> Just wondering if I should be making any adjustments heading in to this weekend's race?

Make a lot of adjustments.

The biggest adjustment should be to your race plan and target pace/power. You won't be able to go as fast as you do when it's cool. If you try, then you're in for a very painful day.

Hydration on the run is a serious issue. You'll need water, but you'll also need salt. Make sure you're taking some in via Skratch, salt tabs, etc...

Heat management is a big deal too. I like to grab ice at aid stations and put it in my hat.

Don't forget sunscreen. Some people don't like it because it's a layer on your skin, but if I don't put it on then the sun just cooks me.

I train and race on the Gulf coast, and I never drink plain water when it's hot. I'd replace all of the water with Skratch (or another low-sugar product like Osmo). Skratch is perfect for hot races -- it's relatively low in calories so you can drink a lot without getting over-sugared, and you're already used to it.

I use water from aid stations to dump on my head and arms, and occasionally to flush down a gel.

And what the other guy said is correct across the board, especially lowering your expectations and slowing down.

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<The Dew Abides>

On the bike, at least for me, I found hot days not that much different than normal days- since I have a 20-30Mph wind to cool me down. Drink enough fluids, but don't overdo it or you will pay for it on the run.


On hot runs I found it super helpful to put ice and cold towels under my hat, changing it out at every aid station. A lot of races will have frozen towels you can grab.

Good advice given so far, especially reducing your pacing. That will be most important.

Another tip to keeping your core temp down is to squirt cold water on your arms/hands and legs while on the bike. Big surface area to provide convective & evaporative cooling.

Assuming you are doing NYC Tri, I am as well. Temps are looking like 95-98F. My 2c would be to make sure you are getting in electrolytes starting at least two days prior to the race and do not drink just straight up water which will flush out all the minerals etc you have stored in your body. By the time the run comes along its gonna be too late to be putting anything back in so it will be make or break with nutrition on the bike.

I'm curious how many people have used arm cooling sleeves, either LG, Desoto or another brand? If so, do you find that they help? Living and racing in N. Florida, dealing with heat is a concern of mine, but I've never tried them, and will admit to being somewhat skeptical that they help. Just curious what other people's experience has been.

I race with De Soto Arm Coolers. They help most in dry heat if you keep them wet, due to the evaporative cooling effect. I find when it’s very humid, they just feel like more material you want to rip off so your skin can “breathe”. So for S Florida it would be more of a mixed bag.

They also help with sun protection, which is valuable, because your body core temperatures rises when your skin gets sunburned.

I live in the south and its always hot and humid. Short sleeve suits are fine if they are made of a material like cool back and the like. They are faster and they have a cooling effect that really works. Its like having short sleeved arm coolers on without the hassle.

Adjust your expectations on the run.....if your pace is slower that is normal in the heat. It will be slower for everyone.

I don't trust them in very humid environments. I thought the point was cooling via evaporation. If it's super humid, like in the south your arms will just stay sopping wet the entire time. But then again, maybe on the bike with the breeze one creates it helps cool you. I don't know.

Just did my last race and it was hot. I know it's been said, but nailing bike hydration is extremely important for the beginning of your run leg. If you have an extra bottle to put in transition that will be major help. I know folks are saying electrolytes on the run, but I went straight water as I had a concentrated solution on the bike. Water thrown on you to keep you cool will be a huge thing.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Agee with others to pull back on the pace, especially if you haven’t been doing any heat acclimatization training. High temps are hard on the body, but the humidity is something to look at also. High humidity means your sweat can’t evaporate making your core body temp rise quicker.

If the course has ice out, use it. Dump it under your hat, in your shirt, down your shorts etc. Squirt water all over to help cool off.

your choices in a high heat/high humidity environment are to die, come close to dying and walk, or go slower from the start and finish.

Also, stay hydrated and take some salt pills to curtail the dying part.

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Echo everything being said, also deflate your tires the night before so they don't pop overnight given NYC has a saturday bike drop. I raced NYC last year in pretty similar conditions and it's not terrible - you get a lot of cover from the sun in Central Park. It will be great - see you Sunday!

Make sure to be hydrating days leading up to the race as well, not just on race day.
Starting depleted is just as bad as getting behind during the race.

I aim for 1 to 2% dehydrated off the bike, little higher for oly distance since you have less mileage to cover on the run.

Just got done with IM 70.3 Muncie last weekend. Peed on the bike like 5 times. That's when I knew I was drinking enough. ;)

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Ryan
http://www.SetThePaceTriathlon.com
http://www.TriathlonTrainingDaddy.com
I got plans - https://www.trainingpeaks.com/...dotcom#trainingplans

A couple of days before the race, I drink a lot of water with Nuun in it. I use 3-4 tablets a day, so I make sure I have a plenty of electrolytes in my body. I don't know about other people, but I eat more salty food, so my body will retain more water before the race.
Read what she says:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzLvfKahrPV/

To be specific, I'm speaking to *sleeves* in general, not necessarily their cooling benefits:

I like pull over sleeves. I feel more comfortable in the heat with them vs without. Especially as I've got the complexion of a flour tortilla, I need all the help I can get down here in the south, and I love what sleeves do for me. Sunscreen effectively keeps me safe, but I'm always aware of the sun beating down on my skin. With sleeves, I don't feel that. At my old job, we had a team of cyclists crossing Florida in mid May, and another team through the American Southwest right now. It's brutally hot, and those guys all wear sleeves. Removing clothing and layers, imo, works up until a point, but when you've got direct sun and extreme UV, I like covering up.

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JustinDoesTriathlon

Owner, FuelRodz Endurance.

Thank you for all the helpful feedback guys. Definitely will be chugging water and plenty of electrolytes all week in the lead up to the race.

How do you get sleeves on wet arms in T1 or so you wear them in the swim?

What brand do you use?

[Un]luckily for me, I'm not fast enough for the 15s to make a difference. 😅I wouldn't do it on an Oly or shorter, FWIW. Just the really long days in the sun, training included. And just some cheap Amazon ones, probably off-brand

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JustinDoesTriathlon

Owner, FuelRodz Endurance.

Do you leave the sleeves on while running even in high humidity?

Have you looked into full sleeve tri suit?

Depends a lot on the sun. If it's direct sun or high UV with clouds, yes, I leave it on regardless. To be clear, I use sleeves more as a UV protection and to stop the *feel* of the sun warming my arms. I don't know if my arms are actually cooler than without sleeves (though I suspect not.) Here in Charlotte, NC, I often feel like I'm going to be extremely hot regardless, so at the very least, I'd rather have UV protection.

Looked into it, yeah, but I'm moving back to the PNW so bailed on it. If I buy another tri suit, it'll be sleeved for the above benefits + aero, I suppose.

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JustinDoesTriathlon

Owner, FuelRodz Endurance.

Stay hydrated, inside and out.

For pacing (esp. on the run), I like to go by heart rate. In tough conditions (heat, altitude, etc.) the pace you can hold will initially feel slow so it's easy to overextend.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

I just used my DeSoto cooling jersey and sleeves in Carolina Beach last week. I am definitely a believer. Have not used them in extreme humidity, but in general they feel nice.

I even did a N=1 a few years ago where I ran a certain distance at a certain pace with a regular shirt, then ran the same distance and pace with the cooling stuff. My heart rate was noticeably lower for the same pace. Could be placebo or whatever, but it seemed to work:

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team