General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Race Prep - Heat and Humidity Rss Feed  
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2013-07-17 1:13 PM

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Subject: Race Prep - Heat and Humidity
So, I am racing this weekend - NJ State Tri (Sprint). The weather on Saturday is supposed to be hot an humid, as it has been all week. I have had a terrible time acclimating to the humidity this season. any suggestions for race day? Last year it was in the high 60's with low humidity at the start of the race, so this is going to be different!


2013-07-17 1:30 PM
in reply to: hessma

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Subject: RE: Race Prep - Heat and Humidity

Originally posted by hessma So, I am racing this weekend - NJ State Tri (Sprint). The weather on Saturday is supposed to be hot an humid, as it has been all week. I have had a terrible time acclimating to the humidity this season. any suggestions for race day? Last year it was in the high 60's with low humidity at the start of the race, so this is going to be different!

 

You are a little close to race day to be trying to prep for this..............Spend some time in a sauna tho it might help although 3 days is notmuch time to make progress on this

2013-07-17 1:39 PM
in reply to: hessma

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Subject: RE: Race Prep - Heat and Humidity

Heat and humidity are a fact of life here in Iowa.  We can't escape it and we can only deal with it.  I make sure that I when I get out of the swim I take a big drink of water.  Then out on the bike I'm constantly taking small sips from my aero bottle.  I never miss a water station on the run too. 

Good thing it's a sprint so it will be over fast.  Bad thing is that during a sprint it's GO TIME RED LINED the WHOLE TIME so you can really burn energy and sweat. 

Not much to prep for in three days though.  I have seen people take a small hand towel, wet it and freeze it.  By the time they start their race, it has melted enough to form around their neck for the ride.  Seems like a lot of hassel to me though.

 

2013-07-17 3:16 PM
in reply to: siouxcityhawk

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Subject: RE: Race Prep - Heat and Humidity
I saw a lot of triathletes at Kona dumping ice in their shorts/tops. Maybe if there's ice at the aid stations, take some and do like the pros? Good luck on Saturday. I'm in southern VT and it's 105 with the humidity. I feel your pain!
2013-07-17 3:30 PM
in reply to: hessma

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Subject: RE: Race Prep - Heat and Humidity
Yeah, given the time that's left, there's not much you can do to acclimate (and I wouldn't advise trying to and wearing yourself out in the few days prior to the race). On hotter races over the last few years, I've taken to carrying water with me on a fuel belt (even for shorter races, where the conventional wisdom is to travel light). I can drink easier out of the spout on the bottle than the cup and then at water stations one or two cups of nice cold water go straight on the ol' noggin, which keeps me cool for at least a few minutes.
2013-07-17 3:32 PM
in reply to: Ershk

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Subject: RE: Race Prep - Heat and Humidity
Originally posted by Ershk

Yeah, given the time that's left, there's not much you can do to acclimate (and I wouldn't advise trying to and wearing yourself out in the few days prior to the race). On hotter races over the last few years, I've taken to carrying water with me on a fuel belt (even for shorter races, where the conventional wisdom is to travel light). I can drink easier out of the spout on the bottle than the cup and then at water stations one or two cups of nice cold water go straight on the ol' noggin, which keeps me cool for at least a few minutes.


. . . I should add that this has only backfired once . . . but the Gatorade wasn't colored and there was no stickiness that a shower didn't take care of.


2013-07-17 4:08 PM
in reply to: Ershk

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Subject: RE: Race Prep - Heat and Humidity
Not much you can do about acclimating at this point, it usually takes at least I few weeks I would think. I did read an interesting article a while ago about drinking a slushy (blended ice) drink before working out in the heat. They found that it lowers the core body temp a few degrees and helps athletes cope with heat. I would be a little worried what it might do to your digestion if you're not used to it, but might be worth a shot. Also, wearing a hat on the run and throwing ice in to it can help too.

http://running.competitor.com/2013/07/nutrition/have-a-slushie-befo...
2013-07-17 4:11 PM
in reply to: tripazardly

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Subject: RE: Race Prep - Heat and Humidity

For the Oly they have sponges on run course - may want to inquire @ sprint amenities.  Drink a lot leading up to Sat. so you are fully hydrated. Run is semi shady so that should help.  Good luck and have fun.

2013-07-17 4:13 PM
in reply to: hessma

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Subject: RE: Race Prep - Heat and Humidity
There isn't much you can do with only three days left.  It takes about two weeks for most people to acclimate to heat & humidity.  If you had asked this question three weeks ago, I would have said to do some of your runs in the heat of the day if possible, but keep your intensity lower until you acclimate.  With so little time, about the only thing you can do is make sure you're well hydrated going in, and practice some of the techniques for staying cool during the race such as dumping water over your head, ice down your top, shorts, and under your cap, plus if it's a hilly race, walking or slowing your pace on the steepest hills to avoid overheating.  Once you overheat, it's hard to recover, but if you can avoid it in the first place by slowing down, it can result in a faster overall time than if you had tried to race through it at paces you could have sustained in cooler conditions.
2013-07-17 4:59 PM
in reply to: TriMyBest

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Subject: RE: Race Prep - Heat and Humidity
Slushy idea sounds like something to try.
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