Everyone, Saturday is almost here. Saturday, as you might know, is the North Face Endurance Challenge — DC (aka best) edition, aka we take over the trails at Algonkian Park with several friends from all around the world, too.
Saturday is gonna be hype. Saturday is also gonna be HOT. Like 91 degrees in April HOTTT.
That’s hot for 50 miles (hello, Brian Brussell). That’s hot for 50K (hello, like, 30 people). That’s even hot for running one leg of the marathon relay (hello hundreds of you). And we don’t want anyone to overheat.
So … Stevie to the rescue! Big thanks to registered dietician, nutritionist, ironwoman, marathoner, all-out awesome person, core tribe member, etc. Stevie Lyn Smith for sharing her knowledge about how to prepare for this type of racing weather and how to stay cool, fresh, and kicking ass on race day (hint: save the adult-bev drinking for our super-hype after-party at Wunder Garten Saturday night!)
OK, I’ll shut up now and let Stevie speak for herself. Read below. Read every word. IMPORTANT.
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GUYS. It’s going to be hella hot this weekend and we’ve all had no time to even kind of acclimate to be able to #raceeverything in heat yet this year. So I’m here to give you some #protips on how to manage your race while most importantly staying safe out on the course.
First, what’s going on with your body when you exercise in the heat and why does the heat make such a difference? Why should we care? Exercising in the heat puts extra stress on your body as both the exercise itself and the air temperature increase your core temperature. This causes the body to send more blood to your skin to lower your core temperature which in turns leaves less blood for your muscles, increasing your heart rate. Humidity adds another curveball of added stress here as your sweat doesn’t readily evaporate. This can lead to a variety of heat related illnesses ranging from cramps, syncope and heatstroke.
How can you help prevent the onset of heat illness? Proper hydration and fueling to meet your body’s increased demands. Drinking plenty of water is a good place to start, including the few days leading into the race. I know we all love a few race day eve cocktails but this weekend may not be the best time to imbibe, especially if you’re going long. Beyond water it is crucial to replace the electrolytes (Na, Mg, Cl, K) that you lose in your sweat (I more fondly know them as ‘lytes’) that are necessary for bodily functions such as fluid balance, muscle and nerve contraction and acid-base balance, among other things. How can you get these? Sports drinks. Don’t be afraid of the sugar content, drink the drink (I personally prefer Gatorade Endurance for it’s higher sodium content). Also why ‘lytes are important — if you drink plenty of water but take in no sodium you will put yourself at risk for hyponatremia, which can have serious consequences like heat related illnesses. For those going long or if you’re a heavy sweater, I would also recommend taking in electrolyte tablets (an example of these being Base electrolytes) due to increased losses. Just running one leg of the relay? My advice stays the same. The exposure to the sun and heat while you’re cheering on your teammates will still put extra stress on your body. Your needs won’t be as high as someone running longer but you’ll still need more than what you’ve consumed in training (or not consumed) in the cooler temps.
Other #protips include; Get ice/cold water wherever you can and dump it on your head and neck to help lower core temperature. Carry your own water. I can’t stress this one enough. Though there are aid stations on course, with the forecast as it is I would never rely 100% on the aid station having what I need. Body glide everything. I learned this hard way during marathon #15 which was 87 degress and humid AF…talk about ‘chafing the dream’. Lastly, wear sunblock! Not just to prevent skin cancer but because having a sunburn is just another thing that makes it more difficult for your body to decrease it’s temperature.
Be smart, be safe, and get after it!
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