It's Hot! Hydrate!

"I got this powdered water and I don't know what to add."- Steven Wright

I love to drink my water out of my new Fiesta Tervas glasses!

It's summertime and today starts a heatwave in the Midwest.  If you are like me, you are in the midst of some heavy-duty training for an upcoming race.  This is where a lot of us get into trouble with training- not hydrating enough and not taking in enough electrolytes.  If not hydrating correctly, you can easily get heat stroke or heat exhaustion.  If not taking in enough electrolytes, you will start cramping.  You do not want to find yourself in either situations, especially out in the middle of nowhere.

I drink a liter of water a day, minimum.  I was trained by my mom to drink water to get clear skin and to keep full during the day when I was in high school. No Cokes for me- I was banned from them because I was a fat kid. The trend continued into college and in my working career.  I am fortunate to love water.  

My funky 1-L Sigg water bottle for work

When training, I stick to water.  I tried Gatorade and HEED with disastrous results- they give me 'runner's trots'.  My usual routine for a long run is to take an Endurolyte tablet before the long run, then pop one every hour of training.  If it is hot outside, like it is today, I will pop 2 tablets before the long run.  During the run, I try to take a sip of water every 15-20 minutes.  If I get thirsty, I know I am getting in trouble.  

Recovery hydration for me is still water.  Chris, my husband, likes to replenish his electrolytes with a can of V8 after a hot run.  Keep sipping that water until your pee is a pale yellow color.  Happy kidneys=Happy you!

Running or swimming, I have a good handle on my hydration.  I run into problems hydrating on the bike.  If anyone has any good suggestions on hydrating on the bike, I would LOVE to hear about it.

Here is to good hydration!

Last Week's Training Log

Monday: Yoga, Open water swimming drills with Training for Tri group

Tuesday: 4-mile run

Wednesday: Regressed on the sinus infection- rest day

Thursday: 4-mile run, yoga

Friday: 27-mile bike, yoga

Saturday: 7-mile run (should have been 9 miles but felt crappy from new antibiotics)

Sunday: 30-mile bike, 60-minute run (still felt crappy but banged it out)

3 things I am grateful for:

1) I am grateful that I got better antibiotics from the doctor on Friday so I can kick this sinus infection to the curb!

2) I am grateful that Chris and I took time for preventative bike maintenance yesterday.

3) I am grateful that there are some awesome strawberries from the Mundelein Farmer's Market. A healthy dessert after dinner!