Keep Safe in Race Day Heat

May 29, 2012

Hot Weather During the Big Race Makes for an Extra Challenge

Recent events spotlighted the challenges of staging an organized road race on a day that calls for higher temperatures. Although Bellin Run planners have a solid contingency plan for adverse weather conditions, they say each runner and walker must play a key role in ensuring his or her own personal safety.

In the meantime, here are some helpful tips from the Bellin Run on how to participate in the annual 10K on a hot day.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Keeping the body hydrated is the simplest way of avoiding heat-related illnesses. Drink fluids before, during and after the race. Water and sports drinks are your best bet. Alcohol is a no-no. Be sure to hydrate your body in moderation. If you drink until you feel bloated, you’re in for a challenging race and a few extra trips to the porta-potty. Use common sense here.

But don’t over hydrate
Over hydrating can cause a condition called hyponatremia or water intoxication. Simply put, so much water is consumed that it severely reduces the level of sodium in the body causing nausea, fatigue, vomiting, weakness and slurred speech. In the most severe cases, over hydrating can result in seizures, coma and death. During the race, drink at least a cup of water or sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes.

Know your limits
Understand your body and set limits for yourself. It’s generally not a good idea to aim for a personal best on a hot race day. When we run, our body’s temperature is regulated through sweat evaporating off the skin. If the surrounding humidity is so high that it hinders or prevents sweat evaporation from occurring, we can overheat from an elevated body temperature and start to experience heat-related illnesses. Do your body a huge favor and pace yourself under hot weather conditions.

Understand the signs of heat illness
Feeling faint, a little dizzy or disoriented? Is your skin feeling clammy, unusually hot or cold? If the answer to any of these is yes, you need to slow down or stop running. Seek medical help immediately. Heatstroke, a life-threatening medical emergency, occurs when the body is unable to regulate its own temperature. Symptoms include confusion, delirium, and in some cases, unconsciousness. Hot, reddish and dry skin is also a common symptom.

Wear sunscreen
Slather on a waterproof sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 and broad spectrum protection that blocks UVA and UVB rays. Apply your sunscreen at least 20 minutes before the big race to give your skin enough time to absorb the lotion.

Ditch the cotton T-shirt
Performance wicking material is the in-thing now. There’s a reason for that. Most running attire these days is made of some form of moisture-wicking fabric. These fabrics keep sweat away from your skin and help keep you cool. Cotton retains the moisture, gets heavy, and isn’t going to cool you down as well as these new wicking materials can.

Preexisting medical concerns
If you have heart or respiratory problems or are on any prescribed medications, it’s best to clear your participation in the Bellin Run with your primary care physician, especially if the temperatures are expected to be a little on the warm side. And if you start feeling ill on race day and begin experiencing medical problems, it’s probably a really good idea to bow out of the race and come back next year.

Listen to your body
The heat can be dangerous if you are not prepared so listen to your body and understand the signals it may send you. If you start to experience signs of heat-related illness – dizziness, clammy skin, nausea, sudden headache, confusion, etc. – stop and immediately get out of the sun or into the shade. Seek help from one of the many teams of medical experts on the course.

Contact any of our running experts at (920) 430-4722 with questions or advice about your race day weather strategies.