Drinking on long runs? (Read 2045 times)

I don't bring anything anymore for 18 or less, weather-dependent. If I do bring something, I have a waist pack Camelback that works nicely.

I generally don't bring water unless I'm running in the woods (I'm about 50/50 on runs longer then 10). I'm not sure why but I almost always bring my wasit camelback when I'm going for a trail run. I guess it is cause I have had many "three" mile hikes turn into "eight" mile hikes with one wrong turn . Running around town I figure I can always find water if it is an emergency.

There are two ways you have to look at this. It's one thing to be able to go a certain distance without food/water and stop there, but as my runs get longer I find that I need to drink/eat earlier to maintain my energy to push through my previous distances. For instance, I can go run 10 miles on a day that isn't extremely hot, without food or drink, but if I want to push past that and go to 13 or so, I find that it helps to eat/drink something around 7-8 miles so that by 10 I'm not at my breaking point. I think that waiting until then to have something would be too late and I would just want to collapse. So bottom line is, have something before you absolutely feel like you need it. Then again, I haven't been doing double-digit distances very long, so that's just my experience so far. As you increase your distances your body seems to adjust. MTA: As far as carrying or stashing water. I hate carrying something in my hand. It just seems to mentally drag me down. You can either stash bottles along your route like mentioned above or if you can make your route pass a store bring a couple of bucks with you and buy a drink. I usually run from my house, so I sometimes make my route pass back by my house at some point and grab something from my garage. There are alot of ways to prevent carrying it with you.

I purchased an Amphipod water belt at about the same point you are in your training (the week before my 9 mile run). I have been happy with it so far...I have used it on all of my long runs since that time. Good luck!

I always bring a hand held water bottle for all my runs. After almost a year of running with it, my forearms are the same size for the first time since my teenage years. Tonight, as I ran past a couple out walking their dog, the lady asks me if that thing in my hand was a beer. I laughed and told her that unfortunately it was water - but that it would turn into a beer when I got home. Strangely, she seemed disappointed in my answer. Maybe I should start running with beer - this could be a big time saver.

If I am running on trails, then I'll often carry water. On roads, I rarely will. With temperatures hovering around 0 fahrenheit on my last few trail runs, I've used a camelbak with a bladder full of warm water for keeping myself warm. On one of the runs, I needed the water anyway, but last weekend I didn't bother drinking from it I just wanted the heat. My preferred method for carrying water (in warmer temperatures anyway) is a water bottle with a hand strap. I used that during my 50k to good effect. If I am running roads, then I'll plan a run around where I can get water or else I'll stash it. If it is going to be really hot out and/or you are worried about somebody making off with your water, you can bury it by the side of the road. It will be less obvious to would be thieves and it will stay cool.