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Expert advice from the people who live and train in the tropics.

Who’d you rather be: the guy with the parasol or the guy in the ambulance?

Hello, beloved users of Gmaps Pedometer.

Hope Iron Man hydrated

We have to admit something to you. Not everyone on our team suffered through winter. In fact, one of us spent the months of November through February perfecting the art of floating around on a pool raft.

I confess: That’s me, and I live in Bangkok.

All that floating and daydreaming ate away at my workout mojo, though. Now that it’s insanely hot and humid here, it’s even harder to make myself run outdoors. So I did what anyone would do: Signed up for a race.

My husband and I managed to complete this 3K in about 21 minutes and were delighted we didn’t collapse. The temperature at the 6 a.m. starting time was 81 degrees, and the humidity was 65 percent.

By the end, I was as sopping as if I’d gone for a dip in the nearby Mae Klong River. Which I wouldn’t because they have stingrays the size of submarines.

Watch out for the aquatic life, sneaker guy.

We were two of the only Westerners there, but even the locals were suffering from the heat, especially the brave souls who ran the 12.8K. So that got me wondering: How do the die-hards who run here make it?

The family that runs in costume together stays together.

I turned to the Facebook page of Bangkok Runners, a group of craaazy and awesome people who run here all the time. Someone asked this very question recently, and they had a ton of great responses.

Here’s some of their tips for training in the Land of Smiles.

Pre-run fried noodles = bad. Post-run = excellent.

• Avoid the midday heat. Train at dawn or dusk.
• Hydrate from the moment you wake up.
• Jump into the shower fully clothed before you head out.
• Carry a frozen bottle of water. Keeping your hands cool helps.
• Take breaks every 2 km or so. Grab drinks at convenience stores. Nip into park bathrooms and splash water on your head.
• Bring a hydration pack for longer sessions.
• Avoid rice and fried food. Eat fruit and drink coconut water.
• Get used to the heat. Train in it as much as you can stand. Keep your air conditioning low.

Maybe most importantly:

Forget about your time until you adjust.

Fruit and a blue drink after the race. They’ve earned it!

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