Monday, October 5th, 2009
Hydration, Hydration, Hydration!
Do you ever feel so exhausted that you have to stop running? Do you sometimes feel dizzy or disorientated during a long workout? Have you ever been overcome by cramp after cycling for 60km?
These are all signs of dehydration rearing its ugly head. Exercise makes us sweat; it is our body
Great piece
Think I did this at Edinburgh half on Sunday. Drank loads the day before, but probably not enough in the first 8 miles. Also I had a light running hat on which made my head hot and sweaty! Didn’t stop for water but should have tried a little, as I had 500ml Gatorade with me. But gulping it at pace made me feel a bit nauseous, so what did I do? Drink less! Had to stop at 8 miles, walk 1/2 mile and steadily drink all the rest! The final 5 miles were a breeze.
Yes, it’s always a good idea to practice sipping while running. I still find this hard. In marathons, I sometimes stop at the water stations to ensure that I actually drink the stuff, and make sure you run under the sprinklers if they are provided…anything to cool the body down. Sometimes a hat is useful to scoop up water (for instance, in Stockholm they provided water vats for this very reason) to throw over yourself rather than wear on the head!