Chicago can't seem to get a break on the weather. At the Magellan Spring Half Marathon, it poured and had temperatures colder than what we'll see tomorrow at the Chicago Marathon. A few weeks later, the 13.1 Half had to be cancelled because the heat and humidity became too much for runners to handle. Triathletes competing at Ironman 70.3 Racine--one of the closest to the Windy City--thought they'd get a break from last year's heat, but no, it was just as relentless and maybe even worse.
But that's nothing compared to the city's marquee race, the Chicago Marathon. Columbus Weekend should signal cooler temperatures, yet for some reason Mother Nature gives us the exact opposite. 2007: hottest marathon on record. 2008: not as hot but still unbearable for many. 2009: if you could call temperatures at the start in the low 30s, then sure, this one was picture perfect. 2010: hot again with the event alert system changing from yellow to red as runners slogged through 26.2 miles. And 2011: sounds like it'll be a repeat of last year, which isn't bad per say, but makes it more difficult to run fast--and you're at greater risk of heat stroke and heat exhaustion, and need to be diligent about hydrating before and during the race.
The marathon weather is such a concern that Weather.com thought to focus coverage on it. Ah, when marathoning meets mainstream, but if only it wasn't heat related.
What do you do to stay cool on a hot run, especially when it's a marathon? Are you worried about the temperatures affecting your marathon dreams?
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