This weekend I completed a half Ironman in the hottest weather conditions I have ever raced in. By the time I finished the race the temperature was 103 degrees. This was a great reminder that your race day plan of attack needs to change if you are competing in severe heat.
I knew it would be this hot going into the race and I knew that my hydration needs would be tough to meet considering the extreme heat. I decided to back off of the intensity a bit so that I would be slightly than more rested for the run. Normally, I can run in a fairly fatigued state without too much difficulty, but not this weekend. I knew I would need as much help as possible to make it through ok.
The last 3 miles were tough and when I made it across the finish line, I knew that if I had pushed harder at any point during the race, I would have been exponentially worse off.
My pride said, “You could handle it. Push it”. My intelligence said, “Be smart, change your game plan and take a conservative approach”. I’m glad I listed to the more logical side.