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Racing and hot summer days may be done and over where you live… or maybe not? Enjoy these quick tips from Becca for how to keep your hydration in the top priority list! —Dina
While fall is kinda, sorta in the air – maybe more or less where you live – temps in my area are still surpassing 90, which means that hydration is still front-of-mind!
Fall races can deliver a spectrum of temperatures – road marathons, road cycling races, and triathlons may be fully completed before the weather warms up, whereas long-distance trail races can see a massive temperature swing throughout the event. Here’s my top 3 tips to help you navigate unknown and/or varying temperature swings for your fall adventures!
Start Hydrated: It can be difficult to drink early and often when your race start is dark and cool. Help yourself not fall behind by pre-hydrating during the day before and morning of – use electrolytes, not just water!
Don’t Ditch the Electrolytes: Just because it’s cooler doesn’t mean you stop sweating. While your total volume of sweat will likely decrease in cooler weather, the amount of sodium you lose in your sweat is unlikely to vary much. Keep using the concentration of electrolytes in your fluids that has been working for you during the summer training months (because you did practice this, right?!).
Stay Flexible: Your hourly fluid needs can vary quite a bit as temperatures increase and decrease throughout your event. Be ready to adjust – if you are entering a warmer section of the race, have extra (empty) bottles on hand to fill at aids, for example. Bonus points for pre-portioning your electrolytes of choice in those empty bottles!
Have questions on how to personalize your hydration plan for your event? Check out our services, including sweat sodium testing for those in the Salt Lake City, UT or Boulder, CO area, or book a “Nutrition Strategy Session”.
Happy fall racing!
-Becca