If I were racing in warm conditions this weekend…

This weekend is the local Indianapolis Mini Marathon as well as my hometown marathon, The Flying Pig. The spring has brought some early season warm temperatures. It looks like Mid-west racing this weekend will offer fairly warm race day conditions for the early May race date. If I were racing this weekend I know there are a few things I would personally do in an effort to avoid something like this…

Or, heaven forbid even this…

Hopefully it’s easy to appreciate the importance of going into the race well hydrated. I drink before the race until my urine color is very light. On warm days I make a bulk of my pre-race hydration from drinking cold, electrolyte-rich beverages with my pre-race meal. I even do this for my final pre-race hydration shortly before the race. I like the additional race day electrolytes.

When taking water from the aid stations I make sure to drink it versus dumping most of it on my head. I definitely don’t shy away from sports drink during the race. I like the presence of electrolytes, and the flavored beverage supports my desire to keep drinking.

To ensure I have plenty of fluids on hand I always take 2 cups at aid stations. I do this even if I don’t think I will drink all of the fluids. I would rather have too much fluid on hand than too little. I can always toss a half full cup, but I know that I’m less likely to turn around and run back for more. I find if I pinch one cup completely shut while I drink from the other half pinched cup, I lose the least amount of fluid while running.

I like to judge how much I’m drinking by how many swallows I take. I consider just under a mouthful to be about one ounce. I will count 1, 2, 3, 4… and so on as I drink from the cup. If one of the swallows ends up more like a sip, I will take an extra swallow or two. This helps me better gauge how much I’m drinking at each aid station.

It’s true; although not often, after some races a cold beer (because I’m old enough to have one) sounds like a treat. Before I enjoy a post-race celebratory drink, I make sure I have urinated. If it takes me hours to urinate for the first time after a race I feel it’s a sign I’m fairly dehydrated. When I do use the restroom, I can take a peak back and notice the color of the urine. If it’s fairly dark, I feel the alcohol may enhance my dehydrated state and slow the recovery process. When I establish that I’m rehydrated with sufficient fluids I’m much more likely to enjoy the cold beverage.

Most importantly on warm weather days, I know I need to relax and have fun. Despite the great satisfaction that comes with a solid personal record performance, warm and humid days really aren’t the time to expect a big drop in race time. However, smart early pacing can lead to a just as satisfying rockstar place.