Water, Water Everywhere...

Oh Internet, you're so lucky...it's free training tip from SurfRunner day! I've picked up a lot of important training tips over the last 2 years. But, I think that if I had only one to share to the general masses, it'd be about hydration. We've all heard the mantra of "8 glasses of water a day" to stay healthy. I even recall hearing the phrase "Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!", during my choir days to ensure that our instruments were always up to par. Well when it comes to marathon training, that idea is no less important. Although, it has one variance: quantity.

Gone are the days where I take little gulps of water to just quench my thirst. We're talking about drinking enough water to replace most of the fluids lost during my workouts and to improve performance.* Now, how do I get that much water into my body? With the help of my trusty 32 oz. Nalgene Bottle (it's actually a pretty purple one)! It's like an American Express card, I don't leave home without it.

Now, at first I was skeptical about water affecting my running performance. But, after a bit of experimentation, I'm a true believer. I can run farther, faster, and my joints hurt less when I've been properly hydrated.** Not only that, but I just feel healthier when I drink a lot of water and carry around the Nalgene. It's almost a constant reminder to myself that I'm going to run later that day, so I better be adequately fueled.

And for those who are more curious about scientific fact than my testimonial, I've collected a bunch of health benefits from here:

1. It helps to clear the toxins from your body.
2. It maintains the Ph balance in your body; preventing disease.
3. It lubricates your joints and organs (oh..no wonder why I'm less sore).
4. It helps to regulate body temperature.
5. It maintains muscle tone.
6. It improves your skin and eye health.
7. It promotes weight loss.

Moral of the story: don't snub Mother Nature's drink. And that's my ode to water. I'd like to give a review of the different types of sports drinks out there, but I actually haven't tried any. However, if you want me to give a review of mixed drinks and other yummy alcoholic beverages, I'm your girl!

*Note: This only works for short runs under 30 minutes. Any more than that, and you should probably use other drinks to replace the electrolytes and energy that you lose.

**Note: It also helps to have eaten enough that day.