Tragedy and Disaster at the Chicago Marathon

One of my clients was competing yesterday in the Chicago Marathon, so I received word from her by text message that things had gone horribly wrong long before it hit the national news (click on title to go to Chicago Tribune Story). Over 300 runners taken away by ambulance, one death, and the race cancelled about 3 1/2 hours after it started. Running in extreme heat with lack of hydration is dangerous and possibly fatal, as the news reports cleary showed. Although I think the organizers did the right thing by stopping the race, there in no excuse for the lack of water and Gatorade at the hydration stations, which in combination with the extreme heat and humidity led to disaster. I'm sure we haven't heard the last of this story. Please remember to stay well hydrated when exercising-and when running or exercising outside, do yourself a favor and switch to an indoor treadmill or activity when the weather becomes extreme!