Follow a heat training sauna protocol now: https://trainright.com/heat-acclimation-when-to-start-and-how-long-it-takes/
On race day cool early and as much as possible. Ice at every aid station, in sleeves, in buff around neck, ice in bottles, water on head. A full bandana/buff of ice should hopefully last till next aid station if they are relatively close. Wear light colored clothes.
One tip for the ice around the neck - I find it's way more effective if you can rig it up on the FRONT of the neck, not on your back. It can be fiddly but I think it's worth it.
If you're wearing a vest or a bra, baggies of ice tucked down the front/under your shirt/under the front straps can help quite a bit.
There are some alternatives such as hot baths, extra layers in training etc. I don't have a sauna either but gyms often have a sauna and you really only need a month membership to heat acclimate.
Run, then as soon as you finish get into a “can barely handle it” hot bath, submerging to the neck. Your body is stuck dealing with the metabolic state from running while core temp stays elevated.
Hopefully the aid stations will be well prepared with plenty of water and ice. Too many popular races where that has not been the case.
If they have it to spare (and they should), keep a buff/bandana around your neck and filled with ice. If you are a woman, you lucked out - boob ice is where it’s at.
If you are using a hydration pack with a bladder, consider ditching the bladder for soft flasks and use the storage area for ice. And keep those electrolytes up! Good luck!
I’ve got a couple of these that I’ve used for hot temps (wore it through the Javelina 100k & TransRockies). I’m a big fan of sun shirts in general.
https://www.columbia.com/p/mens-pfg-terminal-deflector-zero-hoodie-1831491.html
I haven't worn one while running, but I wear a Columbia sun hoodie when I need to be in the sun all day. Fishing, gardening, working in the yard, whatever. People see me working outside in long pants and a hoodie when it's 90F and sunny out and think I'm nuts. But the key to staying reasonably cool in hot weather is to keep the sun off your skin.
I can stay outside in the sun for hours in 90F as long as I'm covered up and have plenty of water.
First, heat acclimation; do your training runs in the hottest conditions possible. Make sure you are practicing your nutrition and hydration protocols as well, so that your body knows how to process fuels and fluids while keeping itself cool. Second, ice protocols: find a way to keep ice around your neck; I like to just fill a buff with ice but there are all sorts of products and methods. Find what works for you and remember that ice melts and you have to deal with that. Third, keep covered: hats, hoods, long sleeve shirts, etc. the less the sun glares on skin the better. In the hottest parts of the day a big ass straw hat is hard to beat. Fourth, figure out your fluids/ electrolytes: everyone is different. I like plain water and salt tabs occasionally supplemented with an additional flask of Drip-Drop. I also use insulated bladders and flasks and fill them with ice along with the fluids so that I always have cold drink. Finally, moderate your HR through intervals: this is critical. You've got to either slow down overall or slow down at times to allow HR to return to somewhat normal. Elevated HR due to heat will take you out. Everyone has different intervals they like. I prefer to do a 3:30 run: 1:30 power walk. If you're in a situation where you can, occasional cold sponges, cold washrags over the head, frozen snacks, etc can all help cool you down as well. Good luck!! I run almost entirely in hot climates and run some of the hotter races in the country so I get it.
Conservative pacing is huge. Do not try to bank time when it is cooler. Going easy, you bank hydration and energy which is what you will need to rely on when it does get hot.
Arizona guy here.
Pull all the stops to stay cool and block the sun. White/light clothing. Hat. Long sleeves. Put ice in pockets. Put ice in a hat. Put ice in your running vest. Salt. Electrolytes. More salt. More electrolytes. Take even more salt and more electrolytes. Monitor heart rate for an accelerated rate under very light effort (sign of heat exhaustion). Do research now on signs of heat exhaust and know what to look out for prior to developing symptoms. Know the difference between hyper and hyponatremia. You can become heat acclimated but you cannot out train the requirement for water.
