Get your hydration on point
3 WEEKS TO GO!
The sun continues to shine on Nottingham and with the Ikano Bank Robin Hood Marathon Events Weekend in sight, we’ve spoken to race partner, Lucozade Sport for their top tips on summer training and race day hydration
- Stay hydrated!
Just a 2% loss in body fluids can cause dehydration, so staying hydrated whilst training is important in allowing your body to work as it should. To check that you’re hydrated, you can use the following simple clues. 1) Do you feel thirsty? 2) Do you have a lower than average body weight? (Lower than normal baseline may indicate lower body water) 3) what colour is your urine? A dark urine colour may indicate that you are dehydrated. Be sure to sip water through the day and grab yourself a Lucozade Sport for that extra top up.
- Peak performance
Ensuring you start exercise fully hydrated could make the difference between a good training run and a great training session. During exercise, our thirst response is supressed, meaning it takes our bodies longer to realise we are thirsty. At the point of feeling thirsty we are already approaching a dehydrated state. Always carry a small bottle with you on training runs, and on race day be sure to check out where the first hydration station is located.
- Plan of action
Your ‘race hydration plan’ should be one you’ve practiced already during training. If you are a heavy sweater you will need to take on more fluid than those who don’t sweat as much. Similarly, consider the environmental conditions on the day of the event. If it is much warmer than you are used to, you are likely to sweat more and therefore need to drink more during the race.
- Little and often
The carbohydrates found in Lucozade Sport will help to maintain your endurance performance and the electrolytes will enhance hydration. ‘Little and often’ are the words to remember on race day - consuming too much fluid in one go can result in stomach discomfort, ‘stitches’ and the likelihood of needing to stop and go to the toilet, which will slow you down!
- Sustainable hydration
Lucozade Sport will be available to all Robin Hood runners in 100% recycled 380ml PET bottles. With two Lucozade stations provided on-course, organiser, Judith Manson, Race Director and founder of Goldline Events says: “We are incredibly proud, not only to partner with Lucozade, but that they will be making all of their on course bottles for this year’s event from 100% recycled PET bottles. This is just one of many steps we and our partner are taking to make this our most environmentally friendly race ever.”
With three weeks to go, there’s still time to sign up; view all the route details and latest event news at www.robinhoodhalfmarathon.co.uk
