Drinking and Running

One thing that you become wary of once you start running hydration. You always need to stay hydrated. This leads to some changes of habits. For me, this means skipping happy hour. Even going for a training run after just 1-2 beers at happy hour is a poor idea. I have no idea why I even needed to test that, when it seems so obvious. This of course means also not drinking so much in the evening. As someone who admittedly has teetered on the edge of alcoholism at various points in his life this represents a huge lifestyle change. More on that at a later date. But, it's safe to say that running has been the healthiest lifestyle decision I have made. Period. For various reasons.

What's odd is that these same people that tell you all the benefits of running don't tell you about the most hazardous part of running. And that is the water stop/station or more accurately the water hazard during the race. Now, I'm not one of those people thats ever carried a water bottle with me on my training runs. I'm not one that has ever worn a camelback. Even when training for the Indy Mini and routinely putting in 9-12 mile training runs, I didn't see the point in carrying one. Instead, I figured hydrate beforehand, and then hydrate again afterwards. Simple said, simple done.

But training, and a race is different. In the race, while pushing yourself, while wanting to do your very best you become more conscious of hydration. And any race organizer worth their salt sets up a water station or several along the course. Now, nearly a year and a dozen or so road races in I still haven't quite figured this shit out.

Take for instance Saturday's race. About 1 and a half miles in there was a water station. Now I didn't really feel thirsty, and I've run 12 times this distance without any thought of water before. But I'm in a race, so it seems like the thing to do. And of course while aiming for the PR, or in any race, it's not even an option to stop. You grab the cup pinch it and try to drink it down, through the small pinched opening. At least this is what I've been told by several people.

So thats what I attempt to do. Bad idea. Spiting up water, coughing choking, loss of breath. I try to put a positive spin on it for a split second. Perhaps the violent coughing will serve as forward propulsion. But any thoughts of that are dismissed rather quickly when I slow down briefly for fear of going into cardiac arrest, one of the main calamities running should help you avoid. Of course nobody mentions this in the hydration and diet articles on the websites and magazines.

As the race goes on a quick loop up and around a block and then we pass by the same water station with more water available. At this point in my mind, these are not well intentioned race volunteers, but instead merchants of destruction offering not water, but energy sapping poison. I pass by ignoring them, and their cheers hoping just to move by as quickly as possible and not see them again soon.

At some point of course, I'll need to learn how to hydrate on the run. I faced similar agony at pretty much every race.

Of course there is one other option. Run quick enough that I get to the finish line before I get thirsty, or dehydrated.

Current Listening - Coldplay - Viva la Vida