running hydration Archives - Run Like a Kenyon

Alright, if you’ve gone through Marathon Training: How to Get Started of the marathon training series then you have a plan! You’ve probably got a couple of weeks of running under your belt and are wondering what’s next and hopefully feeling good about things so lets get right to it.

Varying your workouts

You can absolutely train adequately for a marathon by just…running. You can do all of your runs at the same pace, and simply work on spending time on your feet. That’s how I trained for my first one. However, what I’ve learned since is that doing different types of runs, and keeping easy days REALLY EASY, is super beneficial to your training. Check out my post on the types of running everyone should know here.

Making sure your plan includes some speed work and intervals will greatly help you prepare for race day. One of the most important things I’ve learned lately is that when I’m scheduled for an “easy run”, it means easy. Easy means you should feel conversational and like you are holding back. It helps your body recover and prepare for that speedwork and ultimately racing. It may also drive you crazy. 😉

How long to run – is 20 plenty?

Y’all. I have VERY mixed feelings on this one. Most beginner marathon training series or programs tells you that 20 miles is the max distance you should run before the actual race. The preparation you put in during training gets your body ready and it will adapt to the last six miles. You also reduce the risk of getting injured or burnt out by running too long before the race. So, 20 miles is the widely used measure.

I ran 20 before my first marathon just like everyone said, and I’m still here to tell the tale. I didn’t get injured. What no one prepared me for, was the extreme mental toughness those last 6 miles would require. If you think of it as oh, I’ve gone 20 miles, what’s another 6 then sure it’s ok. However, what I did was start thinking OMG, I am exhausted, stiffening, and ready to quit and I have AN HOUR left to go! Every mile seemed like three, and I had to dig DEEP. I’ve always said I wish I had done maybe 21-22 miles first. Would that have been beneficial? We’ll never know.

Now, having multiple marathons under my belt, I would absolutely agree that 20 is all I need to train for, but it’s because I know what to expect for those last miles. What should you do? I honestly don’t know, but experts all seem to agree on less is more. 🙂

Fueling during long runs

The age old question: what do I eat DURING my long runs? Unfortunately there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Generally speaking you need sugars and carbs. Around 60 ish grams of carbs per hour of endurance activity. However, how you intake those carbs varies for everyone, and really depends on how your body (and stomach) tolerates them. You’ll want to try out a few things until you get the right formula for you.

My formula: I use Tailwind Nutrition both for run fuel and recovery (more on recovery in part 3). I love it because I can put it in my hydration pack and forget it. It’s technically all the fuel I need. For a half marathon, that’s all I do. When it comes to a full marathon, though, something happens to me mentally and I. Need. To. Chew. Something. I don’t know what it is, but I need to feel like I’m eating not just drinking my carbs. So I’ll add some energy chews maybe half way and toward the end. Honey Stingers, Skratch Labs, Cliff…they all make great options.

There will almost always be fuel on the course as a backup if you start to hit the dreaded wall, but remember you should try and bring your own, so that you’re using what you’ve trained with. If you really don’t want to carry then try to find out what will be available on the course and train with that.

Hydration

Oh man, hydration is CRITICAL to marathon performance. Don’t wait until you’re parched, drink early and drink small sips often. I’ve written the Ultimate Hydration Guide already so go check that out.

Recovery

Recovery and rest are so important to marathon success. Make sure your plan incorporates a couple of rest days each week. To me, a rest day means no running and little to no cross training. Some yoga or a nice walk might do the trick if you just can’t sit still, but avoid any intense workouts on your rest days to really let your body recover.

Make sure you are also getting adequate sleep. Running on an empty tank takes it’s toll. I try for at least 7 hours a night, 8-9 if I can pull it off. I know this might seem impossible for some, especially with kids and life obligations. Again, we’re all different, so do the best you can just know that 4 hours of sleep consistently isn’t likely to do you any favors.

Stay tuned for part three of the marathon training series where we’ll talk food and what to do if your training plan starts to go off course.

It’s summer and that means SWEAT! Which means you really have to stay hydrated y’all. There’s a lot of advice out there and it can be hard to know how much and when to drink, especially if you’re new to running or running longer distances. The important thing is to know everyone is different. So here’s my best effort at running hydration explained simply.

Hydrating BEFORE a run

Pre-gaming is an important component of running hydration. If you’ve completely dehydrated yourself in the days leading up to a run then drinking right before you head out may not cut it. It’s important to make sure you drink enough water every day (ok mom).

