I ran the Helvetia last weekend and it was a lot of fun! I have done a couple of 5k fun runs, but I had never done a timed event before, so the "officialness" of everything was thrilling! I'm proud of myself for finishing the longest run of my life and would definitely do it again.

That being said, I'm a little disappointed with my performance that day. I didn't change anything about my prep - same hydration/fuel, same breakfast, same clothes - because I didn't want to be messing with anything new that day. However, the conditions were brand new (direct sun) and they really kicked my butt! Vancouver hasn't exactly offered a lot of opportunity to practice running in full sun lately! By mile 10 I was cursing my black capri pants and wishing I had risked the chaffing with my new shorts and a tank top. I'm not concerned with the amount of time the race took me, I am more concerned with how poor I felt at the end of it compared to how amped I feel at the end of a usual Sunday run. I wanted to feel amped, but instead I felt very drained and over heated.

My question is... Is there anything I could have done to be better prepared for the sun without drastically changing my usual "7am and overcast" routine?

Thanks!
Raegan

Hi Raegan,

I struggle in full sun as well, and I get very uncomfortable when it gets hot out. I've tried a few things over the years to help with this.

1) Don't wear black. Wear as much white as possible.

2) Consider trying a product like the Skin Cooler lineup from DeSoto (their T-shirt is on sale at Amazon). I have found that the arm and leg 'coolers' work well when there is a breeze, but otherwise I think they're better for cycling than running. The T-shirt, however, is a godsend. Columbia Sportswear has a similar fabric, and I think more companies are coming out with this type of product all the time. [I have no affiliation with any of these companies.]

3) Wear a hat or a visor. Keeping the sun out of my eyes and off my face helps me feel a lot better in the sun. Less squinting = more relaxed. Also helps with sweat management.

4) Wear non-pore-clogging sunscreen. It is my understanding that sunscreen that clogs pores makes your body's sweating process less effective, leading to overheating. I use Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch sunblock [no affiliation] and I like it (sweatproof, waterproof, 8 hour protection), but I'm sure there are other options out there.

If you learn of anything else, please post! I'm always looking for new ideas for staying cool.

Good luck!

Eric

I have a Kool Tie from Kafka that you can pick up at REI for $10 http://www.rei.com/product/691097

If you don't give a rip about fashion, then this is a great accessory. The clouds that rolled in before the race started fooled me into not wearing it, which made me regret that decision for the last 5 miles. I was pretty beat up for the rest of day as well.

Thanks for the input!

I can't recommend anything better than that Dry-touch sunscreen. This is my second summer using it - I love it! If it weren't for the SPF 85 I was wearing that day, I would have been over heated AND burned to a crisp!

I'm all about wearing a hat, but I think my black hat breaks your no black rule. I'll have to go out and find a white hat because while mine was keeping the sun out of my eyes and off my scalp, I could also feel it baking the top of my head! I'll have to find something more meshy or white.

I'll have to looking into that clothing you recommended and that Kool tie is worth checking out for the price!

Thanks all! Keep the great ideas coming!

For longer runs I wear a bandana rolled up to about 3" wide. I start with it on my head, like a head band, and as it got warmer, I pulled it down to hang around my neck. When it got nice and warm, about mile 9+, I grabbed water at the aid station and soaked it to keep the back of my neck cool and it also doubles for wiping down your face to cool off too. It worked wonderfully!
That's my tip

I actually did everything exactly the same, same clothes, food/gluekos routine, pace, everything, (it's the third time I've done Helvetia) and the last two miles I had to add about 5-7 minutes of walking. I was MAD, and I couldn't figure out what was going on, until I finished. After I walked up the stairs at the stadium, I literally had to lean against the wall and sit down, overcome by huge dizziness. It was so embarassing watching everyone walk by me as I'm sitting on the floor by the bathrooms...

I know it was the heat, but I'm still not feeling as proud as I know I should be. I feel like I should have done something better, or knew better, but the weather report and the beginning of the race led me astray.

I'm trying very hard to make peace with the fact that we hadn't trained in that kind of heat, and that maybe I'm pretty sensitive to it. Thanks for posting, because I've been pretty hard on myself about it. My time wasn't terrible, but I did have to walk more than I wanted.

Thanks for the unintended support!

You're so welcome! I feel the exact same way as you stated above! I don't want to belittle my accomplishment, but at the same time, it's hard not to be disappointed. I just have to accept that I am not a person who can "race" in hot conditions. I need to just be happy that I finished without fainting and save my competitiveness for overcast autumn days.

Admittedly, I didn't finish in any spectacular time -- I was, in fact, the very last finisher -- but I think you're being awfully hard on yourself. The only way you could have anticipated or trained for the weather conditions would have been in Arizona or something. We couldn't foresee it, and we couldn't control it. The weather changed suddenly in a way that impacts human physical performance.

I didn't remember my sunblock, and have bright red ouchy shoulders and decolletage to remind me for next time! On the other hand, I did stay well hydrated and keep it slow, and I finished without heat exhaustion or anything worse. And I really hope to post a better time at the Eugene Women's Half on Labor Day.