Description
The Science
When your body heats up on race day, your performance takes a hit. Â Your body limits performance to reduce the chance of damage to your muscles, and the net is you can’t run as fast as you are capable of running.
The culprit is muscle pyruvate kinase, or MPK, a temperature-sensitive enzyme that muscles need in order to generate chemical energy. Get too hot and the enzyme’s function deteriorates and you slow down.
By cooling the muscle cells, the muscle’s state of fatigue is essentially “reset” to an active state — it’s back to work!
How It Works
Dramatically improve your performance by reducing the time gaps between cooling and refueling opportunities.
The RaceSaver 1.0 Bag™ enables athletes to collect and carry ice between critical aid stations on race day.
Simply dump ice from the aid station into your RSB. Cinch the bag shut and you can put the ice where you need it most: Â the palm of your hand, under your hat, in your race top or even down your shorts.
As the ice melts, cool water remains. Hold the bag over your head to retain the remaining ice and let the cool water pour out.
Need a snack? Open the bag for some ice to munch on.
Just use it wisely until the next aid station!
Never let the heat beat you again!
Engineered from high-performance, lightweight fabric, you can customize the fit of your RaceSaver 1.0 Bag™ to your hand or wrist. Simply slip it on in T2 and run your way to race day domination!
How To Video
Customizing Your RaceSaver 1.0 Bag™
When you get your RaceSaver, you’ll be all excited…but take a minute to set it up.
- Place your hand between the two knots in the elastic handle. Adjust the knots such that the cord is snug — but not t00 tight — and the bag won’t fall off on its own.
- Trim any excess cord as needed.
- Store the RaceSaver bag near your running shoes for that next hot run session!
Using Your RaceSaver 1.0 Bag™
- Pack your RaceSaver 1.0 Bag™ for your next race.
- Keep it in transition so you are ready to run with it.
- Fill RaceSaver 1.0 Bag™ with ice at the first available Aid Station, then pull the toggle to close the bag.
- Crush the aid station in hands-free mode thanks to your RaceSaver 1.0 Bag™.
- Place RaceSaver bag on areas of your body when racing, such as under your hat, in your race top or in your race shorts.
- Open RaceSaver 1.0 Bag™ and take out ice to consume as needed.
- Use the hand leash to secure RaceSaver 1.0 Bag™ against your hand.
Additional RaceSaver Bag™ Tips
- It’s not just for racing! Tuck it in a pocket for a hot run and stop in at any convenience store to fill up with ice from the soda dispenser.
- You can easily tuck in the waistband of your run shorts, or a pocket, when not in use.
- Practice securing your RaceSaver 1.0 Bag™ in your shorts, race top, or hat so you are ready to use it on race day.
- Have other tips? Please send them to feedback@mile18inc.com
How the RaceSaver Bag™ Came to Be
Returning to Kona for my seventh time, I was determined to crack the code on the punishing heat. Regardless of my swim or bike performance, the run would always slip away as my body simply accumulated too much heat. Looking back at my historical splits I realized that I never really slowed down when running — I was simply spending more and more time at each aid station.
I needed more and more time to gather and consume the fluids required to make it the next mile. One of my Endurance Nation teammates had suggested we use a plastic bag to carry ice…I did and it was amazing. I cannot understate the psychological advantage that the sound of running with ice in your hand has on the competition. Athletes were amazed that I not only had ice…but that I could even share some.
Once I returned from Kona I knew the RaceSaver Bag™ had to be created. I broke out the kids’ sewing machines and got to work building the prototype for the first bag you have today.
About the Creator
Patrick is a 30-time Ironman finisher, including 11x Kona Qualifications with a 9:19 Personal Best!
Co-Founder of Endurance Nation, the world largest and most active online endurance community. Creator of Marathon Nation, the go-to online resource for marathon runners. Author of Train to Live, Live to Train: How to Build the Ultimate Fitness Lifestyle and Competitive Triathlon in 10 Hours a Week.  When Patrick isn’t training or working, you can find him chilling with his amazing family in Rhode Island.
Scott Dinhofer –
Used the race saver bag for Ironman Lake Placid on Sunday. Post race I’ve read a lot of forum chatter on how hot it was. I simply filled the bag up at every other aid station on the run & placed it under my hat. This kept me cool and aided in reaching a PR & top 10 AG finish for the first time for me on a day where many others imploded from the Heat. Looking forward to trying version 2!
Doug Herr –
I used the Race Saver bag this weekend at Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City. I had used it several times in training during this hot summer and was excited to try it during a race. Race day turned out to be unusually hot, hitting 88 degrees with a heat index in the 90s. The Race Saver bag made all the difference in my run. While many other athletes were walking for long stretches, I was able to maintain my goal pace without slowing down. The bag will be a vital part of my T2 equipment from now on.
Jeremy –
I first used the Race Saver bag at Ironman Hawaii in 2016. Previously I had used ziplock bags but the Race Saver bag works much better with the drawstring that I can keep around my hand the entire race. I also like that the Race Saver isn’t completely waterproof so as the ice melts I can squeeze the bag and have the ice cold water cool my head.