The Hydration Plan

Everyone knows that if your exerting energy you need to replace that energy via water and/or nutrient rich foods. From grade school we are taught to drink lots of water and eat healthy foods before, during, and after exercise. That is a good place to start but if your doing extensive training or anything that is considered an endurance event you have to do better than that and approach it with your hydration plan. This hydration plan cannot only be water as the term hydration infers. It needs to consist of water, vitamins, sugars, carbs, salts, and proteins.

During my first marathon I relied solely on the aid stations to keep me hydrated and sustained for the event. Some people will say that that's no problem people do it all the time, and really it's not that I couldn't finish the race, but I didn't enjoy the race. Having to slug through the later stages of any race with only water and some nasty tasting electrolyte beverage is miserable. Not to mention that since you didn't properly sustain yourself during the event your body started eating itself, which in turn took away vital nutrients that your muscles and tendons need to repair and hydrate themselves. Now your legs are locked stiff and your feet look like balloons! I got enough of that during SFAS! After that first marathon I decided to do some homework to see what other people were doing and how I can improve my experience during an endurance event. What I came up with is pretty much the plan that I stick with to date.

If I am going to be on the road, trail or in the gym for more than thirty minutes I start hydrating with water early and often. I take a drink of water every four to six minutes. If the training session or event is going to be more than an hour I take in some sort of nutrients, usually a GU pack, every twenty-five to thirty minutes, and start to alternate between water and electrolytes every five. I maintain this regiment till the two and a half to three hour mark depending on terrain, weather, or what my body is telling me. After three hours I will start to take in some sort of heavy protein such as a peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich which supplies a power punch of sugar, protein, potassium and carbs. I wouldn't suggest it later in the race as peanut butter on mile forty five is like trying to swallow a piece of a Goodyear tire! From there on out it is all about listening to your body. If you are craving pretzels you probably need salt, or if you wish you were on a skittles commercial where you can taste the rainbow chances are you need some sugar. I think sugar is the most underrated nutrient during these events. My secrete weapon during a long race is a honey bun. I imagine that what athletes may have been reading this probably just shut down their computers. That's o.k. though, every body is different. There are any manner of people running and winning these events, from fruitarians, to paleos, to junk food junkies. Shoot the ultra-marathon man himself, Dean Karnanzes, proclaims in one of his books that one of his favorite endurance foods is pizza! I will be the first to announce that I am by no means a dieter. I pretty much eat whatever I want....within moderation. However, sugar during an endurance race enters into your body and blood stream relatively quick which means you don't have to run another six miles before you start to feel the benefits of what you have consumed. Just remember not to over eat or drink during the race. There is nothing worse than not being able to run or drink water because you just slammed four GU packs and some chicken soup. Trust me!

A friend of mine recently ran his first endurance event which was the table rock ultra in the mountains of North Carolina. I don't suggest making that your first event. He asked me for advice and I gave him the exact plan that I have explained here. Drink something every five minutes. Eat something every twenty-five minutes. While he didn't set a blistering record at the event, he did finish it and was ready to run again within the next day. As I eluded to before, by keeping that water and nutrients fresh in your body throughout the event keeps your body from peeking and then hitting a trough while your making your way to the next aid station. Thus keeping you in the race longer and feeling stronger!

I hope this helps. If anyone has questions or strategies they use please post them in comments.

Happy Hydrating!

About the runner

O.k. so I have gotten some questions about how many races like this I have ran before and requests for a bio (to decide how much $ you will be in for no doubt). I have been running in some form or fashion since I was in grade school. I have ran approximately 15 marathons, 6 ultra-marathons, the latest coming in 2012, and a ton of half-marathons and below. Most of the time I enter these races for the atmosphere it provides more than trying to actually win. Most of my training is done here in the sand hills of North Carolina, and consists of a general marathon style running schedule with some swimming, and cross-fit style workouts also incorporated. My work background is as a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant. Working in SF gave me a chance to work and learn from some of the top athletes in the country, and I implement those lessons learned in training and life on a daily basis.

About the Run for Justice

Hello ladies and gentleman! First let me start by thanking you for visiting this blog and showing interest in our attempt to raise money for the Methodist University Criminal Justice and Forensic Science Association (CJFSA). I am attempting to run 24 hours in the Hinson Lake 24 hour race on September 28, 2013 in order to raise enough funds to send the CJFSA to the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) convention in Seattle, WA in February 2014.

The AAFS convention is where all the biggest and best names in forensic science from all over the globe go to meet, share information, and learn from each other via workshops and seminars. These conventions not only provide extra education for students via the seminars and workshops, but gives students and employers a chance to meet one another and possibly get that first foot in the door that, as we all know, may be all someone needs to launch his or her career. I attended this conference in Washington, D.C. this past February for the first time. I was blown away at the willingness of these professionals, from a new hire with the F.B.I crime lab to one of the top forensic pathologists in the country, to not only answer questions I had pertaining to their field but to give direction on paths to take to be successful in that field. This convention is the equivalent of a college football player going to a professional football seminar and sitting down with Jerry Jones or Tom Brady with the ability to pick their brain on ideas and future plans about the team and its operations.

You may be asking how this is going to work. Well...I am already entered in the Hinson Lake 24 Hour race. There is a link to the race attached to this blog so you can check it out. My goal is to run a minimum of 60 miles and to raise $170 for every mile ran. Once the race is over and I can walk again I will post the number of miles that I ran, or you can check it out on the race website, and then you go to the attached Methodist University donation page and make the appropriate donation. It's that easy! Every penny counts so dig under that couch cushion or empty out that jar of pennies and help future LEADERS in the criminal justice and forensic science field get that extra education and life experience that will help make them one of the best!

Thanks again for your help! Stay tuned for training updates, running tips and videos leading up to the race!