KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Many avoided getting out in the heat this week, but a group of dedicated trail runners woke up Saturday morning ready to lace up.
Trail Nerds' ‘Psycho Psummer’ run kicked off at Wyandotte County Lake Park. There was a 10-mile, 20-mile or 50K option.
Along the trail route were aid stations every few miles, set up with sports drinks, food and salt.
“90% of what you sweat out is sodium chloride, which is regular salt, and the others are potassium, magnesium and other things,” said Trail Nerds President and Founder Ben Holmes. “Basically, you need to supplement that as far as how much you’re sweating and everything else.”
Holmes said this race used to be in February, but people complained it was too cold. Saturday brought the opposite.
For runner Mark Benefiel of Wichita, Kansas, he has been training by running in the mid-day heat and getting creative with ways to sweat.
“I've also been doing a lot of heat work at a gym called HotWorx where you workout inside a 130-degree sauna. So I'll either do 45 minutes of yoga in there or they have some bikes and other things. I do that a couple two-three of days a week... so 95 is not going to be nothing," Benefiel said.
Benefiel had prepared plenty of electrolytes and water for the 50K.
The race started at 8 a.m. and runners need to be on their final lap by 2 p.m., according to the website.
Holmes said the Trail Nerds meet at Shelter 14 every Thursday at 6 p.m. to train and socialize.
