[Yo Sake]

Two questions about the subject above - 1. gaterade vs. accelerade, and 2. amount<br><br>
1. I have been taking gaterade during training runs simply because that is what many races offer. However, for the last 2 or 3 long and med. long runs, I took accelerade and it seemed that I was faster/stronger. It could be just that I was having a better day or getting into a better shape, or peaking well, I don't know. Does the carb<img alt="razz.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/razz.gif">rotein ration of 4:1 really help marathoners, compared to a regular sports drink (only carbs)? Any experiences, experiments?<br><br>
2. On average, I take only 8~10oz of sports dink during my run, usually every other mile. I haven't really tried to get our of that comfort zones (a few sips at a time is max I can take. I am afraid to get a side stich with more water). My sweat rate is about 1lb/hr these days (=cold) at LR training pace. This means, theoretically, with the above hydration level, I am losing 6~8oz of water per hour. For 3.5hours, I will lose 21oz~28oz (or 1.3lb~1.75lb) body weight. That is about 1.2%~1.6% of my body weight. Which is ok, based on my reading. (If you lose more than 2%, your performance get affected). Does this sound right? For 2 marathons I ran, I didn't use a bathroom (always felt that I needed to go, but never had to). Who knows, however, I was more dehydrated than I should have and I could have done better with more? I read somewhere you should try to target to take 80% of what you lose via sweat - that will be about 13oz to me.<br><br>
How much do you take in relation to your sweat rate? How often?<br><br>
Yoshiko

 

[Stitcher]

Wow....<br>
that's a lot of thinking while you're running!<br><br>
I recently discovered that I wasn't drinking enough, ever, so I've started making an effort to drink more while running.<br><br>
That being said, during races...I take something at EVERY station...cause then I don't have to carry it.<br><br>
I probably don't do enough, though, cause I get SUPER sweaty, and really salty on my face, especially in the heat. I do crave potatoe chips after a run...hmmmm.....SALT!<br>
(*slurp*) yum!

 

[LeftRightRepeat]

1) I'm blessed with a rather insensitive stomach so... I like green. What I'd recommend, though, is to try try to find out what's going to be served at the aid stations at your goal race - and then train with that. That way you'll have a better idea of how you will react on race day.<br><br>
2) Yah... I've done the <a href="http://www.usatf.org/groups/Coaches/library/hydration/USATFSelfTestingProgramForOptimalHydration.pdf" target="_blank">usatf sweat test</a> and try to target the one in for one out goal (drink one liter/ounce/quart of fluid for each one liter/ounce/quart of sweat).

 

[Thor]

Lots of questions here.<br><br>
I don't think Gatorade verses Accelerade really matters. I've done both. I prefer Gatorade but will tolerate and run just fine on Accelerade. If you're really worried about it, be sure to drink it, even if just around the house, so that your stomach is more steeled for it.<br><br>
Just a guess here but I'm guessing you're not drinking nearly enough. And that will bite you in the ass in the later stages of the marathon. Again, just a guess.<br><br>
Instead of suggesting what you should do, I'll tell you what I do. I drink at every single aid station. Even if they are every mile. By doing so, I am sure to not get dehydrated any time early in the race. This is key. Because if you drink a slight bit too much, then you can always skip a water stop at, say, mile 25 and kick it on home. So I take a good gulp or two every single mile, and when aid station are once every two mile or more, then I'm sure to slow down or even stop so that I get in as much fluid as I can. Most marathons I'll alternate between Gatorade and water. Mile 1 water, mile 2 Gatorade, and so on. And I'll Gu at 8, usually 15 or 16 and again at 21 or 22 or sometimes even earlier. Often, as long as I'm well hydrated, I don't even need the Gu at 21.<br><br>
If you get side stitches often, my guess is that it's not that your stomach cannot handle the Accelerade or whatever it was you just consumed, but rather that you are in a state of dehydration and your body is shutting down. Same would be true if you had too much water in your system. But I'm willing to bet the latter is not the case. When you're already dehydrated, your body is already screwed up.

