racing in weather you haven't planned for

godblessourhome
godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
my third half marathon is tomorrow. the weather report says that it is going to be a mix of rain and snow. i did most of my running either indoors or in nice weather. i ran last winter in snow, but i have never run a long distance in rain before.

advice?

i am not sure how that affects what i am going to wear. i am also not sure how that will affect my time. also worried about chafing and blisters.

Replies

  • peej76
    peej76 Posts: 1,250 Member
    I am waiting for responses as well!! I am running a 1/2 tomorrow too and calling for rain! It's supposed to be mild so I am thinking shorts and a tank, the less wet clothes I have clinging to me the better! I will throw a hat on to keep the rain out of my face! And I am confused on shoes too! I don't want to ruin my new shoes, but my old shoes won't hold out for that length of a run! I can still throw my old ones on for a 5/10k but then my ankles and feet start killing! Plus we have to drive an hour to get to the race so I will pack some towels and dry clothes for the drive home! I am excited to see what kind of advice people have! Thanks for posting!!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I haven't done a race of that distance, but I go outside in all kinds of weather and live in the northeast. My biggest concern if you're not used to running outside in winter weather would be cold-induced asthma. I still sometimes get wheezy if I exert myself in the cold, but not as bad as I used to.

    But other than a baseball hat to keep the rain out of my eyes, I don't feel the weather once I get moving. I sweat so much that my clothes are drenched from the inside, anyway, so wearing waterproof clothing doesn't matter.
  • bstamps12
    bstamps12 Posts: 1,184
    If you have a non-cotton baseball hat, you may want to wear that to shield against rain hitting your face. Will they pick up clothing thrown along the course and let you pick it up afterwards? If so, lots of layers and shed as you go. Rub some extra anti-chafing gel on areas you are worried about chafing. Obviously watch out for any puddles--staying towards the center of the road usually helps with that. You've trained hard for it and you'll learn from it and be prepared next time you find yourself in a race with a worse weather forecast than anticipated.
  • trijoe
    trijoe Posts: 729 Member
    Since you've done half marathons before, you know a trick or two for getting to the finish line. Kudos for that. Bstamps has a good idea - go heavy on the body glide. Anywhere and everywhere. On your feet and between your toes helps (although it feels gross).

    Personally, I tend to go slower through the cold rain. I know it's gonna happen, so I don't get so bent out of shape if my time isn't what I expect it to be.

    A nice thing about a cold rainy race is the "Rocky Effect." No, I never warm up. Yes I stay cold and shivery and crabby and miserable and slower than hoped, and I can't stand the rain in my face. Still, there's something about those conditions that just put the Rocky Theme in the back of my head, and make me feel like I'm some kind of course-crushing badass (which, in reality, I'm not...) throughout the race.

    So, for better or worse, I groove on the psychology of racing through the bad weather. YOU CAN"T BEAT ME, MOTHER NATURE!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!

    I hope this helps, and I hope you're able to enjoy your race. It's race day! YAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! (WOW, I love race day!!!)

    TriJoe.
  • cohophysh
    cohophysh Posts: 288
    layers...you can always strip clothes off if you need. also minimize cotton, if you have wool or some tech shirts/shorts, definitely wear those
  • oharabears
    oharabears Posts: 85
    Wear a giant trash bag with holes for your arms and head. Looks totally dorky, but keeps you dry and warm...you can always ditch it along the course if it dries out! Ditto on the Bodyglide and non-cotton EVERYTHING!
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
    thanks everyone for the advice! it really helps me feel more prepared for tomorrow. :)

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