surviving the heat

So how does one run in the heat and not die (or have heat related issues)?  Well, I can't tell you what will work for everyone...but I can tell you what worked for me.  Below is a list of tips that helped me get through the Boston Marathon with extremely high temperatures:

Preparing for Race Day -

• hydrate before race day.  Try to drink lots of water each day for a week leading up to race day.  You don't want to wait until the day before to hydrate, you're body will be storing up the hydration and it will come in handy on race day.  Yes, you'll probably have to take extra bathroom breaks, but you'll be glad come race day.
• enjoy salty snacks.  It's not often we get to indulge in salty foods and have it be a good thing!  But prior to a hot race day, it's a great thing!  There's no need to over do it, but enjoy those pretzels or roasted almonds, put an extra shake of salt on your steamed vegetables.  Your body will be storing this for race day as well.
• drink electrolyte beverages.  I prefer the G2 made by Gatorade because it's not quite a strong as the original.  An option is to water down the original as well.  I start drinking my G2's about 3 days before race day.  Just one a day.  It's got a bunch of good stuff that you simply can't get from water.  Stuff that you'll be expending come race day, so it's good to store it up.  

On Race Day - 

• wear clothes that you've run in before.  If you've never run in a pair of shorts before for a long distance, don't try it on race day, even if it's gonna be hot.  This is a basic rule of racing - never wear new items on race day.  Stick with tried and true items that you know don't bunch or chafe.
• stop drinking about 1hr before the race starts.  Drinking any more water at that point will just be sloshing around in your belly for the first few miles and might provide discomfort.  (And you might have to make an unscheduled pit stop at a port-a-potty!)
• start slow and get acclimated.  The tendency in any race to head out too quickly.  This sets you up for a possible hitting of "the wall" in the later miles.  Start conservatively, get a feel for the temperature, and find a good pace that is comfortable to run all day.
• take two cups of water at each station.  Sip from one of them, pour the other on your head.  This was a new thing for me in Boston.  It sounds silly, but I'd never dumped water on my head in a race before.  But this was so important to keep me cool(ish) and to run through the heat.  Take a Gatorade too.  All those electrolytes are important to replenish!

The last thing I learned about running in the heat is to not expect an epic race.  Enjoy the course, enjoy the people around you, don't try to bust out a PR (personal record) and hurt yourself in the process.  If it happens (which it did for me in Boston!!), that's awesome and a nice surprise...but it's better to stay safe than to hurt yourself in attempting a record race.

Are there any tips that you've used that I've left off the list?  Share your wisdom in the comments section!