We race 2.5-3 hour hare scrambles all summer long in the Virginia heat and humidity, (90 plus degrees). In spite of this, I wear full gear, knee braces, Leatt chest protector with full elbow protection, neck brace, etc.. Even a small tumble at low or no speed onto a rock or root can break bones. Watched a guy standing next to his bike slip on a rock, break a rib and puncture his lung
As far as the heat goes, if you're gonna race in it, you gotta train in it. If you aren't wearing a hydration pack with the tube routed into your helmet, get one. Conserve your energy, take your time and pick the right line instead of just charging in. It doesn't matter how fast a guy rides, if he is picking up his bike every five minutes, he's never going to make it.
Practice ride on the nastiest, rutted, tightest, whooped out crap you can find. That's a true hare scrambles course. And when you're tired, ride it again. And again. And again.
And then, after all this work, there will still be somebody way faster than you making it look totally effortless. Get used to this, it never changes. Welcome to hare scrambles racing.
