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TIPS ON RUNNING RACES SAFELY FROM THE EXPERTS

During last Sunday’s 34th Milo Marathon, a young male runner gunning for his 21km PR, collapsed 1km away from the finish line and was rushed to the hospital.  Sadly, he passed away yesterday.

I haven’t stopped thinking about him since I heard the news.  I’ve collapsed once when I had just started running, and so did my best running buddy, Annie, as she ran so swiftly for a podium finish at Nike Human Race 2008.  Yes, it could’ve been any one of us.

I thought the best way to help in this kind of situation was to try to prevent it from happening again.  I publish race reviews with the sole purpose of guiding organizers how to improve our races, not to rant or complain.  I thought I’d post this today to guide our runners, especially the beginners, on how to run safely in races.

I got in touch with our top experts in the field and asked for their top safety tips when participating in a race.  Read it twice or thrice over.  Run safe, guys and girls!

EXPERTS:

  1. Coach Rio de la Cruz
  2. Coach Jim Lafferty
  3. Coach Jim Saret
  4. Coach Ani de Leon
  5. Dr. George Canlas

ON PREPARATION

  • COACH RIO: Prepare for the distance you are planning to participate in by training properly.
  • COACH RIO: Before the race, especially when it’s long distance, eat a minimum of 2 hours before the race.
  • DR. CANLAS: Be fit to run and not run to be fit.

ON HYDRATION

  • COACH ANI: Hydrate well, and douse yourself with water at the aid stations. Keep your core temperature as low as you possibly can.
  • COACH JIM L.: Stay hydrated. Not only water but importantly electrolyte solutions such as Gatorade or Powerade. When you’re thirsty, you are already dehydrated!
  • COACH RIO: Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to hydrate. Drink fluids at least every 10 to 15 mins. Better yet, take a few sips at each water station.
  • DR. CANLAS: Have a good hydration plan.

ON SLEEP

  • COACH ANI: Sleep, sleep, sleep… it has been shown that without enough sleep running races like this is extremely high risk
  • COACH RIO: Make sure you get enough sleep a day or two before the race.

ON LIMITATIONS

  • COACH ANI: Stay within your zones… do not go beyond your aerobic threshold, especially for longer races.  Manage your efforts well and stay within your capabilities.
  • DR. CANLAS: Know your limits.
  • COACH JIM S.: Avoid the urge to “sprint with the pack” during the start of the race. Stick to your regular or planned pace.

ON TRAFFIC

  • COACH JIM L.: Watch out for traffic! This means both other runners, particularly in larger races, and cars/jeepneys in open road races. Always be prudent and stay clear!

ON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

  • COACH JIM S.: If you feel some form of pain during your run, slow down and have a feel of how bad it really is. If it seems to be going away, then go ahead and resume your regular pace. However if the pain persists and/or even increases in pain as you continue to run, seriously consider stopping and getting some help. Pain is the body’s way of letting us know something is wrong. No race is worth the risk of hurting yourself by continuing to run and causing a minor injury to turn into a major setback.
  • COACH JIM L.: Be smart. If you’re feeling poorly or sense “something is wrong”, a pain or sensation that’s new to you, TAKE A BREAK. Its not worth the risk and better to run again another day. I’ve seen too many runners trying to “push through” and they either ended up in extended injury, or worse.
  • COACH RIO: If you feel something is wrong, such as difficulty of breathing or pain in the chest, slow down. Stop and look for a medic or ask for help from fellow runners.

POST RACE

  • COACH JIM S.: Decide if you need to see a medical specialist if you feel something ”off” with your body.
  • COACH JIM S.: Do not think of lying down immediately after your event. Keep moving.

Posted on 07.07.10 to 05 Training. Tags: . Subscribe to follow comments on this post. 20 comments. Add your thoughts or trackback from your own site.

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20 Responses to “TIPS ON RUNNING RACES SAFELY FROM THE EXPERTS”

  1. Great tips. Thanks for sharing this.

    runwitme said on Jul 07 10 at 6:54 PM Reply

  2. Please read the Legacy of Jim Fixx, the guru of running.
    http://www.halhigdon.com/Articles/Fixx.htm

    Arthur said on Jul 07 10 at 8:44 PM Reply

  3. I love what Dr Canlas said… “Be fit to run and not run to be fit.” I’m actually doing the opposite so I’ll keep this in mind.

    bridget said on Jul 07 10 at 9:24 PM Reply

  4. Jim Fixx died because he had signs of heart disease which for some reason , he chose to ignore. He died while running, but it was the clogged arteries that killed him. I just want to make that distinction.

