The 1st Philadelphia Love Run was Epic! Unfortunately, no matter how hard you train there are certain things that are beyond your control....like weather. I didnt enjoy the brutal weather, but appreciated that the course was mostly flat with the exception of Sweet Briar Hill at 5.3 miles. I learned a lot about racing in the rain. Here are some lessons from racing in the rain: - wear a hat with a visor (i.e. Baseball cap, etc.....it will prevent the water from dripping/pouring directly down your face). - wear sunglasses/protective glasses (to shield your eyes from the ice/rain/wind). - buy a light-weight, water repellant rain run jacket (the emphasis on light weight, otherwise youll overheat, lol) - if you dont have a rain jacket, you can get a poncho for $1 at the dollar store (but please note that these ponchos are mostly short sleeve...so your arms will get soaked, also the hood never stays on with the wind/rain so bring some tape or clip to attach to the hat that you will be wearing underneath). - place your phone/armband/other stuff in small plastic bags to protect from being water logged...you could always punch a hole in that ziplock sandwich bag for the earphone cord. - even if you have your bib on a bib holder or pinned w/ 4 pins, your bib can still tear away from the wind/moisture, so reinforce your bib w/extra pins on each side even if you have a race bib belt...losing your bib/time chip can be devastating especially after running any race. - wear something w/ pockets...you can never have enough pockets (when the weather is severe, you dont want to have to hold something in your hands for the whole race while maneuvering the elements...gloves, timing chip, etc.) - always pack some heavy duty tape to tape up anything torn, to secure clothes, to cover areas exposed to water, etc. (shout out to Bea for posting the idea of taping the meshed area of the shoes w/ duck tape) I taped my sneakers x 2 with clear packing tape & I ran in dry sneakers until mile 9 when the sky opened up & unleashed a flood, lol. - if you know you are running in bad weather, bring a back-up shoe/slipper (something that is small/packable)....if your sneakers can get drenched with rain/snow/mud...you may need a 2nd shoe. - always bring extra socks in your gear check or when traveling, enough said. If you have any other good ideas about racing in bad weather, please add. In all, Im just so glad we all finished & that we all got home safe & sound, which is all that matters :)
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 13:26:05 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015