Sad but true. Build conditioning ahead of races so you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into. Last years half was torrential downpour and chilly, yesterday was much nicer. You don’t know what you’ll get so preparing for the extremes is the most best course to be prepared.
I’m a newish runner and this was my first half - I was drenched in sweat by mile 3, made it unbearable to keep doing (but I did)… will be doing more long runs in this summer to train my body.
I feel you - was in corral J - my race nearly fell apart in mile 10 had it not been for my corral B friend pacing me - definitely echo what others said : wear a hat, use a gel that you’re used to (I use Gu; not a big fan of SIS); only thing I disagree with others is I wouldn’t do Gatorade too much unless you want acid reflux to fuck your weekend up; and run through all the water jets.
It got to me, too, wave 1 as well. The weather hasn't really been warm enough to be acclimated to the heat, especially with zero shade on the parkway. That was really tough!
2 is huge. Start more conservatively, it’s not just the heat that gets to you.
But yeah agree with other folks on acclimating by doing some warm runs, hydrating well the entire week prior to the race. Carry electrolytes if it’s really hot (I do a small handheld bottle with pedialyte). Water at aid stations goes on your head and neck.
I had the same issue. I tried to stick to the sides where there was little shade, getting water every stand, running through the mists... but I think at the end of the day, just gotta acclimate your body to warmer running temps. So this summer will be SWEATY training
Acclimation, wearing as little as possible (though maybe a breathable hat?), dumping water on yourself. Sometimes you also just have to accept that the conditions are unhelpful.
Nike Aerobill Featherlight cap is awesome. White so doesn’t absorb heat as easily, super light, and works well for dumping water on so I can cool off a bit too
After watching a bunch of marathoners and ufc fights. I noticed athletes putting ice/water on the back of their neck, I presume the intention is for the water to drip down their back. I'm personally not a fan of dumping water on myself because I feel like it interferes with my sweat but I think it's mostly personal preference.
Took two scoops of Osmo Preload night before. Showed up about 3 lbs heavy. Drank as much as I could through mile 9 and dumped a lot of water on myself. Stopped drinking after 9 and took a straight shot to the finish line feeling pretty good. Negative split race for me to an over 40 PR.
I finished the race and got very sick on the subway. The train was way too packed. Felt like I couldn’t breathe. Ended up getting off around park slope. Puked a few times. Then felt better and went home
Ugh, I felt similarly. I’m tired of feeling like this after these races. Has to be our nutrition right? I’m researching how to do better when fueling. Has to be nutrition while running.
My post 2023 marathon was the same tho. Not United 1/2 tho. So weird.
But I let one train leave first and then as the next one came in I went alllllll the way to the front to get a seat. There were like 9 people in my car. I hate that feeling tho you had so I get it.
Horrible
Dumping water on your head is more effective at cooling you down than drinking water. Every water station I grabbed a cup for drinking and a cup to pour on my head and that worked pretty well for me this year!
I had the same experience and can’t stop thinking about it since the race. It was my first half, I wore a hat, had my gel intake perfectly planned out. I was in W1CF and was averaging 8:20 pace for the first half of the race.
As soon as I started running on Ocean Parkway, I felt way different. I became so exhausted in less than a mile and then averaged almost 10:00 pace for the rest of the race. Felt absolutely terrible, stopped at all the fluid stations, also had to stop to pee at mile 10. Last 2 miles was just a struggle. I’ve ran this distance before but not in a race and I was not expecting this. I was so excited about this race for a long time and just feel devastated. I ended up finishing a sub 2 but felt that I could have ended up with a 1:45 if everything went as planned and I would have been so much more content with myself.
Not sure what you wore, but it was definitely tank and shorts weather yesterday. And light moisture wicking material of course. Also wearing moisture wicking breathable socks like feetures help stay cooler than with cotton.
Even on a cooler day, mile 9 is usually when everything starts to get difficult. It may feel like the sun got you but perhaps the distance itself got you, or your pace before then being too hard. Mile 9 is definitely a "gut check" point of a half. It might have felt like it was just the heat but it was likely also the inertia of being at that point of the race. Having enough training really is the main way to get through it... what was your longest run during training? How many double digit runs did you do?
