Drink water or die.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

I just had the pleasure of watching one of baseball’s most difficult plays to execute – the suicide squeeze – worked to perfection by the Indians. I won’t waste time trying to explain it. Those who know baseball know and those who don’t…couldn’t give a rat’s…Now it’s the 9th inning and they’ve brought Kerry Wood in to close. My blood pressure just went up 30 points.

Well…I finally had a tough run. As you know, it’s been hot and humid over the last three days and I’ve been dropping huge amounts of water. I know I stink at getting it back in and so the cumulative effect is…I dehydrate and run like crap. You have to get those water levels back because once the run starts…it’s too late. On a hot, humid day when I’m sweating at the maximum rate, even if I had access to water at regular intervals, I lose water at about twice the rate that what I’m drinking can empty from my stomach and get back into the system. And I’m not alone. Anyone training at this time of year should consider the optimum ways to stay hydrated and what’s most important – which is water.

The best you can do is drink between 12-20 oz. of cold water every 10-15 minutes. The stomach empties cold fluids faster than warm and water 40% faster than a drink with sugar added. The stomach also empties quicker when it is partially filled, so drinking regularly makes a difference.

Problem is…where do you get it? I start with a cup while changing, but for me, that’s usually it. I have one place in the park where I can get a drink, so I have to deal with it. The fact that I’m running in the shade on hot summer days offsets my inability to get water regularly, so for those running in the sun, the issue is more important. I’ve tried running with a camel back (essentially, a mini backpack that’s filled with water and a sipping hose that runs from the pack to a place where you can easily access it while running), but didn’t care too much for the sloshing on my back. Yet, this is an excellent way of dealing with the hydration issue. I’m thinking of trying it on a long ride since I always seem to run out of water on rides over three hours.

So…my legs felt very heavy throughout the run and more than once, I tried to figure ways to shorten the run. I happy to report that I fought off the urges and managed to slog through a 45-minute effort. When I did get home, I made a concerted effort to drink water. I know that the thirst mechanism does not alert me to keep drinking and so I just go by the old adage…drink until your pee is clear. It’s a pretty good rule of thumb.

Well…Kerry gave up only one hit, which was wiped out on a game ending double play, so…Indians win and I’m happy.

Run duration: 45 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 140.

Calories burned during workout: 765.