 

[Yo Sake]

Thanks guys. I forgot to mention that I was trying to finalize my hydration plan for this marathon which is 1 mile loop x 26 times. So hydration is available every single mile. Or if I decide to go with accelerade, DH can hand it to me, every mile.<br><br>
Thor - do you usually go to bathroom during a marathon? I want to avoid visiting a bathroom, because I don't like dealing with my long running pants with frozen hands.<br>
I will try to take drink every mile next long run and see how I feel. You may be right about me not taking nearly enough. As far as gu goes, my timing plus q'ty is about the same as yours.

 

[RunningForT3]

Yo, Sake, are you nuts? <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br>
Is that a hamster marathon?<br>
Why not doing it on a treadmill?<br>
You could also have friends wait at the opposite end of the loop, with a few six-packs of Gatorade, this way you can hydrate every 1/2 mile.

 

[itri]

I agree that your probably not drinking as much as you should. Fluid loss is such a individual thing. While I think you are looking at it correctly (You can lose up to 1.5% of your weight by the end of your event and be "o.k."<img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif"> I think the key is to use these guide lines along with how you feel and try to dial in your nutrition. In other words, keep doing the weigh in before and after to confirm your weight loss. Try to replace more and see if you get a side stich or has other adverse affects on your stomach or if it in fact helps. Experiment until you find what works with you.<br><br>
I think the protein is not that important during an event 3-4 hrs (but is after after for recovery) and really only starts helping during longer events (ultra, 1/2 im, full im).<br><br>
I think you have the right idea, just keep a log and dial it in.

 

[Thor]

No, I do not normally have to pee during a marathon. I have many times, but more often than not, especially when I'm racing and I care about time for stops, I generally do not have to go wee.<br><br>
I merely suggest you're not getting in enough fluids -- not nearly enough from what I've seen -- based on what you've talked about before, your own admission, and also what I see in nearly every single other marathoner. No kidding. It's quite obvious.<br><br>
Of course everybody has a different sweat rate, but I still hold to that from the information you've provided I'm guessing you're getting dehydrated. This isn't to suggest drinking every water stop when, say, you normally drink every third. But it is to shed light on the single biggest problem among marathon runners -- all in my opinion, of course. Most people just don't drink enough. Then they hit the wall and wonder if they trained enough, or if they gobbled enough Gu, when in reality if they paced themselves right, did a few Gu's, and trained right, then they shouldn't be bonking any sooner than they do in training, and in fact they should be able to go longer before that sets in.<br><br>
There *is* a formula to running marathons, one with many different variables. Sure, some of those variables are out of your control, but many more are in your power. Figure them out and you'll be sitting very pretty. But regardless, they all hurt to some degree, even when you have everything under control.

 

[valleysuper]

this has been on my mind alot as well as I am training for my first marathon in May. I have been taking a good swig from my fuel belt every time the Garmin beeps for each mile. I alternate between gatorade and water but 2:1 gatorade. I take a big gulp 5-8 oz of water for each of my gels, which right now is only one, but my long runs are only 13-15.<br>
I am working on staying really hydrated the night before and 3-4 hours before I run to avoid the nature breaks. Seems to be working, but I am not sweating that much too cold.

 

[Thor]

Awesome start, valley. One comment is that for me, as long as I consume normal fluid intake the day before a long run or marathon or even bike ride, I'm good to go. I don't need to hyper-hydrate. Normal the day before, normal in the morning, but then an hour before race start with a big cup of water, maybe a sip or two a half hour later, a gulp or three before the start, and then fall into regular race hydration. That is more than enough as long as I'm drinking at each aid station. Seriously, I can even get away with drinking very little the day before or, worse, sucking down a few beers. Seems to me that it is much more important day of the race and in-race hydration rather than day or days before to get all nutty about staying hyper-hydrated. Just stay normal, or drink a bit more than normal, and you should be okay. One thing you should not do is to drink like 5 times more than normal. That will probably just deplete you as you wee all day long -- and piss away the nutrients your body would otherwise absorb.