearing than a sopping wet t-shirt. That would suck, for me at least.

SMJO wrote:

Soak your shirt in cold water before the start and leave it quite wet. Pour water over your head at all the water stops. You can usually get through a half that way even if you're not heat trained. I would wear a t shirt rather than a singlet to keep more area covered with cool water.

I would plan better the next time though. You don't have to do hard workouts in the heat to get used to it but it is a bad idea to be constantly running when it's most comfortable as far as temperature goes. Racing rarely is.

1) Hydrate more than you think you need to, especially during the first half of the race

2) Go by feel, not by pace. (I.e., don't worry if you're 10 or even 15 seconds a mile slower than the pace you're "supposed" to run

3) Scale back your warmup a bit. I routinely forget to do this; I hit the starting line dripping with sweat. Keep your core temp down. Warm up slower and shorter. One mile at a slow jog, 200 meters at tempo. Stop and stretch. A few strides. That's all.

4) Repeat #2: Run by feel. Keep controlled early.

Heat alone isn't bad. Heat and humidity, combined with radiant sunlight, are what gets you.

Racing in heat? Hmmm...how about getting spade?

Now THAT would be funny if you could spell spayed ...

consider cutting down your warmup. depending on how warm you anticipate it to be, hydrate a little more then normal but not so much that you'll have to piss during the race. fine-line to walk. instead of attacking the race from the start, let it come to you and see how u feel after a mile or two. just what works for me. maybe not for others. good luck.

LOL what the hell is that?

train in the heat. I used to go out in the 90s and 100 degree heat to train in the summer, because I knew those early season meets in X-C were going to be HOT! Same applies to road running, to a degree; though most are held at 8 or 9am, to mostly, beat the heat.

What category would wejo place this in?