When to Hydrate on Long Runs? How far is too far w/o water? (Read 1588 times)

It depends on how hot it is, how much you sweat, how fast you're running. A lot of things. I've run 20 miles with no water plenty of times.

It depends on how hot it is, how much you sweat, how fast you're running. A lot of things.

Yep. In the Winter if I'm not overdressed I could probably easily do at least 10 without fluids. In the warmer months I will often take at least a 20oz. hand bottle for anything much over 8 or 9. If I am going to be out for 2 hours or more and it's above 80º I'll have a 20oz bottle of Gatorade in a waist pack with an extra 2 10oz. bottles of plain water attached to the belt (I have an Amphipod Full-Tilt pack which is wonderfully customizable for a variety of runs and needs). I sweat...a LOT (even my kid doesn't want to hug me after warm weather runs and races). Even with hydration I can drop 3-5#s in a typical long Summer run. Someone who doesn't sweat as much volume can probably do with less. That's one thing I recall reading that helped a person estimate their fluid needs--weigh yourself before and after an hour run to see how many oz. you lose. For a run of an hour or less you can probably go without fluids, but when it's hot and you're going to be out there longer it's not a bad idea to have water or sports drink along, even if you find you don't need it. Better to be overprepared than under, IMO. I can get pretty ill when it's hot and I don't have enough fluids with me. When it comes to hydration I'm of a mind that HTFUing is not necessarily a good thing. We experience thirst for a reason.

You might want to think in terms of time, rather than mileage, but more importantly listen to your body. Usually if your body needs water, it will tell you, although some folks thirst response is better tuned than others. Your fluid needs will depend on you, intensity, temperature, humidity, how heat adapted you are, etc. In my case, for most runs, I don't need water for less than 1 hr and in winter can probably go 1.5 hr with no fluids if it's not a hard run. In warmer weather for runs over 1 hr, I'll start drinking maybe 15-20 min into the run so I stay hydrated.

I know that in tennis...I NEVER drink water water. When it comes to that sport (something I am more familiar with), I am always the one who he is waiting on everyone else to re-hydrate. Like I said, the conditions here are rare though.

GetGone - should have asked you first. I went 1:08 w/o and probaly could have gone another 10 or 15 minutes w/o damaging anything...but I was starting to get dry mouth and thirsty. So I can see that. Appreciate the summer response...you know how hot the roads can get here. I have seen too many folks passout playing tennis in the summer heat...I would hate to be running alone and fall victim to the same.

If you got dry mouth and thirsty you might have gone a little long. It's amzing how fast things can deteriorate. The only time I got close to be in trouble was last summer when I was running a double loop in my neighborhood. Usually on my second pass I drink the water bottle I leave at my mailbox. For some reason I didn't stop for it because I told myself I was fine. Well I got to about the furthest point away from my house on the second loop and things didn't feel right. I felt awful. If I was out on my long run trail I would have been SOL. I usually run those alone and if I were to pass out there would be no telling how long before I was found. Anyway, don't mess around with the heat.

it isn't a contest.... and well on longer runs and when the intensity goes up I need fluids so... if I am running 6 miles of my 3 mile loop I will pause after once around to grab a drink... If I am running a 5.8 mile loop from my house ... no water... If I am running the 9 mile loop I place water at 5.. If I am running the 9+3 loop I have water at 5,9 then ever 3 afterwards on my sat. runs... water goes at the 4,7,9 mile mark... so there is a drinking fountain at 5.5, 11... so on a 22 mile run you have 4,5.5,7,9,11,13,15,16.5,18 .... gets you accustom to drinking durring your run and how much to take so you don't get a sloshy stomach... In the summer I sweat quite a bit... so 3 miles is about my limit before I need more fluids ...