How to Beat The Heat: Peachtree Road Race Edition

I walked the Peachtree with my mom, my aunt and my sister last year and BOY, was it HOT!

Emma and I in our Atlanta Activewear gear

Here are 10 Ways to Beat the Heat at the Peachtree:

1. Wear moisture wicking, quick drying clothes. Moisture wicking clothes are designed to allow your body to continuously produce sweat. Sweating is how our bodies cool down and if the fabrics are constantly "wicking" the moisture from our skin, it is allowing us to cool down at a faster rate.
2. Be hydrated before the race. It's not enough to drink water after you start to run, being sufficiently hydrated in the days before the race will allow your body to rely on it's water stores.
3. Do NOT wear pants or long sleeves. Last year, I was in one of the final corrals, it was already 85 degrees at 8:30am. I wore a tank and some fitness shorts and was still hot! Don't like shorts, wear capris. Don't like tanks, wear a t-shirt. Overheating is a HUGE problem at this race. I'd prefer not to see our clients with EMS. (Unless you are trying to get a date..)
4. Wear Sunscreen. Getting sunburned doesn't just stink, it also causes your skin to be a little hotter and keep a heat shield around you. Don't torture yourself, wear the highest factor sunscreen you can.
5. If you wear a hat, wear a BREATHABLE one. Heat escapes through our head fastest, and wearing a regular baseball cap is going to trap the heat. Try a mesh cap or a Brooks running cap to make sure that the heat is being released and not trapped inside.
6. Use all the water stations. You may not feel like you need water, but in 100 degree heat you absolutely do. I'd suggest alternating water and Powerade at every other station in order to replace the nutrients you are losing.
7. If you feel yourself overheating, slow down and walk. Grab some water and pour it on the insides of your wrists and the back of your neck. I always use the wrist trick when I start to get overheated, the blood/veins run very close to your skin here and it cools you down immediately. You will feel yourself begin to cool down. 
8. Take advantage of the fire hoses and hydrants spraying. Although you may not want to ruin your hair, I can promise you you don't look too hot anyways. Get soaked and keep running, if you are wearing your Atlanta Activewear gear you'll dry off in 5 minutes. Also, take advantage of the Pastor with holy water just past West Wesley....get a blessing and a cool down. HAHA
9. Grab a popsicle from a stranger. People along the route have popsicles for the runners/walkers as a cool down treat. I know, I know, my mother always said never take candy from strangers, BUT make sure it is still closed or they cut the top in front of you. Also, watch for popsicles being thrown from balconies in Midtown, always a refreshing whack on the head.
10. After the race, GRAB AN ICE COLD BEER! Not even kidding, this isn't me giving myself an excuse for a beer. Research has shown that beer contains all the nutrients that we lose when we exercise and that it gets absorbed into your system faster. (Meet you at Moes & Joes?) I would say stop at one immediately after the race because more than that will get you very drunk, very quickly. So have a beer, take a shower, have some lunch and then go party! 

I'll blog about some post race techniques I use later in the week, to be honest, the beer one is my favorite.

If you see me huffing and puffing at the race, feel free to pull over and say hey! I hope I can finish early enough to not get an XLarge t-shirt...

xox

Donna

Atlanta Activewear Style & Training Blog by Donna Burke, Atlanta Activewear is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.AtlantaActivewear.Blogspot.com.