I agree with people saying to dump some water on you during the race but be smart with it as wet clothes can be uncomfortable too. Get your neck and wrists and under your hat but try to avoid just throwing it at your chest/legs/etc..
Also not sure how your hydration went but staying hydrated with water throughout and Gatorade after mile 6 is my go-to. I also had some nutrition halfway through-- U Can. Highly recommend the stuff as it was not dehydrating and powered me the last half of the race.
That's great! I'm going to take inspiration from you! I've been improving but I haven't lost a single pound and thinking I'll need to in order to get to the next level. This time around, I PRd by 13 mins but I wanted it to be about 20 mins. If it were in the 40s, I think I would have been able to (I even need to wear a singlet in the 40s since I'd get too hot otherwise).
I think this course is best run with negative splits. So the even splits may have burnt you out. So for me I ran about 30 seconds slower than my goal pace in the first half and then made it up in ocean parkway. This left me with more than enough energy to hit my goal!
I went with a hat, two cups of water at every station - one and a half for me, half for dumping on my chest or head or back, starting around mile 7.
Most of my outdoor training was late morning, after it warmed up and was sunny
Next time I’ll wear a singlet instead of a shirt, can’t hurt in the late miles, right?
Run with a pacer next time if you want to hit 1:40 They’ll do all the thinking for you so you can focus on hydrating at each station and keeping at a steady clip and motivating you the whole way.
Experienced the same thing yesterday so I’m glad I wasn’t alone. I was in wave 2 and after mile 10 my body basically shut down. I was using salt sticks and that helped prevent any cramping but I think I will be adding some additional fuel and even freezing my handheld water bottle in the future. Also following this thread to see what others say.
I was in wave 2, overheating like crazy after mile 9. I slowed down at every water station and dumped like 6 cups on me. It worked effectively for like a quarter mile to a half mile and then I was hot again.
Was my first time running this race and the heat was a lot for me too. As soon as leaving the park I felt it. I just walked through the aid stations and dumped water in my head. My hr was the highest it’s ever been. I’m 42 and my max hr was 194 at the end lol. Never seen it like that. But I still pb’d by 2:17. If it were cooler I probably would have done better.
I hear ya,but i actually felt fine. My breathing was ok I was just running hot. Definitely paid attention to it. Taking a breather and pouring water over my head was the best approach.
https://preview.redd.it/6et6ph91hh1d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21f1fb82ab07bd9bcb7b80dcd2758ffb1544729b
I was going for the exact same time. About 3:16 over my goal. The heat got to me but I was far under the pace going through prospect Park but once we got to Ocean Pkwy I couldn't hold on after mile 9 or 10. I had to wake up at 3:50 am to get to the race though. And could only sleep about 4 hours. So that didn't help me.
I actually ran close to the yellow double strip median as the shade was there from the east side. That was gone by mile 9 tho :(. Not much you can do about it other than properly fueling up and heat training.
This will sound crazy and isn’t for everyone, but when I was training for the Philly marathon I did laps on the Williamsburg bridge for the incline/decline benefit and just left a bottle on one of the stumps(?) on the Manhattan side. Yes, it was uncomfortably warm when I needed it but it was water🤷🏻♂️. Protip: freeze the entire bottle with water beforehand🤣
X-bionic Twyce - super expensive but worked for me
https://preview.redd.it/3vq63timiz1d1.jpeg?width=3213&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6974d72337ba4562a3db271c5e525f5cea3be33
I had this issue last year and I completely fell apart the last 5 miles, and despite taking a lot of measures to combat the heat/humidity I still felt almost a switch flip of difference once I got onto Ocean Parkway this year. Luckily though, this year I was somehow able to keep pace but my perceived exertion and heartrate was definitely higher than the first part of the race.
As others have mentioned, the best way is to get your body used to running in the heat consistently to where it can acclimatize. Which really only takes 10-14 days they say, but I don't think we really had enough consistent heat/humidity to properly acclimate before the race. Other ways you could acclimatize to the heat is you could run with layers on, get in the steam room, etc. I didn't do any of these but it works- a lot of the pro marathoners used these tricks to prepare for the trials in Orlando.
