2 Down 98 To Go - Hydration

Today's Run = 13 miles. (hills)

Most runners would probably agree hydration is the single most important thing to maintain in a race. Of course in a 100 mile race nutrition may be equally important and certainly more complex. These posts merely brush the basics and as I learn more I will update them and add links to more knowlegable information. Back to the topic of Hydration...

Staying hydrated is fairly simple drink plenty of water in a race, just not too much.
Too much intake of water can cause hypnatremia where one becomes too diluted with water and therefore the sodium levels drop, a good reason races have pretzels at their aid stations. Of Course too little water causes dehydration.

I have been fortunate to have always run in races with a good accompaniment of aid stations. Sometimes I carry my Nathan pack with two bottles and other times I carry my hand held bottle. Through trial and error I have found that as much as I crave Gatorade on a long race, it does not work well in my system and gives me cramps. The different electrolyte drinks that contain sucrose, fructose, and other sugars have to digest through the kidneys and make your already tired system work harder. I don't know if this is the scientific answer to my problems, I just know I don't like pains in my side. The last race I ran I only added a Heed mix that contains maltodextrin to my water and my system felt much better. This runners post has a good write up about the stuff. As I understand maltodextrin it is processed synthetically from a derivative of corn and rather than having to go through the kidneys it is absorbed directly into your system.

I don't know if the above is correct, I just know that my system felt better sticking to Heed and staying away from Gatorade in the last race. Unfortuately my legs hurt just as much, but I will work on that in the weeks to come, as well as continue to experiment with hydration. Gels work basically the same way and contain maltodextrin, I just find drinking a sugary water much more pleasurable than trying to choke down a gooey substance.

Also tried Nuun tablets put in my running bottle. Very convenient for electrolytes and my stomach seems to handle them well.