I recently posted about ways to survive summer running, and talked some about hydration, making sure your pee is the right color. In summary, this is one thing you don’t want golden. I typically drink 12-14 oz of water before I head out on a run, at least 30 minutes prior. Yes, that means if you run in the morning, you need to be awake 30 minutes before you run so you have time for one last potty trip before you go.

Hydrating DURING a run

Here’s where things get a little confusing and you’ll need to do some experimenting to figure out your perfect formula. Drinking too little can leave you dehydrated, while drinking too much can lead to a sloshing belly and in rare cases hyponatremia. My suggestions are guidelines based on what I know works for me, but everyone is different.

Runs up to an hour

I know many who will forego water altogether for this distance. It’s really personal preference here and all about how your body performs. Up to about 30 minutes, in perfectly cool weather I may not bring water, but generally I prefer it, especially during the summer months. I don’t add electrolytes here, just good old fashioned H2O.

I’ll typically bring 12-16 oz along in my handheld bottle. You could use a hydration belt, vest, totally up to you. If you want water but can’t stand the carry? Maybe run a route where you can place water nearby or where there are fountains.

Long Runs an hour or more

Some of you might consider running for an hour to be a long run. Some of you might say nah, 1.5 or 2 hours is more of a long run for me. Regardless, after about an hour of activity you should probably be drinking something and replacing electrolytes.

I like Tailwind because it has the added benefit of keeping me fueled as well as hydrated, but there many different options out there for replacing electrolytes. Unfortunately, there is no magic potion, and you’ll just need to play around with different options to see what you like and doesn’t upset your stomach. Most races offer something like Gatorade, so a lot of people train that way. I don’t like Gatorade, so I train with and bring my own whenever possible.

On long runs, I opt for a hydration pack. Camelbak and Nathan both make good options, as do many others I’m sure. Hydration vests that hold bottles are also a good option. Basically, long distances require more water than you probably want to carry in your hands or around your waist. If you’re like me, I can’t stand anything around my waist while running. Gives me the heebie jeebies.

My hydration pack holds up to 2.5 Liters, but you can get smaller ones as well. I’ve only ever ~~drank~~ ~~drunk~~ consumed the entire 2.5 L a couple of times and both were marathons. Typically I fill around 32 oz for my mid to long runs and consume whatever my body wants. No harm in needing less than you planned, but not having it when you need it suuuuucks.

Really long and intense runs

Again, this will be different for everyone but lets just call this marathon training, or intense race training for the sake of this explanation. I prepare for these the same as the long run explanation above, with a few additions.

Especially when it’s hot I’ll often plan my route around a gas station or somewhere I can toss some ice in my pack or refill with cold water. Ooooh so refreshing. (Note: I haven’t done this in the era of COVID, so just be smart and stay safe. Get yourself some sanitizer.)

When it’s really, uncomfortably, miserably hot…well I try not to run at all I guess but sometimes Mother Nature has other ideas for us on race day. Looking back at the Disney Marathon, January 2020, it was 85 degrees. Uh huh. Brutal. I brought some salt tablets along just in case I felt wonky. What does wonky feel like? Thankfully I don’t actually know but look up the signs of heatstroke and you’ll get an idea. Nobody wants that.

Hydrating AFTER a run

Have you ever experienced the “run flu”? You feel tired and gross the rest of the day following a run, and the next day you wake up with the feeling of a hangover even though you went to bed at 8pm, because of course you did. It happens to me once in awhile after a long or hard run. At first I just thought, well that’s just what happens when you are a distance runner. Now I know, it’s because I was dehydrated. Even though I drank a lot of water throughout the day I wasn’t considering replacing the sodium, potassium, etc that I had lost.

The need to hydrate doesn’t stop once you stop running. After my runs I like to drink about 16 oz of a recovery drink. Again, I like Tailwind, but there are tons of good ones out there that replace everything lost during the run. Depending on the length and intensity of the run, and the temperature I sometimes also add another recovery drink about an hour later.

The rest of the day I continue to drink water regularly and gauge how I’m feeling. Some days you’ll need more water than others.

Just remember, following these running hydration guidelines is a good start, but you’re the only one who knows when you feel good and when you don’t. Listen to your body and adjust your routine until you get where you need to be.