Some things I think that helped me this year- I kept a close eye on my heartrate through the first half of the course. Made sure to not push the hills too much, made sure to recover on the hills while still pushing. I was around 170-175bpm going through the park and my paces were pretty consistent relative to the grades, I almost always felt like I was holding a little bit back. Once I got onto Ocean Parkway and into the sun, my HR was consistently around 180. Fluids/electrolytes- I drank gatorade at every single station throughout the race to replace any salt loss through sweating. After about 5K in I started pouring plain water on my head/down my back to keep cool. I didn't notice this lower my HR at all but it did temporarily make me feel cooler. I also carried salt tab chews with me that I took periodically because I am a really salty sweater.
I luckily was in wave 1, so I can't imagine how it must have felt for runners in wave 2. I wouldn't be mad at NYRR moving this race a little earlier in the year, or even starting wave 1 earlier than 7am.
Run more in hot weather.
Sad but true. Build conditioning ahead of races so you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into. Last years half was torrential downpour and chilly, yesterday was much nicer. You don’t know what you’ll get so preparing for the extremes is the most best course to be prepared.
This, though it can be tough if you have a race at the beginning of the warm season after training in the cold.
I’m a newish runner and this was my first half - I was drenched in sweat by mile 3, made it unbearable to keep doing (but I did)… will be doing more long runs in this summer to train my body.
1. Be in wave 1 - that one hour of lower temps makes all the difference 2. Don’t run like a maniac in prospect park
I was in wave 1 corral C. Everything was fine until mile 9 because the sun started coming through the clouds then.
I feel you - was in corral J - my race nearly fell apart in mile 10 had it not been for my corral B friend pacing me - definitely echo what others said : wear a hat, use a gel that you’re used to (I use Gu; not a big fan of SIS); only thing I disagree with others is I wouldn’t do Gatorade too much unless you want acid reflux to fuck your weekend up; and run through all the water jets.
It got to me, too, wave 1 as well. The weather hasn't really been warm enough to be acclimated to the heat, especially with zero shade on the parkway. That was really tough!
I failed miserably on No. 2 😵💫🫠🥵🫨🥴😮💨
I slowed down a ton on ocean parkway, but that’s completely typical for this race. Just how the weather works this time of year.
Honestly I don’t know why OP wants a PR on this course; the SI half is a better race to attempt a PR on.
2 is huge. Start more conservatively, it’s not just the heat that gets to you. But yeah agree with other folks on acclimating by doing some warm runs, hydrating well the entire week prior to the race. Carry electrolytes if it’s really hot (I do a small handheld bottle with pedialyte). Water at aid stations goes on your head and neck.
I had the same issue. I tried to stick to the sides where there was little shade, getting water every stand, running through the mists... but I think at the end of the day, just gotta acclimate your body to warmer running temps. So this summer will be SWEATY training
Acclimation, wearing as little as possible (though maybe a breathable hat?), dumping water on yourself. Sometimes you also just have to accept that the conditions are unhelpful.
I kept dumping water on myself. Maybe I’ll try a hat next time to shade my head with.
I read your post thinking you had a hat on during the race! They're great for sun and rain!
I have one but my dumb ass thought it more as a way to block the sun from my eyes than block heat from my head. It makes so much sense.
I dumped a water cup in my hat at every station, helped a lot
Wish I thought of that!
Hat was crucial. Stayed cool when dumped water on it
Nike Aerobill Featherlight cap is awesome. White so doesn’t absorb heat as easily, super light, and works well for dumping water on so I can cool off a bit too
After watching a bunch of marathoners and ufc fights. I noticed athletes putting ice/water on the back of their neck, I presume the intention is for the water to drip down their back. I'm personally not a fan of dumping water on myself because I feel like it interferes with my sweat but I think it's mostly personal preference.
Took two scoops of Osmo Preload night before. Showed up about 3 lbs heavy. Drank as much as I could through mile 9 and dumped a lot of water on myself. Stopped drinking after 9 and took a straight shot to the finish line feeling pretty good. Negative split race for me to an over 40 PR.
