2012 Boston Marathon: BAA Medical Announcements: Slow down, Drink Lots of water, and turn from race to experience! BAA release, note by Larry Eder

Dear readers, this is going be the hottest Boston marathon since the 1976 War of the Hoses, where Jack Fultz won the fabled race.

With temperatures predicted over 95 degrees, and early on in the 80s (predictions change each and every hour), the Boston Marathon team has been quite responsible and updating the issues every few hours.

Here is the gist of their points (can be seen below). SLOW DOWN. DRINK LOTS of WATER.

And if you have never raced in hot weather, consider deferring. If you are a bandit, and have not made your age group standards of qualification, DO NOT RUN OR CONSIDER DEFERRING.

And for those who have made the standards, don’t be stupid. Tomorrow is probably going to be a long run day, and yes you will probably not make the Boston standard for next year. Think before you run. Hot weather can totally affect runners of all levels. This writer recalls going from 6.15s to 8.30s at 1981 SRI Chinmoy in SFO, and watching the runner in front of me collapse onto the ground in a heap, only to be picked up by a emergency vehicle and given a life saying IV.

So, be careful, marathoners. Run relaxed on Monday, be mindful of the conditions so that you can run for many years to come!

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS – MARATHON QUALIFICATIONS, from USATF website

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Update to Entrants in Tomorrow’s Boston MarathonÂ®

Sunday, April 15, 2012 as of 4:30 p.m.

Running any marathon involves risks

The weather conditions that we will be
seeing on Monday, April 16 will involve even more risk. It will
involve an increased element of risk to all participants due to the
heat. Only the fittest runners should consider participating.
We
have put in place a broad array of services and support for our
marathon participants, but the risks that will be presented on April 16
will be higher than normal.
Therefore,
in cooperation with the Boston Marathon’s Medical Team, it is our
recommendation that anyone entered in the marathon who has not met the
qualifying standards for their age and gender strongly consider not
running, and that they strongly consider deferring until next year.
Another
essential factor to take into consideration is whether you have ever
run a full marathon in weather conditions involving hot
temperatures-and that can mean temperatures even lower than those that
may be present on Monday. Do NOT assume that any experience you have
in running a cooler marathon will be a reliable guide in making the
decision in whether to participate or defer. You must factor in the
heat.
Everyone who does choose to
participate should strongly consider running significantly more slowly
that they normally would plan to run a marathon. We have extended the
opening of our finish line in support of this recommendation.
For
the overwhelming majority of those who have entered to participate in
the 2012 Boston Marathon, you should adopt the attitude that THIS IS
NOT A RACE. It is an experience.
MOST
IMPORTANTLY-everyone needs to take responsibility for their own
safety. Ultimately this is an individual sport in which individuals
must take responsibility for themselves.

Boston Athletic Association

_________________________

Advisory From Boston Marathon MEDICAL DIRECTORS to Entrants in the 2012 Boston Marathon

Sunday, April 15, 2012 as of 4:30 p.m.

The
weather situation continues to be a significant concern for Boston
Marathoners. We have determined that the race will occur in a “red
zone” which is considered an increased risk but acceptable for
high-level elite runners. However, it is not considered safe for unfit
and novice runners.

We
strongly recommend that unless you have met qualifying times for this
race that you accept the deferment option from the B.A.A.

Anyone who has not run a qualifying time should also very strongly consider the deferment option.

Again, if you have any medical problems or if you under-trained, then please do not run this marathon.

Those who are running the race should run much slower, adding several minutes to your per mile pace.

Also important, please be sure to complete the emergency medical contact information on the reverse side of your bib.

Remember, unless you are acclimated to the weather conditions forecast for Monday, you should not run.

For those very fit athletes who decide to run, you should take significant precautions:

Run at a slower pace and maintain hydration.
You should frequently take breaks by walking instead of running.
Heat stroke is a serious issue and is related to intensity of running as well as the heat and humidity.
Good hydration is important but over hydration is also dangerous.

Thirst
is an indication that you are under-hydrated. You should maintain
hydration levels slightly greater than your hydration program in your
training, but not excessively so. Over-hydration can cause severely
low sodium, known as hyponatremia.

Even
the fittest athletes that take precautions can still suffer serious
heat illness. Recognizing symptoms of heat illness in yourself and
others is critical. This may include headaches, dizziness, confusion,
fatigue, nausea and vomiting. If you experience any of these, stop
running immediately and if symptoms persist seek medical attention.

Boston Marathon Co-Medical Directors, Dr. Pierre d’Hemecourt and Dr. Sophia Dyer

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 50-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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