Just ot add to jdmom3, you'll also have to experiment with how much to drink. I sweat a great deal as well (got this from my mom) and probably go thru one Gatorade every 1-1.5 hrs. I've tried water (doesn't work for me) and other drinks like e-Load, but Gatorade seems to work best. Again, experiment with flavours - I stick to the 'blue' during my long runs. I also wear a fuel belt on any run over one hour ...don't really need any liquid under this (for me at least).
Good luck,
PJ

Some great advise already. Hehe, I remember asking the same thing last summer
Some other ideas:
- leave some water or sports drink in your car and do laps of your choice of distance or time eg.: 30min laps, then hydrate and go on the next lap.
- or even easier, do the same thing from home.
- go on routes where you know there are waterfountains, in some parks, for example.
I personally don't like the idea of planting bottles, I never trust it to be hygienic to drink from by the time I get to it. I always think it could have been tampered with by someone or an animal... I use all of the above mentioned ideas for hydrating, depending on the situation. I have a fuel belt too, but prefer a handheld bottle because I dont like to have anything around my waist when running. I haven't tried the camelback yet.
Canfit, I am a blue Gatoraid fan, too. Must be a canajun thing... I use the powder.


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If plain water is giving you a stomach ache, it sounds like the water is not being absorbed and is sloshing around. If that is the case then you might be drinking too much before the run, even though you don't have to pee. Also try smaller sips of water.

Hydration is important, but it can also be over done. The body can only absorb about 6-7 oz every 15 minutes so drink accordingly. Another aspect of water absorption is electrolyte balance. This is usually true for marathons or greater, and that is when you run low on electrolytes the body has a hard time absorbing water so it ends up sitting in the stomach causing distress. In your case at less than 10 miles, I would doubt electrolytes are the culprit, but you might want to try having something salty before your run, or even a banana. Remember, gels are not for electrolyte replacement, they are for energy. And speaking of gels (or Gu's, which are the same thing) if you are taking them on your run, you must wash them down with water or that could be what is causing the stomach problems.

Mike

Actually Karl, you're correct about the honey, that's essentially what gels are. Here's the info on one:

Calories 91
Total Fat 0 gm.
Saturated Fat 0 gm.
Cholesterol 0 mg.
Sodium 27 mg.
Total Carbohydrates 23 gm.
Dietary Fiber 0 gm.
Sugars 2 gm.
Protein 0 gm.

Electrolytes need to include stuff like:

Sodium (as Sodium Chloride) 40 mg.
Chloride(as Sodium Chloride) 60 mg.
Calcium (Chelate) 50 mg.
Magnesium (Chelate) 25 mg.
Potassium (Chelate) 25 mg.
Vitamin B-6 (Pyrodoxine HCL) 6.6 mg.
Manganese (Chelate) 1.6 mg.
L-Tyrosine 50 mg.

Gatorade has a bit. Endurance has more. Ecaps or other additives have even more.

-Craig

I'm tired of arguing about some gels on the market. Obviously I would recommend one that has plenty of electrolytes, but it doesn't matter what I think.

Happy running, Jem!

http://This message has been edited by Karl Rysted (edited Mar-21-2007).

I found this thread so interesting. I use isotonic gel bars which deliver lower carbs (and of course have the electrolytes), but means that they do not have ot get washed down by the water.

This means the hydration strategy is purely about that, hydration and not getting the gel/fluid balance right. I use Lucozade Isotonic (Orange) - UK runner here - and have the same diffiuclty of storage.

I find 500ml water pre-run, then 500ml Lucozade per hour running to be adequate. I run circuits of one hour duration, or run to friends/family houses and pick up supplies en-route. This means I get to see them all the day before when I drop them off - and usually have lunch with one of them when I actually finish my run at their place.

This works for me but happily, everyone is different.

Happy running one and all.