On September 22, the Bellingham Bay Marathon and its various distances — marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K — will again bring together more than 2,000 participants.
As presenting sponsor of the event, PeaceHealth is also responsible for staffing the race with medical volunteers, who are stationed at the three medical tents located at various places along the race route.
These medical volunteers include doctors, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified nursing assistants, and other medically-trained staff. It’s PeaceHealth’s goal to have at least one doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant at all three medical stations for every shift of the 2024 event.
Dr. Robert Rush — the medical director for trauma, acute care surgery and surgical quality at Bellingham’s PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center — is also the Bellingham Bay Marathon’s medical director.
He shared with WhatcomTalk.com the following tips on how to stay healthy for the upcoming event —and hopefully avoid a visit to the medical tent.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
There will be no shortage of water stations along the race routes, and with dehydration being among the most common but also potentially serious issues in long-distance races, stopping at each of them is paramount.
“Drink at EVERY water point,” says Dr. Rush. “I can’t emphasize that enough. Even if you don’t think you’re thirsty.”
Staying hydrated before, during, and even after the race, is critical, Dr. Rush adds. Common symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and headache, among others. The symptoms can appear suddenly and rapidly worsen, depending on the extent of dehydration someone is experiencing.
Electrolyte beverages can also serve as a good addition to water, especially for more rapid rehydration.
Take Your Time Training
While the amount of training someone will do prior to running a race will vary considerably based on their individual fitness level and the length of the route, Dr. Rush recommends training for a full marathon should start at least three months prior. Consulting with a trainer or personal healthcare provider, or reviewing marathon preparation literature is also a good idea prior to undertaking a particular race goal.
“There is no substitute for getting your body ready,” Dr. Rush says. “Doing a progressive mileage increase over the preceding months leading up to the marathon is the most important training to prevent most injuries.”
Strive for Consistency
Whether it’s your food and hydration regimen or what you’re wearing, it’s important to have a consistent training routine established prior to race day — and stick to that on race day.
“You want to train in the shoes that you’re going to run with — you don’t want to be breaking in a new pair of shoes on race day,” says Dr. Rush. “You want to train with the nutritional support you’re used to. Otherwise, you could cause yourself some gastrointestinal upset. Or, with shoes, you may end up having some blistering you weren’t prepared for.”
That consistency includes remembering to properly stretch.
“Before training sessions and a race, both active and static stretches are important, but especially the more active ones, where you’re moving your muscles and stretching at the same time,” Dr. Rush says. “Afterwards, it’s more of the static-type stretches, and just walking, that are helpful.”
Balance Your Diet
It’s a good idea to increase the amount of carbohydrates in your diet a day or two before race day to build up stores of glycogen in your liver that can be expended during the race, says Dr. Rush.
Regardless of your race-friendly diet, it should be built up to gradually and remain mostly balanced. Pastas are always a good choice for carbs. After your race is run, Dr. Rush says focusing more on hydration than meal choice is generally a good idea. Eating a heavy meal after your race, he adds, is not.
Water stations during the event will also provide nutritious, energy-dense snacks.
Prevent Discomfort
In addition to racing in comfortable shoes, Dr. Rush notes that chafing, burning, and blistering are common ailments for distance runners. They frequently occur on the feet, ankles, groin, and nipple areas, and can be quite unpleasant.
Dr. Rush recommends applying jellies or creams to the nipple and between-leg areas for chafing prevention, and for knowing the hot spots on your feet prior to the big event. Preventing blisters and burning can be done by applying moleskin — a heavy cotton fabric that can both prevent blisters and protect existing ones.
Don’t Get Too Hot…Or Cold
Among the more serious concerns for medical tent volunteers are hypothermia — when your core body temperature gets too cold — and hyperthermia, when you get too overheated. Regardless of the condition, the primary method of treating these issues is proper fluid intake.
“When you’re hypothermic, you want to get your core temperature up and increase the volume of your blood a bit to circulate and help keep you warm,” says Dr. Rush.
Past marathons have seen both cold, rainy conditions and temperatures well above average, so being prepared for either is important. Check the weather in the days prior to the event and consider proper protection from both sun and rain, heat and cold (sunscreen, rain jacket, hat, or cap).
If suffering from hypothermia, Mylar foil heat blankets will be available at all the medical tents for warming purposes.
In Case of Emergency
While medical tents will be stationed at three locations along the marathon route — Rayhorst Road south of Ferndale, at Squalicum Creek Park, and at the Depot Market Square finish line — there are plenty of places where runners can encounter problems.
If you’re out on the course and witness a serious injury or illness occurring and it’s not directly in front of a medical station, Dr. Rush says the best course of action is to call 9-1-1 immediately. Medical tent volunteers, who are also knowledgeable in CPR and equipped with AED devices, will also call 9-1-1 if the situation necessitates.
With all these things in mind, PeaceHealth wishes you a safe, healthy, and successful Bellingham Bay Marathon.
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