ah, there’s nothing quite like watching the weather forecasts during race week.
some might say that a 50-mile race is a scorcher on distance alone. no need to add temps that will be pushing the high 80s (°F).
in a previous post on my blog i shared a time-based goal that i’d established for myself at The North Face Endurance Challenge Series GORE-TEX® 50-miler. i’d even positioned it as my ‘B’ goal, so as to provide myself a bit of cushion on either side should i exceed it or not quite reach it … and i left open the caveat that the achievement of any of these goals could and would very well be dependent upon the hand that mother nature decides to deal to us ultra-wannabes. and so it seems that heat will most definitely be a factor.
with the heat (and especially the humidity) we will all have to be extra-attentive to hydration issues. given that my last attempt at an ultra distance in july saw my blood pressure bottom out i will also be paying close attention to electrolyte/sodium levels – and thus for the first time ever i will be packing salt tablets as part of my race gear (with a plan to start taking them after about the first 3.5hrs).
i’ve also been doing some casual ‘research’ into planning for hot race days and the effect that those conditions can have on your body and race strategy – and one of the best resources that i’ve come up with is a video from the indomitable sage canaday which is definitely worth 8 minutes of your time if you are also going to be tackling blue mountain this weekend:
control what you can control and roll with the rest of it, that’s what i say. getting amped to hit that starting line at 5am on saturday and #GOlikeneverbefore!
