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Amby Burfoot offers heat advice

Posted by Matt Pepin, BostonGlobe.com Staff April 15, 2012 09:01 AM

By Matt Pepin, Globe Staff

Amby Burfoot, who won the 1968 Boston Marathon and is an editor-at-large for Runner's World magazine, has some advice for runners who decide to give it a go in Monday's race.

Lower your expectations. From the very start, run slower than you had been hoping.
Drink modestly through the race to minimize dehydration. Do not overdrink. If your stomach begins sloshing or you notice that your rings feel tight on your fingers, stop drinking.
Run conservatively. The warm weather will bring out huge crowds. Enjoy their cheers. Save your hardest effort for another day.

High temperatures are forecast, and race officials have given runners the option to defer their entry to the 2013 Boston Marathon.

For the latest on the weather, Boston.com's Weather Wisdom blog is an excellent resource.

For more advice from Runner's World experts, check this gallery of tips from top editors and staff on their areas of expertise.

Look for updates, news, analysis and commentary from the following.

Steve Silva, Boston.com senior producer, two-time Boston Marathon sub-four hour runner.
Ty Velde is a 16-time Boston qualifier who's completed 12 consecutive Boston Marathons and 25 marathons overall. Ty is now training for his 13th Boston run and will provide training tips for those who train solo and outside, no matter what temperature it is.
Rich 'Shifter' Horgan is a 19-time Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team member who runs in honor of his father, who died of colon cancer. He will provide updates on local running events with a focus on the charitable organizations that provide Boston Marathon entries for their organization's fund raising purposes