Looking like Augusta is going to be another scorcher. Any advice for keeping cool on the run besides the obvious? I’ve done the sponges in hat/kit, pouring ice down the kit, water over head.
Has anyone tried carrying one of those cooling towels and dunking it in ice/water at aide stations and putting it over thier head/neck? Was thinking this would be much more effective than sponges.
TBH there’s not a whole lot that you can do . Just understand what your body does in the heat and scale your effort back to that level. Sponges, ice , towel , they are all good ideas but don’t expect some miracle out of those towels.
Run faster so you get more air cooling.
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Aviators.
Yea I don’t think there is any secret trick to keeping cool on hot races. I like to put ice in my shirt so as it melts to drips down into my shorts and keeps me cool. Make sure the ice is spread out around my whole midsection. Hydrate really well on the bike. I know I usually don’t feel the heat as much when I’m in riding so I may not drink as much as I should. Have you been able to get some hot rides and runs over the summer?
Arm-coolers. IMO the most under-rated gear for heat management.
I know you must be tapering, but this article from TrainingPeaks talks about what you can do before the race to get heat acclimated. You may not live in a cooler climate, but some of the recommended activities would be helpful no matter where you live.
https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/3-ways-heat-acclimatize-live-cold-climate/
Good luck!
Thanks for the ideas. I live in South Carolina, so I am pretty acclimated to the heat and humidity. Just looking for some additional ways to keep cool. Will try the arm coolers.
Don’t be afraid to add high quality, appropriate clothing. Look at desert ultrarunners for inspiration. A lot of athletes seem to think that removing clothing is the key to cooling, but when you’re under beaming sun, I go the other way (NC here.) Arm coolers, neck gaiters, large hats, full coverage shirts, etc.
I’ve used an ice bandana at WS100, works well but not sure if you would have access to enough ice to fill it up at a tri.
https://itsallaboutthevertical.wordpress.com/2016/06/12/how-to-make-an-ice-bandana/
I think Solomon makes some hats you can put ice in, like there is a pouch or something so it stays in. I’m too lazy to look it up but Ryan Sandes wore one at WS100 in 2017.
Nylons/panty hose…
I stuff my T2 stuff into a nylon (watch, hat, nutrition, race number, etc). This makes for a quick T2 as I just grab the nylon, put on my shoes, and go. I then unpack the nylon as I am running and put on my bib, watch, etc…
I then use the nylon to hold ice. Running/Walking through aid stations, I grab the ice cups and dump the ice into the nylon. It makes a really nice ice pouch that you can put in your jersey or hat. That way the ice doesn’t all shift down to your crotch, haha. If you watch the TDF closely, you will see team cars handing out nylons of ice, so why not during a triathlon.
My go to is ice in my hat. It doesn’t have to be a special hat. At the aid station just take it off and hold it out for ice and put it back on. There is this idea that your body will shunt blood around and away from any area of your body that is being iced, so there is little cooling effect. Even if that is true, I do not think your body will stop sending blood to your brain, so the cooling effect should be good. Of course, this isn’t even N=1, since I have not tried to compare ice in hat versus no ice in hat – but the latent heat of melting has to be coming from somewhere and I choose to believe it is coming from my body.
I did Niagara Barrelman this past Sunday, it was a scorcher of a day! Ice in my running hat really helped me. Did have to adjust my pace as well but survived the day with a smile at the finish 
Ice in the groin area saved me at Nooga 70.3.
i use desoto skin cooler sleeves…pour water all over them each aid station…really helps! good luck.