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Getting dehydrated *while* racing... (Read 977 times)

Wingz


Professional Noob

    Okay... I took water at every stop along the way and still ended up getting really dehydrated during my first 10K yesterday! For those of you who sweat profusely, do you race with camelbacks? Take two glasses instead of one at the water stops? Just drink like crazy the day before? What? And do you drink Gatorade instead of the water to help ward off hyponatremia? I need to do something differently, that's for sure! I know there was a "dehydration" thread or two around here somewhere, but I couldn't find it. Janell

    Roads were made for journeys...

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    rectumdamnnearkilledem

      When I did my first 10k this summer I REALLY wish I would have had my Camelbak. I already had an unhappy tummy that AM and there weren't nearly enough water stops during that race AND it was hot out--so I was sweating like the proverbial pig. I used my Camelbak during my recent 10 mi. race and liked having it along to clip my JBTU™ to, though there were plenty of water stops--very well organized event. k

      Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

      remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

           ~ Sarah Kay

        That was cute..... JBTU. I ran the NYC Marathon last year with my 6 bottle fuel belt and took fluids from the water stations along the way. Just drinking from the water stations, I never get much of those cups "in" me, so I like to carry some reserve. Especially when it is warm out.
        bas


          Okay... I took water at every stop along the way and still ended up getting really dehydrated during my first 10K yesterday!
          Someone (who is a trainer at my club) suggested to me this week to drink a lot of water until about 1 1/2 hours before the race. Drinking during the race does not help that much anymore, he said. Note: I don't know if this is true - or if so, if it's true for everyone! Maybe there are others who can say something about it... bas

          52° 21' North, 4° 52' East

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          rectumdamnnearkilledem

            Just drinking from the water stations, I never get much of those cups "in" me, so I like to carry some reserve. Especially when it is warm out.
            I end up getting a lot more down my front... Tongue k

            Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

            remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                 ~ Sarah Kay

              I've always had trouble getting hydration right while I'm running. It's like I can just feel the water sloshing around in my stomach.. doesn't really work for me. I usually only bring the camelbak with me when I'm going long, or taking a run on a route that I don't know and might get lost (like woods and such for the most part, most times people will give you directions if you're stuck and stop at their house). What I always did when i was racing was make sure to hydrate real well before the race. So not necessarily the day before or such, but definitely the day of. Drink drink drink, up until 1/2 to 1 hour before the run starts. Mostly to make sure that it gets into my system rather than just into my gut. After the warm-up, I usually found that taking a bit of a drink would to top me off would do just fine. Obviously this isn't something that's really going to work under extreme conditions or for longer (or poorly organized/staffed) races. I'd probably be fairly confident for anything at or under a 10k though, at least, I've never been real hurting when the water stops roll around. As to hyponatremia...well that's a little more sticky. Luckily, I've never had too much of a problem with that, though my usual strategy was always to go water before, and (if possible) suck down the more complicated fluids afterwards. At least, that all's what's worked for me, though everyone's body is different, so you have to play around and find what works best for you. A camelbak can of course weigh you down or throw off your rhythm a bit, but they sure are nice when the heat rolls around.


              ~J

                What I always did when i was racing was make sure to hydrate real well before the race. So not necessarily the day before or such, but definitely the day of. Drink drink drink, up until 1/2 to 1 hour before the run starts.
                OK, now I've tried that as well but end up having to pee at the start of the race. If it's a short one I am uncomfortable all race. Definitely a balancing act. Hop
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                rectumdamnnearkilledem

                  Hop, I have the same issue. I have to stop drinking 1.5-2 hours before running and even that's not enough sometimes. k

                  Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                  remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                       ~ Sarah Kay

                    I usually carry water with me on my races. I like to drink often and grabbing a small cup at a water stop and spilling most of it never cut it for me. Smile I carry a bottle usually and sip on it eevery few minutes. Small, frequent sips work well for me. If it's hot, I'll even carry water for a 5K. One I ran in July, I had people eyeing my bottle as we sweltered along in 90+ degree temps. Tongue
                      OK, now I've tried that as well but end up having to pee at the start of the race. If it's a short one I am uncomfortable all race. Definitely a balancing act. Hop
                      I neglected to mention that the obligatory port-a-potty waiting in line just before you head to the start line. The timing of which (to avoid a long wait) is some sort of mystic art I have yet to master.


                      ~J

                        I wouldn't carry anything while racing--I don't even carry water on training runs. If I have to (if it's hot and I'm running longer than 90 minutes) I'll plan my routes to pass water fountains and/or stash water on course and/or run a loop repeatedly and leave a bottle of gatorade at the bottom of my street. Unless its a really small race, odds are that the water stops are frequent enough that carrying water wouldn't help that much--you can only absorb so much so fast and if you're losing it faster than that, you're out of luck. First and foremost I don't run a lot of longer races in hot weather because I know I don't deal well with the heat. If I do run a long race on a hot day, I just adjust my goals to account for the heat and take water/gatorade at every water station. Still, I know that I cannot physically hydrate fast enough to replace what I'm losing if its really hot. So in some case I just accept the fact that I'll finish pretty dehydrated and deal with it after the fact. I learned the hard way that it is impossible for me to hydrate as fast as I lose water on a really hot day. Especially if I'm not acclimated to the heat. At the 2004 Boston Marathon it was 85 F when I had done all my training un sub-40 F weather. I wound up in the med tent and took 2+ of those big IV bags in the arm, despite the fact that at about the 12-mile mark I gave in to the fact that it was too hot for me to race and just jogged it from there, drinking at every water stop and then some.

                        Runners run

                        JakeKnight


                          Now imagine how THESE guys manage to stay hydrated during their little race .... http://www.badwater.com/

                          E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
                          -----------------------------

                          Luciano Jesus


                            Someone (who is a trainer at my club) suggested to me this week to drink a lot of water until about 1 1/2 hours before the race. Drinking during the race does not help that much anymore, he said. Note: I don't know if this is true - or if so, if it's true for everyone! Maybe there are others who can say something about it... bas
                            Luciano Jesus


                              It`s true that drink a lot of water before a race always benefit. But you always must to drink water when the race has more than 10 km.


                              You'll ruin your knees!

                                Find out what works for you! Try stuff in training, use what you learn in races! Carry water/stash water, run by a fountain, whatever...just plan on hydration that works for YOU! I don't think hyponatremia will come into play in a 10k, but I suppose anything is possible if you are out there long enough. Experiment with a handheld water bottle, a waist belt that carries water (you'll need this for longer runs anyway), etc. I find that I drink more when I carry a handheld, cause it's right there and I can get a sip every few minutes. BTW, the handheld is a good thing to have to ward off attacking dogs! They are kind of funny just after coming to a screeching halt, with water dripping off their whiskers! The MD for Western States Endurance Run told the competitors they should plan on drinking 60 pounds of water during their race! Yep, I said 60 Pounds of water! Now that is extreme (but probably still less than what the Badwater contestants need). Here are some good hydration resources... http://www.ultracycling.com/nutrition/drinking_too_much.html http://www.ultracycling.com/nutrition/hyponatremia2.html Good luck, Lynn B

                                ""...the truth that someday, you will go for your last run. But not today—today you got to run." - Matt Crownover (after Western States)

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