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General Fitness & Nutrition: Hydration on race day

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    • CommentAuthorFree Memberallygray
    • CommentTimeJan 28th 2009
     
    allygray
    Hi everyone. I'm running my first race on Sunday (Surf City 1/2) and my question is this: should I use some type of hydration pack or just stop at the aid stations? I use the Camelbak Dream (2.0L) on my long runs but don't want to look like a total 'dork' or 'newbie' on race day if no one else does this. Is the Camelbak overkill?
    • CommentAuthorFree Memberdwjacobs
    • CommentTimeJan 28th 2009
     
    dwjacobs
    yes
  3.  
    running.beast
    I've personally never used any type of hydration system during a race, as long as there are water points along the way, but if you train with a hydration system and feel comfortable wearing one for that long by all means do it.  You will not be the only one there wearing one and you won't look like a dork (unless you line up at the front of the pack with the fastest runners) 
  4.  
    JennECUMartin
    I love my camelback and plan on taking it when I run my fist 1/2 next month.  It keeps me going.  I fill it with G2.  Go for it
    • CommentAuthorChampionship Membershipkaminski64
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2009 edited
     
    kaminski64
    I agree with dwjacobs. - - - - - More seriously, I'd skip the CamelBak idea. If you're asking now, then I presume you're not used to using it. And lets face it, in the cool weather, for a half marathon, if you're in fair condition, you'll be absolutely fine using the water stations. You'd be better off taking extra time at the water stations than running with a CamelBak. Confession: I think those little waist belts with Gu and sports drink for people running a 5k or 10k are silly. Come on folks... you'll survive without extra gear! (those doing marathon and ultra marathon distances are excused from my judgement ;-).
  6.  
    rpetreccajr
    I've run the last two half marathons I've done with a water bottle in a waist carrier. It allows me to hydrate at my convenience rather than the race planners. I still use the water/gatorade stations, but blow past the first couple and use my own water instead. Since I'm running the Mini-Marathon in Indy (35,000 people) this allows me to avoid the huge crowd at those first couple of stops. I also find it easier to drink out of a water bottle on a run than a paper cupWink. Don't worry about how you look. Think about what you need to do to get through the race tomorrow. There will be enough water stops, but that doesn't mean that they will be placed where you want them. Of course, this advice presumes that you are used to running with your camelbak. If not, don't.
    • CommentAuthorFree MemberMSgherzi
    • CommentTimeJan 30th 2009
     
    MSgherzi
    allygray:Hi everyone. I'm running my first race on Sunday (Surf City 1/2) and my question is this: should I use some type of hydration pack or just stop at the aid stations? I use the Camelbak Dream (2.0L) on my long runs but don't want to look like a total 'dork' or 'newbie' on race day if no one else does this. Is the Camelbak overkill?

     

     

    Ally,

     

    I'm also running in that half-marathon on Sunday! It's my first one and I'm kinda injured but I've been training for about 4 months now. It looks like the starting weather will be 48 degrees, perfect!

  8.  
    chrisjonesfg

    Probably not ideal for the longer training runs, but I tend not to carry any liquid at all. One benefit of this is that the feeding stations in an organised race give me a huge boost and of course I fade far less in the later stages.

    Physiologically, however, there is no benefit in getting dehydrated. If you are carrying your own fluid, you need to be very disciplined about intake: the water stations in the marathons I have run are at good intervals and I have a rule not to miss any (until, perhaps, the last 45 mins or so on a cool day). If you wait until you feel thirsty, it is already too late - you will have a 'bubble in the pipeline' and this will affect performance. Obviously, you don't want to take on too much, but better to lose a minute having a pee, than to be dehydrated.

    As an aside: often spectators offer sweets (candy?) and fruit to runners. Fruit, especially bananas, can be great, but avoid the sweets until maybe the later stages: the risk is that your body responds as if it has too much sugar and so you can actually cause depletion.

  9.  
    Mrobinson52

    Having run 8 marathons back in the late 80's I just used the water stations myself and that worked out fine.  I had to take a break from running until just recently and I am now back in training.  What i have found now is that there are waters on the market designed for all of us runners.  One is AquaHydrate, it is microstructured which delivers the electrolytes and minerals right to the cells and does not sit in the stomach.  So I drink this before, during and after the run.  Wish we had this product back when I was running marathons.

    Stay hydrated,

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