Hope you had a great holiday weekend. If you’re in an area like Missouri, you are experiencing super hot days which is great for activities like swimming and laying in the hammock but it can be dangerous for runners and bikers if not planned for.
One of the most important things we can do is stay hydrated. Dehydration is a scary thing that no one should experience.
Depending on the length of your training session, you are definitely going to want to take along some water or Nuun or whatever it is that you drink.
A lot of people ask me about the do’s and don’ts of hydrating. So I’m giving you some answers to the age old questions as well as an unbiased review of some of the best tools to take your water with you.
I have purchased all these. My reviews are my own opinions.
Q1. How much should I drink on a run?
That depends on the distance. First thing is to hydrate before you even get started running. If you’re planning a long run, you should start hydrating the day before so that you are sure that you’re starting your run fully hydrated.
Q2. What’s the best thing to drink?
Again this depends. Some people have sensitive stomachs so water might be your best option but options like Nuun are great too because they are low in sugar and give you the electrolytes that need to be replenished.
Q3. How do you carry your water?
Again it depends…(Can you tell I’m a consultant in my day job). It depends on your personal preferences and how long your run is. Check out my review of the various ways you can carry/wear your water.
Q4. If I use GU, do I need to drink water too?
YES, Gu is not a replacement for water. Gels, beans, etc., can help you replace electrolytes but only water or Nuun can hydrate.
Without making this post a book in itself, that covers the majority of the questions but just to give you an idea of how personal preferences play into this, the question(s) that I want to leave you with are below. If you’re a runner or cyclist, please weigh in. the comments are just as valuable as the post.
1. When do you carry water? What run distances?
2. How often do you drink? How much do you drink?
3. What’s your beverage of choice?
4. How do you mix gels, beans, and hydration?
Great info and really nice selection of hydration packs and bottles. I did a sweat test about a year ago and I need anywhere between 3-6 oz. per hour, depending on the temp and effort. I carry water or nuun with me on any run longer than 5 miles in the summer and anything over 10 in the winter.
That’s about where I am. I think we do about the same run wise.
I like to run hands-free and LOVE the Simple Hydration water bottle. I’ve never had any problem with chaffing, and after tightening my waistband a little, it stays put perfectly. And it never gets in the way on a run.
Great review!
I’m glad the Simple bottle worked for you. I really wanted to like it, it just didn’t work for me.
Great review! I’m a little disappointed about the quickdraw as I was thinking of gettimg one. My runs are in the 6-8 mile range and I’d like to work up to the 10-13 mile range. I know myself well enough to know that I won’t like a belt.
I can’t believe that we have a day when it’s hot and not raining. Kind of rare this year.
I know. A rain free day is rare these days. 🙂
I love my camelback and if I don’t use it I carry a waterbottle or make good use of planned water fountain stops 😉
Planned waterstops are great! Real lifesavers!
I realized that I need to be hydrating more than I have been. Had a miserable run last week because it was in the middle of the day and we didn’t bring water with us (since we were only planning on about 4-6 miles) but ended up having to stop and buy water. So now, I carry water with me on hot and humid days and when I know that there aren’t any water fountains. I have a amphipod hand-held water bottle that’s super comfortable.
It’s crazy how much it affects our runs.
I’ve been trying to figure this out as well. I’ve worn a FuelBelt for 1/2 marathons 1-7, and then for #8 tried a 16 ounce handheld, because I was getting tired of the bulky belt that just made you look and feel super awkward. I’ll try the handheld again for my 1/2 on Saturday, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.
For short runs around town, I don’t usually bring anything (eek), because I don’t have anything smaller than 16 ounces. Maybe I should invest in a smaller handheld?
i like the smaller handheld. You should look into it.
Nice comparison of options! I like the quick shot the best for shorter runs of 5-10 miles or if I know of options to refill for longer runs. Belts never seem to sit in the right spot for me and end up being irritating more than anything.
The quickshot is definitely my favorite.
I really struggled with hydration for SO LONG, mainly because I hated running with something in my hand/on me. Finally something clicked (I thank pregnancy) and I actually don’t mind running with my CamelBak water bottle (this one: http://shop.camelbak.com/podium-chill-21oz/d/1036_cl_414). I haven’t used it for more than a half marathon – but it fits perfectly in my hand and I love that it’s insulated. I’ve tried the Quickshot and the Quickdraw and the bottles have leaked 🙁 I’ve also tried running with a Camelbak and I can’t get comfortable in it. I wish I could though!!
I’ll have to try that one.
Great info! I have two different fuel belts and they both drive me nuts. I tried the hydration back pack when I was training for my first marathon. It rubbed my shoulders raw so I don’t use it for running anymore.
Thanks!
What I’ve found works even better for runners than a Camelbak is the Nathan Intensity Race Vest. Since it’s a vest, there aren’t pressure points like a traditional backpack strap. It also works better on a female frame (you know, boobs).
i’ll have to try the vest.
I like your summary. I have used the Nathan Quickdraw for my medium/long runs – up to 12 miles. I filled with ice too and as it slowly melted it kept my hand cool and cool water available. I have a Nathan Sports hydration race vest and love it for hiking. I just can’t run with something like that on my back though…
Thanks!
1. I carry water running when it’s super hot, or when I will be running for more than 80 minutes, I know I should probably carry more often but I’m working on it.
2. I can’t drink a ton when I run, If I hear or feel sloshing…mentally I just check out. With cycling though I can drink as much as I want and be fine, I just need to remind myself to hydrate more!
After some bad experiences I have learned what I can mix and what I can’t. I kind of go with the balancing act. If I am using something concentrated like gels, I use water for hydration. But if I am using beans or shot blocks that aren’t as concentrated, I will mix with Gatorade (or other electrolyte fluid) or water. But NONO to gels and electrolyte drinks… some bad runs and races have taught me that just doesn’t work!
Great information. I always like hearing how other runners do it.
This is something I seriously need to work on! I’ve gotten a lot betting since summer started!
It’s a must during our hot Missouri months!
Thank you I am sharing this on my FB page, I have been trying out some new things for electrolytes. I plan on trying Nuun this weekend when I do my first attempt at 9 miles.
Thanks for sharing! Nuun is great. I think you’ll really like it.
I totally need to work on this. Ran for 90 minutes last night in the rain and pit stopped around an hour to grab some water. I think I was able to go longer without water because it was raining. When the sun is blazing, I definitely need to take water with me and I use the Nathan QuickShot. Its the path of least resistance…hate carrying anything with me be it in my hand or on a fuel belt. Work in progress. Nuun tastes great on a really hot run.