Lessons Learned

After my flirtation with dehydration last weekend, I have been researching summer running strategies.

I read from several sources that runners should strive to limit their weight loss due to dehydration during a workout to no more than 2% of their total body weight.  For me that means 3 to 4 pounds. I have long been in the habit of weighing myself before and after each run and have noticed weight fluctuations of nearly twice that amount after weekend long runs. It’s obvious that I need to significantly increase my fluid intake.

Equally important is the replacement of electrolytes, particularly salt, during long runs. I believe that it was a deficit of electrolytes that caused me to bonk during what should have been an easy run for me last week. In a worst case scenario, hydrating solely with water can result in a condition called hyponatremia, a dilution of electrolytes in the body, that has caused deaths during marathons.

I applied these lessons to a 19 mile run I ran on Saturday in temperatures ranging from 71 to 80 degrees. Over the course of the 3 ½ hour run I consumed 82 ounces of fluids. I also inverted the ratio of Gatorade and water that I usually consume. Over the past few months I have been either drinking water alone or a combination of about 75% water and 25% Gatorade. This week it was 75% Gatorade and 25% water.

The result was a successful run completed without any walking. While I was tired at the end of the run, it was not even close to the exhaustion I felt after only 10 miles last week. I lost about 3 pounds, right on target with the 2% goal, and I only suffered some of the more minor symptoms of dehydration. While the volume of fluids was right on target, I think I will be able to cut back a little on the amount of Gatorade. Towards the end of the run it started to feel like I was drinking syrup. I also intend to check out other sources for electrolytes besides a sports drink.  I recently read a good recommendation for NUUN tablets over on the cool running forums.

It will take some experimentation to perfect these hydration strategies, but I think they will safely get me through the summer running season.

Suck it up!

What to do about this heat? After my disastrous run and flirtation with dehydration last weekend I have been doing some serious thinking about how I should adjust my training during the summer months.

I posted an impromptu poll over at coolrunning about cutting back my long runs and the responses were very consistent. Suck it up! (Paraphrased) Avoid the heat by running early in the morning or late in the evening, make sure you stay hydrated, maybe slow your pace a bit, but there is no need to take a step backwards in your training.

OK. Message received – loud and clear.

I should point out that I am not a morning person. I hate mornings. Because of this, prior to this year I did the majority of my running in the evening. The problem was that there are too many things to disrupt a routine training schedule when you run in the evening - social commitments, a higher probability of foul weather (in Florida anyway), fatigue after a long day at work, etc. I owe a lot of my success this year to finally transitioning to morning runs. I now consistently run 4 days per week and have only missed workouts over the past few months due to travel and minor injuries.

As much as I have grown to love running I still struggle to drag my butt out of bed virtually every morning. I cherish those few precious mornings I get to sleep in, but I am committed to persevering and improving this summer.

My nemesis is the snooze button.

I will resist it.

I will rise before the sun.

I will suck it up.