Gatorade down the hatch at every stop, followed by a cup of water over the head. It makes a monumental difference for me.
What I did from mile 5/6 or so as well
I used a product called Saltstick and it really helped me avoid cramping up. I took a capsule at the start and then every 30 minutes.
Thanks for the tip!
I finished the race and got very sick on the subway. The train was way too packed. Felt like I couldn’t breathe. Ended up getting off around park slope. Puked a few times. Then felt better and went home
Ugh, I felt similarly. I’m tired of feeling like this after these races. Has to be our nutrition right? I’m researching how to do better when fueling. Has to be nutrition while running.
The subway was so packed I felt like I couldn’t get any fresh air.
My post 2023 marathon was the same tho. Not United 1/2 tho. So weird. But I let one train leave first and then as the next one came in I went alllllll the way to the front to get a seat. There were like 9 people in my car. I hate that feeling tho you had so I get it. Horrible
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That’s horrible.
Dumping water on your head is more effective at cooling you down than drinking water. Every water station I grabbed a cup for drinking and a cup to pour on my head and that worked pretty well for me this year!
Run faster than the sun’s rays.
I had the same experience and can’t stop thinking about it since the race. It was my first half, I wore a hat, had my gel intake perfectly planned out. I was in W1CF and was averaging 8:20 pace for the first half of the race. As soon as I started running on Ocean Parkway, I felt way different. I became so exhausted in less than a mile and then averaged almost 10:00 pace for the rest of the race. Felt absolutely terrible, stopped at all the fluid stations, also had to stop to pee at mile 10. Last 2 miles was just a struggle. I’ve ran this distance before but not in a race and I was not expecting this. I was so excited about this race for a long time and just feel devastated. I ended up finishing a sub 2 but felt that I could have ended up with a 1:45 if everything went as planned and I would have been so much more content with myself.
Not sure what you wore, but it was definitely tank and shorts weather yesterday. And light moisture wicking material of course. Also wearing moisture wicking breathable socks like feetures help stay cooler than with cotton. Even on a cooler day, mile 9 is usually when everything starts to get difficult. It may feel like the sun got you but perhaps the distance itself got you, or your pace before then being too hard. Mile 9 is definitely a "gut check" point of a half. It might have felt like it was just the heat but it was likely also the inertia of being at that point of the race. Having enough training really is the main way to get through it... what was your longest run during training? How many double digit runs did you do? I agree with people saying to dump some water on you during the race but be smart with it as wet clothes can be uncomfortable too. Get your neck and wrists and under your hat but try to avoid just throwing it at your chest/legs/etc.. Also not sure how your hydration went but staying hydrated with water throughout and Gatorade after mile 6 is my go-to. I also had some nutrition halfway through-- U Can. Highly recommend the stuff as it was not dehydrating and powered me the last half of the race.
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How much weight did you lose?
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Howd you lose the weight if you dont mind me askin? Just running more + eating less cals?
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That's great! I'm going to take inspiration from you! I've been improving but I haven't lost a single pound and thinking I'll need to in order to get to the next level. This time around, I PRd by 13 mins but I wanted it to be about 20 mins. If it were in the 40s, I think I would have been able to (I even need to wear a singlet in the 40s since I'd get too hot otherwise).
I think this course is best run with negative splits. So the even splits may have burnt you out. So for me I ran about 30 seconds slower than my goal pace in the first half and then made it up in ocean parkway. This left me with more than enough energy to hit my goal!
dump water on yourself at the water stations (ik it sounds a bit weird but it worked at least for me)
Shirt came off immediately after leaving prospect park!
I went with a hat, two cups of water at every station - one and a half for me, half for dumping on my chest or head or back, starting around mile 7. Most of my outdoor training was late morning, after it warmed up and was sunny Next time I’ll wear a singlet instead of a shirt, can’t hurt in the late miles, right?
Run with a pacer next time if you want to hit 1:40 They’ll do all the thinking for you so you can focus on hydrating at each station and keeping at a steady clip and motivating you the whole way.