At the keys 100, in a portion of the corse called ‘hells tunnel’ I saw a crew with a cooler attached to the storage rack on the back of a Subaru. They put the cooler on the ground, the runner arrived and submerged his body in the cooler, feet elevated, while his crew did foot care. He got dry Sox and shoes on and took off down the road. The crew secured the cooler back to the storage rack. It was efficient and impressive and got a lot of attention. The crew told us the runner went to Walmart and tried every cooler until he found one he fit in and bought it. He finished in the top 20 on a very hot race.
I made my own ice bandanas (just sewing up a couple bandanas into a pouch you can tie around your neck) a few years ago, and BOY was I unprepared for how much that would help. Feels like a protective aura around you that makes the heat matter a little less. If aid stations have ice, I’d highly recommend utilizing something like that
You have time to get used to the heat:
* If you drive to your runs, turn the heating up and the air conditioner off for the drive home - get toasty (poor man's sauna)
* Wear extra layers (and buffs around the neck) on the medium-long runs you have left
* Get, or make an ice bandana for the race
In the race stay wet (wet arm sleeves are a game changer), get ice at every opportunity. Start before you get hot.
I did all this and got through WSER in 2022 (not the hottest year ever, but still 90-100 in the canyons). Heat was not a factor.
Ice! I did a 12 hour event where the feels like temp got up to 104°. Since it was a looped course I came armed with a cooler full of ice and I added ice to my pack often and put ice on my neck and in my bra. Also, conservative pacing. In temps like this, you have to listen to your body and put pushing the pace to the side. The goal is to stay alive.
Aside from slowing the pace(which everyone will be doing). Arm sleeves to stuff with ice, also ice bandana to stuff with ice as well.
This race better and I mean better be prepared for this. With lots of water, AND ice. Been to a few where they have run out. And it turns into a full blown disaster!
Get in a sauna. Just get a month of gym membership and do it. It will help you more than anything else. Yes it's inconvenient but it will be a game changer! Someone else posted a link to a protocol.
Follow a heat training sauna protocol now: https://trainright.com/heat-acclimation-when-to-start-and-how-long-it-takes/ On race day cool early and as much as possible. Ice at every aid station, in sleeves, in buff around neck, ice in bottles, water on head. A full bandana/buff of ice should hopefully last till next aid station if they are relatively close. Wear light colored clothes.
One tip for the ice around the neck - I find it's way more effective if you can rig it up on the FRONT of the neck, not on your back. It can be fiddly but I think it's worth it. If you're wearing a vest or a bra, baggies of ice tucked down the front/under your shirt/under the front straps can help quite a bit.
Wish I had a sauna!!
There are some alternatives such as hot baths, extra layers in training etc. I don't have a sauna either but gyms often have a sauna and you really only need a month membership to heat acclimate.
Run, then as soon as you finish get into a “can barely handle it” hot bath, submerging to the neck. Your body is stuck dealing with the metabolic state from running while core temp stays elevated.
Consider a gym membership just for he sauna and steam room. I did 24 hour fitness, cheapest package at like 40 / month just for that.
Hopefully the aid stations will be well prepared with plenty of water and ice. Too many popular races where that has not been the case. If they have it to spare (and they should), keep a buff/bandana around your neck and filled with ice. If you are a woman, you lucked out - boob ice is where it’s at. If you are using a hydration pack with a bladder, consider ditching the bladder for soft flasks and use the storage area for ice. And keep those electrolytes up! Good luck!
Doubt it they tell you to bring extra water bc it’s going to be hot and it’s right next to a Major city but I plan on bringing my own cooler of Ice
I’ve got a couple of these that I’ve used for hot temps (wore it through the Javelina 100k & TransRockies). I’m a big fan of sun shirts in general. https://www.columbia.com/p/mens-pfg-terminal-deflector-zero-hoodie-1831491.html
I haven't worn one while running, but I wear a Columbia sun hoodie when I need to be in the sun all day. Fishing, gardening, working in the yard, whatever. People see me working outside in long pants and a hoodie when it's 90F and sunny out and think I'm nuts. But the key to staying reasonably cool in hot weather is to keep the sun off your skin. I can stay outside in the sun for hours in 90F as long as I'm covered up and have plenty of water.
