Thursday, July 16, 2015

Chicago Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon Pre Race Thoughts: Heat and Race Strategy

Recovering from the heat under
 the post race water mist machine (RnR '13)
So, the big story for the 2015 Chicago Rock n' Roll Half Marathon is (as usual) the hot temperatures/humidity in the forecast. I could sit here and moan about how I don't like running in the heat and how I especially suffer when it's muggy out, but I won't. The race on Sunday is a tune-up race. My main goal is to PR the Chicago Marathon and as such, I need to learn how to deal with all sorts of conditions - including those that I'm faced with on Sunday. Come October if the Chicago Marathon is a hot one, and I have been avoiding racing in the heat all summer, I won't be "battle tested" and will probably struggle to figure out how to deal with the heat during the marathon itself (not a good thing).
RnR '13 Finish
As far as race strategy goes, McMillan puts my current fitness right at a 6:30/mile pace for 13.1 miles. That will obviously need to be adjusted by 10 or 20 seconds per mile upwards based on the heat index. The most important thing is for me to run a nice, consistent pace throughout the RnR in order to simulate running a consistent pace similarly to what I will need to do for the marathon. I will probably start the race at 6:50 for the first 6 miles then try to drop down to 6:40 for the rest of the way in. However, if I'm not feeling it at the halfway point, I will try and just stick with 6:50 and be happy. Since the Rock 'n Roll course runs down many of the same streets as the marathon and even starts and finishes on Columbus Drive in Grant Park, I won't have much better opportunities to simulate the marathon.  A nice consistent pace will be difficult to maintain as the temperatures rise during the race, but again, maintaining a nice consistent pace here may teach me a thing or two how to do it in October when things get tough.

Hamming it up with Xaarlin and Sara
(RnR '13)
To make the race slightly more comfortable, I may wear a bandana and look into purchasing arm coolers at the race expo to see how much they help to keep me from overheating. I am going to wear a hat which will come in handy when they hand out cold sponges, so I can stick the sponges under my hat and get a cold water drip for a mile or two.  Other than that, I will try to hydrate and run in the shade, wherever possible. One more thing, if it is extremely, dangerously hot, I will definitely drop out. No use causing heat stroke and having to take days off of marathon training to adequately recover. I may be acclimated to 75 degrees at the moment, but am not acclimated to anything north of 80 degrees.

Who else is running on Sunday? What are your strategies to stay cool during the race?

13 comments:

  1. I considered running this one, and I'm so glad I didn't! It always seems like this one is a steam bath! I melted last year when I ran that Zooma Half, so I'm glad I don't have a July or August half to deal with. Don't worry, I've still got my marathon training long runs to contend with...10 miles on Sunday!

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    1. Yes, I used to completely avoid racing in July and August, especially anything longer than a 5k. At the very least a hot race day will provide me with a little mental toughness and help me get used to running in unfavorable (i.e. hot) conditions. Good luck with your 10 miler on Sunday! :)

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  2. Good luck this weekend Pete! I know what you mean, I have an Olympic triathlon (my first Olympic distance) on Saturday in Michigan. The "real feel" temp is 100!!

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    1. Thanks Amanda! Good luck to you in your first Olympic Tri this weekend. 100°? At least you'll have a nice long swim to cool you off before the bike and run? :)

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    2. It's going to be about 90 for an actual temperature. And thank you! I wish the swim was in the middle this time so I can cool off. ha!

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  3. {raises hand} I'm running it too. I knew it could be hot and crappy when I registered- but hoped for a cool day. Anyways, your strategy is basically the same as mine. Taking off conservatively and paying attention to your body is key in conditions like this. What corral are you in? I'm in 2.

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    1. Yes, if I register for a half marathon in July, I should expect it to be hot, but I can at least hope for it to be cooler than normal. I like how the forecasted temps for race start is 75°! So much for starting early to avoid the heat. Oh well, at least we'll be in the shade for the first half hour! Good idea about starting conservatively and paying attention to your body. I don't want this race to set me back in my marathon training so I will pay attention to how my body responds and not kill myself to make a certain time. I'm in corral 1. Maybe I'll move to the back of the corral so I don't get swept up with the first mile sprint in the front of the corral! Hope to see you there!

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  4. Good luck, Pete! I hope you have already started hydrating and I hope it's cooler tomorrow then it is today. I put my water bottle (without water) in the freezer over night so it's super cold when I fill it up before a run/race.

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    1. Thanks Sara! That's a great tip that I will definitely use!

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  5. Pete - Hope you had a good race. I volunteered at the 4th water stop and may have very well handed you a cup of water. It was crazy hot, I was glad to be handing out water rather than running. Looking forward to your recap.

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    1. Thanks Melanie. Had to take a DNF for the race, but may have been a blessing since I don't handle the heat very well!

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  6. That humidity was killer out there!!! Chicago summer is officially here with a vengeance. I heard from Xaarlin that you were dealing with some last-minute issues the night before the race - so sorry to hear that. I hope everything is okay.

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    1. Yes, I don't handle humidity very well (okay not well at all)! Everything things to be okay right now (knock on wood). Thanks! :)

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