Source
r/AdventureRacing•
SquarePizza

[gear] Preserving late race body heat

Last year I did OCR/mudrun in the early spring. The weather was perfect for running, not too hot, not too cold. For the first half of the race the water almost felt refreshing.

Then I ran out of body heat about 3/4 of the way through. I was shivering, and the water became torture. I've always been that way though, I can't conserve body heat for very long.

So this year, I would like to invest in some better gear to keep myself warmer towards the last portion of the run. From what I have read underarmor cold gear is pretty highly recommended. Are there any other brands to check out?

Posted Feb 5, 2018, 7:16 AM UTC

46
manx_ocr•

I'm a fan of doubling up the is cold gear on top. One layer sleeve, one sleeveless on top to keep the core warm. I also (on really cold races) carry an unltralight wind/rainproof jacket. Bundle it up in my pocket for most of the race, pop it in when queuing for an obstacle or if I need to warm up!

2
warriorsOCR•

Actually, a lot of materials arent really effective in keeping you warm once wet. A lot of people swear by Merino wool, but I have no personal experience mainly because of how expensive it is. What I do have experience with are base layer's from the military's Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS for short). It's cheap and was designed to dry fast. They use Polartec fabrics, and Ive had success with other brands that use Polartec too, like Goruck. Another thing, wet plus wind equals COLD, so I agree with packing a light windbreaker for those unbearable moments.

1
SquarePizzaOP•

Ok, thank you the replies =)

1
Saynac•

How was your effort level? A common phrase I hear is: "If you're cold, run faster".

I've found that to work for me. Going up inclines or running faster triggers a heat increase that can get me through very cold nights, swims, endurance races, etc.

Give us more detail on the race you did. What was the distance, what was the temperature, how much water was there? What was your effort level? How many obstacles did it have and how difficult were they for you?

1
SquarePizzaOP•

It was a 5k fun-run. There were about 15 obstacles ranging from belly crawls, wall scales, a few of the deeper water obstacles I simply swam across.

I was running with a large group so it was more of a walk between stages kind of day in order to keep the group together. So I ccouldn't output more in terms of running, but some of the dry obstacles like the monkey bars I did twice just to get my blood flowing. So for difficulty level I would say it was moderate for me, one rope climb completely gased me, but that was the very last obstacle.

I am a mid 30s male, 135lbs, and in decent shape. But I have always had trouble keeping warm around water. As a boy scout I could never do the 1 mile swims before my lips turned blue and they DQ'd me to the shore to warm up.

1
Saynac•

Okay. That changes things for me. Running at your own pace to keep up your heat is the best way to stay warm. Being forced to walk or move at a slower pace is difficult to handle, and I've little advice there. I would imagine you need to bring lots of wool layers and be prepared to be wet all the time. I'm not sure the best way to maintain heat, maybe start running ahead for 200 meters, then running back to your group. Rinse and repeat.

1