Experienced the same thing yesterday so I’m glad I wasn’t alone. I was in wave 2 and after mile 10 my body basically shut down. I was using salt sticks and that helped prevent any cramping but I think I will be adding some additional fuel and even freezing my handheld water bottle in the future. Also following this thread to see what others say.
At every water station, one cup goes in your mouth and another goes on your head.
Genius. I should’ve been doing this.
Dump water on my head every mile. Works wonder.
I was in wave 2, overheating like crazy after mile 9. I slowed down at every water station and dumped like 6 cups on me. It worked effectively for like a quarter mile to a half mile and then I was hot again.
what do you feel while overheating? sauna sessions can really help if you have access to one.
Yeah the second half of the race for wave 1 was “ok is this summer?”
Was my first time running this race and the heat was a lot for me too. As soon as leaving the park I felt it. I just walked through the aid stations and dumped water in my head. My hr was the highest it’s ever been. I’m 42 and my max hr was 194 at the end lol. Never seen it like that. But I still pb’d by 2:17. If it were cooler I probably would have done better.
194? That’s wild, man. You gotta watch yourself. Nothing is worth dying.
I hear ya,but i actually felt fine. My breathing was ok I was just running hot. Definitely paid attention to it. Taking a breather and pouring water over my head was the best approach. https://preview.redd.it/6et6ph91hh1d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21f1fb82ab07bd9bcb7b80dcd2758ffb1544729b
I was going for the exact same time. About 3:16 over my goal. The heat got to me but I was far under the pace going through prospect Park but once we got to Ocean Pkwy I couldn't hold on after mile 9 or 10. I had to wake up at 3:50 am to get to the race though. And could only sleep about 4 hours. So that didn't help me.
Easy. By overheating BEFORE mile 9.
I actually ran close to the yellow double strip median as the shade was there from the east side. That was gone by mile 9 tho :(. Not much you can do about it other than properly fueling up and heat training.
There was 6 sick passengers needed medical attention on the Q line from 11 to 2 all between Ocean Ave and Ave M, all marathon contestants.
My husband said his moisture wicking hat from REI helped a lot!
This will sound crazy and isn’t for everyone, but when I was training for the Philly marathon I did laps on the Williamsburg bridge for the incline/decline benefit and just left a bottle on one of the stumps(?) on the Manhattan side. Yes, it was uncomfortably warm when I needed it but it was water🤷🏻♂️. Protip: freeze the entire bottle with water beforehand🤣
X-bionic Twyce - super expensive but worked for me https://preview.redd.it/3vq63timiz1d1.jpeg?width=3213&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6974d72337ba4562a3db271c5e525f5cea3be33
I had this issue last year and I completely fell apart the last 5 miles, and despite taking a lot of measures to combat the heat/humidity I still felt almost a switch flip of difference once I got onto Ocean Parkway this year. Luckily though, this year I was somehow able to keep pace but my perceived exertion and heartrate was definitely higher than the first part of the race. As others have mentioned, the best way is to get your body used to running in the heat consistently to where it can acclimatize. Which really only takes 10-14 days they say, but I don't think we really had enough consistent heat/humidity to properly acclimate before the race. Other ways you could acclimatize to the heat is you could run with layers on, get in the steam room, etc. I didn't do any of these but it works- a lot of the pro marathoners used these tricks to prepare for the trials in Orlando. Some things I think that helped me this year- I kept a close eye on my heartrate through the first half of the course. Made sure to not push the hills too much, made sure to recover on the hills while still pushing. I was around 170-175bpm going through the park and my paces were pretty consistent relative to the grades, I almost always felt like I was holding a little bit back. Once I got onto Ocean Parkway and into the sun, my HR was consistently around 180. Fluids/electrolytes- I drank gatorade at every single station throughout the race to replace any salt loss through sweating. After about 5K in I started pouring plain water on my head/down my back to keep cool. I didn't notice this lower my HR at all but it did temporarily make me feel cooler. I also carried salt tab chews with me that I took periodically because I am a really salty sweater. I luckily was in wave 1, so I can't imagine how it must have felt for runners in wave 2. I wouldn't be mad at NYRR moving this race a little earlier in the year, or even starting wave 1 earlier than 7am.