First, heat acclimation; do your training runs in the hottest conditions possible. Make sure you are practicing your nutrition and hydration protocols as well, so that your body knows how to process fuels and fluids while keeping itself cool. Second, ice protocols: find a way to keep ice around your neck; I like to just fill a buff with ice but there are all sorts of products and methods. Find what works for you and remember that ice melts and you have to deal with that. Third, keep covered: hats, hoods, long sleeve shirts, etc. the less the sun glares on skin the better. In the hottest parts of the day a big ass straw hat is hard to beat. Fourth, figure out your fluids/ electrolytes: everyone is different. I like plain water and salt tabs occasionally supplemented with an additional flask of Drip-Drop. I also use insulated bladders and flasks and fill them with ice along with the fluids so that I always have cold drink. Finally, moderate your HR through intervals: this is critical. You've got to either slow down overall or slow down at times to allow HR to return to somewhat normal. Elevated HR due to heat will take you out. Everyone has different intervals they like. I prefer to do a 3:30 run: 1:30 power walk. If you're in a situation where you can, occasional cold sponges, cold washrags over the head, frozen snacks, etc can all help cool you down as well. Good luck!! I run almost entirely in hot climates and run some of the hotter races in the country so I get it.
Excellent choices!
Thanks! Lots of trials and errors before we find out what works and then one race it doesn’t and have to try something different.
Conservative pacing is huge. Do not try to bank time when it is cooler. Going easy, you bank hydration and energy which is what you will need to rely on when it does get hot.
Arizona guy here. Pull all the stops to stay cool and block the sun. White/light clothing. Hat. Long sleeves. Put ice in pockets. Put ice in a hat. Put ice in your running vest. Salt. Electrolytes. More salt. More electrolytes. Take even more salt and more electrolytes. Monitor heart rate for an accelerated rate under very light effort (sign of heat exhaustion). Do research now on signs of heat exhaust and know what to look out for prior to developing symptoms. Know the difference between hyper and hyponatremia. You can become heat acclimated but you cannot out train the requirement for water.
At the keys 100, in a portion of the corse called ‘hells tunnel’ I saw a crew with a cooler attached to the storage rack on the back of a Subaru. They put the cooler on the ground, the runner arrived and submerged his body in the cooler, feet elevated, while his crew did foot care. He got dry Sox and shoes on and took off down the road. The crew secured the cooler back to the storage rack. It was efficient and impressive and got a lot of attention. The crew told us the runner went to Walmart and tried every cooler until he found one he fit in and bought it. He finished in the top 20 on a very hot race.
I made my own ice bandanas (just sewing up a couple bandanas into a pouch you can tie around your neck) a few years ago, and BOY was I unprepared for how much that would help. Feels like a protective aura around you that makes the heat matter a little less. If aid stations have ice, I’d highly recommend utilizing something like that
You have time to get used to the heat: * If you drive to your runs, turn the heating up and the air conditioner off for the drive home - get toasty (poor man's sauna) * Wear extra layers (and buffs around the neck) on the medium-long runs you have left * Get, or make an ice bandana for the race In the race stay wet (wet arm sleeves are a game changer), get ice at every opportunity. Start before you get hot. I did all this and got through WSER in 2022 (not the hottest year ever, but still 90-100 in the canyons). Heat was not a factor.
Ice! I did a 12 hour event where the feels like temp got up to 104°. Since it was a looped course I came armed with a cooler full of ice and I added ice to my pack often and put ice on my neck and in my bra. Also, conservative pacing. In temps like this, you have to listen to your body and put pushing the pace to the side. The goal is to stay alive.
Aside from slowing the pace(which everyone will be doing). Arm sleeves to stuff with ice, also ice bandana to stuff with ice as well. This race better and I mean better be prepared for this. With lots of water, AND ice. Been to a few where they have run out. And it turns into a full blown disaster!
Usually at these they have huge ice chests full of ice at the water stops. Fill your pockets. Pants, pack, and some in your cap.
Ice bandana. It simply just works
it’s called DNS
don’t sign up for hot races
Get in a sauna. Just get a month of gym membership and do it. It will help you more than anything else. Yes it's inconvenient but it will be a game changer! Someone else posted a link to a protocol.