The temps are rising and endurance racing is heating up. On tap this weekend, IM 70.3 Chatt and IM Jax - both expected to be very warm races! Training and racing in the heat can feel incredibly frustrating, even for professional and experienced athletes. A pace that feels comfortable on a cool day may suddenly feel exhausting when temperatures and humidity rise. Many athletes assume they are simply “having a bad race” when this happens, but the reality is that the body undergoes significant physiological stress when racing in hot environments. Heat changes how the cardiovascular system functions, how muscles produce energy, how efficiently the body cools itself, and how well fluids and fuel are absorbed during exercise. Understanding what happens inside the body during exercise in the heat can help you adjust expectations, make smarter pacing decisions, and ultimately perform better and safely. One of the biggest mistakes athletes make in hot conditions is tryin...
On Saturday April 18th, Karel and I participated in the Cohutta Races , organized by Chainbuster (a wonderful family-run company who puts on excellent events). Karel completed the Big Frog 65-mile event in 5:35 (7200 feet elevation) and placed 2nd AG (50-59) and I completed the Cohutta 100-mile event in 9:25 (~13,000 feet elevation) and placed 1st overall female. Before I talk about the race, I need to talk about the day before it because getting to that start line was harder than many of those miles that followed. The travel went smoothly. It was an easy 3.5 hour drive and very scenic. I rented the cutest Airbnb just 20 min outside of the Ocoee Whitewater center. The food (grocery store) options were limited (Dollar General is the best option) so we brought all of our food. My mom and Alan came with us so they could do some hiking and watch Sunny while we raced. I love bringing Sunny along as he is a great companion and I love making memories with him - just like we d...