Letter from your Race Medical Director

By: Dr. Jocelyn Ricasa, MD
Bon Secours Medical Associates at Virginia Beach

Happy Holidays, J&A Runners!

‘Tis the season for bundling up to go for those brisk runs!  Doesn’t it feel like you have to chase the daylight hours nowadays?

Here are a few tips to help keep you running safely throughout the chilly season, and more specifically for the electrifying Surf-n-Santa 5-Miler!

1. Dress in layers. Don’t freeze at the starting line in the name of fashion!  Not to mention, it is definitely hard to obtain your peak performance when you are shivering.  Use layers to control your body temp from start to finish, and choose moisture-wicking material.
2. Stay visible. Running at dawn or dusk makes it harder for others to see you – so make sure you have reflective tape or blinking lights visible from in front of you AND behind you!
3. Carry your inhaler (if you have one).  Do you have asthma / reactive airway disease?  Cold is definitely a common symptom trigger, as is rapid temperature changes… like the one that happens at the Surf-n-Santa Finish Line, when you come back in from the cold into the Convention Center for the hoppin’ Post Race Party.  Don’t let some wheezing ruin your post-race fun!
4. And as always…. Live, Love, and Run!