If a Kenyan Says it's Too Hot to Run a Marathon...

Rule of life:  If a Kenyan says it's too hot to run a marathon, then it's too hot to run a marathon.


"It's hot. Too hot. In case you don't know that.'' Wesley Korir, Kenyan, and winner of the 2012 Boston Marathon.


Today's heat was hard to cope with a 9 mile run (which I just did), so think about running 26.2 of those at competition pace.  Today was so hot that last year's winner of the Boston Marathon who set a World's Best time of 2:03:02 in the 2011 race finished today with a DNF (Did Not Finish) as he dropped out of the race at mile 18 stating, "I don't know what happened, after some fuel, my stomach was sick and I started struggling. My stomach was getting tight. I did not know that I would drop out. But I am happy.''  Today's winner, Korir, finished the race at 2:12:40, that's almost 10 minutes slower than Mutai's pace last year... in marathons, 10 minutes is an eternity.


It was such a hot race day that the race director advised people to seriously consider deferring to next year's race, saying that there is no comparison to running in cooler races to running in a hot one.  More or less, unless you know you can run in a hot marathon, please don't try this one.  More than 4,000 people deferred to next year's race.

To compare, my most recent marathon, the 2012 Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach started in the upper 50s and ended in the upper 60s.  When I told a running friend about those temps, he said, "That's too hot for a marathon".  Today's Boston Marathon was run in 80 degree temperatures.

In 2007, the Chicago Marathon had to shut down mid-race.  The hospitals were tapped out and couldn't handle the load of runners coming in with heat stroke and dehydration.  Imagine being in the middle of a marathon, inching along and being told that you couldn't finish.


There's a lesson to be learned here.  Lately, I've been getting a lot of tips on how to "get back into running" after my long winter break.  Break?  I haven't stopped running.  The only thing that's changed is that I wear less layers and bring more water when I run.  I'm an all season runner, which means that I have run in many extremes of temperature for where I live.  From icy cold winters, to moderate and pleasant springs and falls, to sweltering summers, I have run in them.  Running is running, but you need to be prepared for whatever condition is confronting you, and every season requires a little different preparation.  Running in heat, though, is probably the most dangerous thing you can do if you are not properly prepared.


There are a few things you should know about running in heat:


First, it's not only the heat, it's the humidity and the dew point.  All these factor into a dehydrating run.  The closer the temperature is to the dew point, the tougher the run is going to be.  Which means a 60 degree day with a low dew point and low humidity might be nice on Tuesday, but Wednesday at 60 degrees with a higher dew point and humidity will feel like you're swimming.  So, be mindful of all the weather conditions out there.

Second, hydration is key, but if all you drink is water, you're not fully hydrating yourself.  In fact, if you drink too much water and sweat too much you could still die from a condition called  hyponatremia.  The best thing to do is to make sure that you take in some nutrition- something salty and/or sugary.  No, you don't have to drink sports drink, you don't have to shoot energy gels, you don't have to eat a Clif bar, but all these are ways to make sure that whatever fluids you do take in actually get into your bloodstream.  So, eat, drink, and run.  And don't just down a bunch of water right before you go out, drink throughout the day, at the very least an hour, then a half hour, then shortly before you run.  Don't be afraid to bring water with you.  That's right, carry something that contains water from which you can drink, either that or stash some water along your running course- the idea is to drink and run... there, that's your motto, drink and run.  When you're thirsty, it's already too late, so drink often and early. *Fun tip:  put your water bottle in the freezer the night before, as the ice melts in the sun, you'll have a cool drink on the run!

Third, know when to pull back.  I know, your training schedule says 10 miles, so you're going to go 10 miles whether it is 100 + degrees with 100% humidity or not... 10 miles.  You go out and start running... 1 mile, you feel like death, but you've got 9 more to go... 2 miles, you're running at a crawl, but tough guys and gals, we stick it out, 8 more to go... 3 miles, you're crying like a baby but the tears are literally evaporating in front of you, but you just read Born to Run... you are Tarahumara, 7 more to go... 4 miles, you're not quite sure, but you might have just seen a few colorful bears dancing, 6 more to go... 5 miles, you're not running anymore, but flying with dragons, 5 to go, almost done, we're tough... 6 miles, now the bears are flying with you and one sounds like a butterfly.  Get the picture?  Look, it's really hot... even the Kenyans stay inside today... go for a walk, or a really short run while you constantly douse yourself in water.  The message?  It's OK to dial back a hard workout on a hot day.  Your body works significantly harder on hot days, so a 5 mile run might be equivalent to a 10 mile run.  Call it good and go home.

Finally, know when to quit.  When you're thirsty, it's already too late, so know when it's too late and quit before an ambulance has to come get your sorry butt!  

Here's a list of symptoms to consider:

Early Dehydration

Thirst

Loss of Appetite

Dry Skin

Skin Flushing

Dark Urine

Dry Mouth

Fatigue or Weakness

Chills

Head Rushes

Need to Stop What You're Doing and Get Hydrated Quick Symptoms

Increased heart rate
Increased respiration
Decreased sweating
Decreased urination
Increased body temperature
Extreme fatigue
Muscle cramps
Headaches
Nausea
Tingling of the limbs

Need to Have Someone Call 911 and Get Your Sorry Butt to the Hospital STAT! Symptoms

Muscle spasms
Vomiting
Racing pulse
Shriveled skin
Dim vision
Painful urination
Confusion
Difficulty breathing
Seizures
Chest and Abdominal pain
unconsciousness

Anything beyond this is heat stroke.

Think about these symptoms and ask, what happened to Geoffrey Mutai by mile 18?  The winner spoke specifically about knowing that he needed to continue to take fluids and go slower than he would if the conditions were cooler.

Please, run happily, run freely, and run safely as this season gets warmer.  I don't want to hear about any of you working too hard and getting injured.

Gob Bless!