Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun
Mad, yes.., English, yes…running in the midday sun? Quite possibly!
After spending one of the coldest Winters on record training for the London Marathon it now looks like it will be a rather tropical 20 degrees on Sunday! Here are some tips for running in the heat.
1. Drink! Remember that thirst is not an indicator of dehydration. Once you are thirsty, you are already low on fluids. Drink about 100-200ml of water and/or sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes.. Make sure you hydrate with fluids containing electrolytes since you will be sweating a lot of salt out.
2. Weigh yourself, before and after the London Marathon. Drink 500ml of fluid for every pound of weight lost.
3. Wear the right clothes preferably light-colored micro-fiber clothing.
4. Use your brain! If you ever feel nauseous or heavy-headed, stop immediately, get in the shade, and drink something cold. Listen to your body and what it says. It knows more than you do.
5. Seek Shade. For the obvious reason that it will be cooler! Tip: In exposed stretches try and tuck into a person in fancy dress!
6. Wear a hat. While you may think that allowing heat to escape from your head is a good idea, in direct sunlight on a hot day, you will absorb far more than you will lose.
Finally, enjoy! The Virgin London Marathon looks set to be a brilliant event and if you have put in the training and prepared well you will have a fantastic day.
It can be hard to say regardless of whether this really is good, however only time will tell, as with most good design.