    Phil Go said on Jul 08 10 at 1:20 AM Reply

  5. it really makes sense to douse water on your head. during my 21k at milo, i made sure i have 2 bottles of water w/ me & it really helped. water stations, especially along the loop from sofitel is great, they have 2 boxes of tube ice, that’s i grabbed a handful & placed some on my water bottle then poured water on it. voila! refilled ng water ang bottle ko, ice-cold pa! haha

    Melvs said on Jul 08 10 at 7:33 AM Reply

  6. this tips are very important for begginers like me… thanks

    nico diamse said on Jul 08 10 at 7:37 AM Reply

  7. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Exactly what I need Jaymie. Really, really helpful. Thanks for going out of your way to get the views of the experts. So nice of you :)

    Reylynne said on Jul 08 10 at 9:23 AM Reply

  8. I was extremely worried about everyone marathoning, the exhausting heat was unbearable and I felt sad on this news :(

    Thanks for the Tips Jaymie (Coach rio,Coach Jim (2), Ani , Dr. Canlas )

    Sigh.

    kassy said on Jul 08 10 at 10:09 AM Reply

  9. Thank you for posting this Ms. Jaymie. I also shared a few tips to some of my friends since they’ll be running their first 3 or 5k this sunday. The runner who passed away is my officemate. I’ll be sharing your blog to them as well. Thanks!

    Katsy said on Jul 08 10 at 3:25 PM Reply

  10. Sad about that runner :(

    Reylynne said on Jul 08 10 at 5:20 PM Reply

  11. I’ve joined a lot of races and there were times that I thought I would collapse as well but I still pushed myself beyond my limit. Thankfully, nothing happened. This is a wake up call for me and for every runner that we really need to listen to our bodies, train properly and get medical clearance especially if there’s a pre-existing condition that would pose a risk to our health by engaging in a highly physical activity like running.

    Sherwin said on Jul 08 10 at 10:44 PM Reply

  12. sad about that runner. ingat po tayong lahat sa pagtakbo.

    odie said on Jul 09 10 at 8:43 AM Reply

  13. Hats off to the guy..I had a friend who died on the basketball court during a finals game. He played in the same court every wednesday and saturday for as long as i can remember. He was already 50+ at that time and but athletic, thought he was fit as a fiddle. It’s a good way to go, doing what you love best.. But i’d still follow the doctors’ advices.:-)

    Ghost said on Jul 09 10 at 8:59 AM Reply

  14. Sad news. Never thought someone would end up like that with all that festive running mood at Milo Marathon.

    Ern said on Jul 12 10 at 10:17 AM Reply

  15. ..There is story of what actually happend, written by father of the runner. It’s on the pinoy fitness website.
    ..Do you think MILO should put a cap or limit on runners who would be joining the Manila Leg? Perhaps only aroung 12,000 so race organizers could properly address runners hydration, safety and security?

    Haste said on Jul 13 10 at 7:43 PM Reply

  16. Perhaps 21-km and 42-km races have earlier starts like 3am or even 2 am similar to what the Bullrunner did for the Dream marathon last May 22. If you can, kindly suggest to Coach Rio that the Camsur marathon has an earlier start (say 2am and not 4am).

    Macky said on Jul 14 10 at 12:24 PM Reply

  17. Here is the link to the story: http://www.pinoyfitness.com/2010/07/remus-story-as-told-by-his-father/

    Rico Tan said on Jul 15 10 at 10:55 AM Reply

  18. DR. CANLAS: Be fit to run and not run to be fit.

    i don’t quite get this one. aren’t these supposed to work together – you run to be fit to run?

    caloyb said on Jul 18 10 at 4:44 PM Reply

  19. its also sad that this happening has seem to make us, runners, divided — some pushing blame left & right. my better half feels so negative about running after reading the news. can’t & won’t stop me from running but being more careful & cautious is the key.

    tigerspots said on Jul 18 10 at 7:58 PM Reply

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