But after cramping in the Yakima Marathon the last 3 miles, I decided it was time to find the best combination of water, sports drinks and aids so that I could perform at my best. First, I read a few articles on the topic. Lots of them out there (see below). Second, I an experiment this month.
For one 18 mile run, I drank only water and ate a cliff bar. At mile 15, I began experiencing the same cramping as the marathon.
The next weekend, I ran the same 18 mile loop, but this time I drank water and I ate cliffshot gels according to the instructions. I did not experience any cramping for the entire run.
My next experiment is to run the same route on a sports drink aid entirely. Can I forego the food supplement and still perform well (no cramping)?
Sure, there are a lot of x's in this equation like fitness, what I ate and drank the night before, weather, etc, but I'm trying to keep what I can control in check or constant and just change my hydration approach on the day of the experiment. I'll keep you posted.
Some articles on hydration:
Hydration 101
New Rules of Hydration
Proper Hydration
Get out outside and run!
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