Ultra Runners

12

Fluid intake and retention (Read 444 times)


Go Pre!

    During the heat-fest last Monday in Boston, I drank a lot. One cup of Gatorade and one cup of water at each aid station, plus more from the nice families handing stuff out. I pre-hydrated well too. Still, I felt shit but attributed it to the extreme heat.

     

    I ran much slower than usual and still had to walk it in from 24 miles. And after the race, my urine was dark brown. Did I really sweat that much?

     

    Should I, or could I even, drink more? If I can't solve this I'd say I have to avoid hot weather racing altogether which would suck. I have always had trouble in the heat and I do not want to bail on the 100k race coming up in June.

     

    Any thoughts on how to get the fluids working for me?

      My guess is that you probably did sweat that much.  When it's hot and humid I find it impossible to keep up with hydration.  (even with a hydration pack)

       

      Avoid hot weather racing.

        During the heat-fest last Monday in Boston, I drank a lot. One cup of Gatorade and one cup of water at each aid station, plus more from the nice families handing stuff out. I pre-hydrated well too. Still, I felt shit but attributed it to the extreme heat.

         

        I ran much slower than usual and still had to walk it in from 24 miles. And after the race, my urine was dark brown. Did I really sweat that much?

         

        Should I, or could I even, drink more? If I can't solve this I'd say I have to avoid hot weather racing altogether which would suck. I have always had trouble in the heat and I do not want to bail on the 100k race coming up in June.

         

        Any thoughts on how to get the fluids working for me?

         

         

        Here's a good article from ultrarunning mag that pretty much covers everything hydration.  The short of it is, there is no one size fits all and you may react differently depending on conditions and type of race.

        DoppleBock


          My goal is usually drink as much as I can without getting a sloshy stomache.  I tend to drink a lot.  In a hot 50 mile race I may go through 150-180 ounces of water in my camelback + slam glasses of head at aide stations ~ maybe 20 ounce per station x 7 = 140 ounces -  so over 300 ounces in 8 hours = 35-40 ounces per hour.

           

          In a marathon - I drink at ever aide station - With gatorade / head I chase with a cup of water.  I probably manage avg 6-8 ounces per station x 15 stations = 90-120 ounces in 3 hours = 30-40 ounces per hour.

           

          On a hot summer morning - I can run 20 miles - Drink 70 ounces from Camelback and still lose 12-14 pounds.

           

          In ultras you are moving slower - Hopefull there is some shade and yes if its hot hydration and electrolytes are more important than calories.

          Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

           

           


          Go Pre!

            This is great. I still think there is something wrong with me. It seems I drink, and it doesn't get in me. I guess I can try to increase the intake, although I felt like puking it up in the last few hot marathons.


            Go Pre!

              Here's a good article from ultrarunning mag that pretty much covers everything hydration.  The short of it is, there is no one size fits all and you may react differently depending on conditions and type of race.

               

              Great article Smile


              Kalsarikännit

                I think on a hot day like Boston I would have added some salt caps into the mix.

                I want to do it because I want to do it.  -Amelia Earhart

                 

                DoppleBock


                   I would have every 30 minutes minimum - I have taken 3 during Grandmas before and it was low 60s and humid - Still reasonable weather.

                   

                   

                  I think on a hot day like Boston I would have added some salt caps into the mix.

                  Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                   

                   

                  Trent


                  Good Bad & The Monkey

                    I do not think it was possible to drink enough on Monday. I hit ever water stop. I guess I need to send BAA a check.


                    I did drink a lot before and after too.

                     

                    Before: 2 x 20 oz Gatorade

                    After: 3 x craft beers, 4 x 12 oz Cokes

                    xor


                      I think on a hot day like Boston I would have added some salt caps into the mix.

                       

                      I do this in Hawai'i races... I did not do this at Boston.  I wonder what the effect would have been.

                       

                      I got very dehydrated too.  And what I've learned is when it gets to that point, rehydrating is a lot longer process than "just pound some fluids".  For a week or so after I get like this, I will drink a lot... and my pee will alternate with high volume/clear and low volume/dark.  It takes awhile.

                       

                      I don't think I could have drank more than I drank during Boston.  I will say that after about M18, I had to switch to water-only because I wanted to hurl every time I drank the gatorade.

                       

                      xor


                        Oh.  Full disclosure.

                         

                        Boston was, of course, monday afternoon. I felt like poo just after the race, but after a cold bath and some downtime, I was alright later and went to dinner with a bunch of Maniacs.

                         

                        Tuesday morning and afternoon, I flew home.  All was well.  Except, of course, for the high volume clear pee and the every once-in-awhile dark pee.

                         

                        About an hour after eating dinner on Tuesday, I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach.  A couple hours later, the diarrhea started.  A couple hours after that, the vomiting started.  This lasted all night. Like Old Faithful, I was up every hour on the hour.

                         

                        Wednesday, I ate almost nothing.  I was super-fatigued, joints and muscles hurt like I had the flu, and it still felt like someone had punched me in the stomach.  I mean that in a literal sense... it wasn't the "upset stomach" feeling. It was like bruise-y pain.

                         

                        I did 11 hours of coma sleep between Wednesday evening and this morning.

                         

                        Aside from lingering ab soreness, the symptoms are gone. I obviously cleared whatever it was out one end or the other. Muscle fatigue and joint pain, gone.

                         

                        I am still doing the high volume clear pee and every once-in-awhile dark pee thing.  I'm sure that the puke/poop combo didn't help my hydration level.

                         

                        Too much info?  Here's a little more.

                         

                        If you have never been in the state where your body suddenly needs to puke and violently poo at the exact same time, count your blessings.  There are fewer nastier and unhappy things to try to deal with (and rationalize).  This state needs a name.

                         


                        Go Pre!

                          I was just about to go for lunch....

                          xor


                            I was just about to go for lunch....

                             

                            You're welcome.

                             

                              As for me, I could not possibly have consumed more fluids during the race than I did (or poured more on myself), and it was still nowhere near enough. Alternated gatorade and water, had a few gu's too. During the later stages I was forcing myself to keep drinking because I had the sloshy stomach thing going on. I got a little scared the last 2 or 3 miles when I pretty much stopped sweating. I came about as close as a human can come to passing out just after I crossed the line. It eased after 5 minutes or so but I felt dizzy/nauseous for many hours afterward. When I arrived at the Lenox Hotel post-race they handed me a beer. I tried to drink it, I really did, but I just couldn't. And I'm not usually that affected by the heat. Yikes.

                              A list of my PRs in a misguided attempt to impress people that do not care.

                                My goal is usually drink as much as I can without getting a sloshy stomache.  I tend to drink a lot.  In a hot 50 mile race I may go through 150-180 ounces of water in my camelback + slam glasses of head at aide stations ~ maybe 20 ounce per station x 7 = 140 ounces -  so over 300 ounces in 8 hours = 35-40 ounces per hour.

                                 

                                In a marathon - I drink at ever aide station - With gatorade / head I chase with a cup of water.  I probably manage avg 6-8 ounces per station x 15 stations = 90-120 ounces in 3 hours = 30-40 ounces per hour.

                                 

                                On a hot summer morning - I can run 20 miles - Drink 70 ounces from Camelback and still lose 12-14 pounds.

                                 

                                In ultras you are moving slower - Hopefull there is some shade and yes if its hot hydration and electrolytes are more important than calories.

                                 I can go out for a run and have a sloshy stomach when all I've drank was a bit of coffee an hour before. Not sure WTF is up with that and it's one of the reason's I have such a hard time during some races ESPECIALLY in the heat when you need to drink more

                                Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

                                12