Additional Articles (click link)
• 10 Simple Ways to Avoid Injuries
• Hydration During Training
Ethiopian Marathon Hydration Tips
• Marathon Pace Chart (pdf)
• Overcoming Obstacles
• Going Long
• Surviving an International Flight
• Race Week Nutrition
• Marathon Morning Tips
• Running Checklist
• Walking the Marathon
Race Day Hydration
Drinking on the run isn’t as easy as it sounds! Regardless of the weather conditions for the first Haile Gebreselassie Marathon, one of the absolute keys for every runner in the race is being properly hydrated. That’s true in any race, but especially so in this one because of the altitude and relative warmth.
Clearly, drinking during the race will be a major factor that determines how well you run—or don’t. In the Haile Gebreselassie Marathon, there will be XX aid-stations interspersed every mile of the course that are loaded with paper cups of water or Gatorade--the electrolyte used in this marathon. At each table, there will be friendly race volunteers who will enthusiastically extend cups of water or Gatorade to the passing runners. Your job is to throw the liquid down and continue on your way. But grabbing some water without spilling it all over yourself, isn’t quite as easy as it sounds. We’ll get to that technique in a minute.
Your marathon hydration plan should actually begin as soon as you leave for Ethiopia. Regardless of where you are traveling from to Ethiopia, it will be a lengthy flight and you should drink liberally on the plane. Before you get on the flight, fill up a water bottle and use it throughout the flight to stay hydrated. Water is best; beer is not. Then, as soon as you deplane, maintain your hydration schedule.
It will be warm and dry in Ethiopia and you should probably drink 12 ounces of water every hour or so. You can’t store water for days like a camel does, but in the final few days before the race, you should emphasize staying well-hydrated at all times.
One of the things you can control is starting the marathon as hydrated as possible. If you have been properly hydrating during your stay, you should have to urinate several times a day. Check the color of your urine. It should be a pale yellow. If you haven’t had to urinate for several hours, that’s a warning sign you need to drink more. If you are running low, when you eventually do urinate, the color tends to be a bright yellow. That’s a clear indication you need to drink more.
Other common signs of mild pre-race dehydration are thirst (duh), a low-grade headache or listlessness. Signs of more severe dehydration are nausea, chills, inability to sweat and a feeling of light-headness. If any of these signs are evident, immediately start pounding fluids. Since the race will be at an altitude of approximately 5600 feet (slightly higher than Denver), your hydration needs before, during and after the race will be greater than a normal, sea-level race.
Exactly how much should you drink during the race? Altitude and race conditions aside, your hydration needs depend on several factors such as how big you are, how warm and humid it is and how much you sweat. But the general guidelines are that you should drink about seven to nine ounces of fluid every 15 minutes during the race. That’s a bit more than for a sea-level race and represents about two full cups of water or Gatorade. That might seem like a lot, but plan on grabbing at least two cups at most of the aid stations to ensure you are getting enough fluids. If you need more, stop and drink until you feel hydrated. Even so, you don’t want to drink too much. If you do, the fluid will just slosh around in your stomach and won’t provide any added benefit.
You will also probably have to make several pit stops along the way. While on your long runs in preparation for Ethiopia, you undoubtedly stopped several times and drank all you needed. It wasn’t a big deal to drink all you needed. But in a marathon it is a big deal because it’s much harder to drink at an aid station without spilling it—unless you stop and drink. Or walk and drink. Many runners don’t want to slow down in a marathon so even if they pick up two full cups of fluid at every station, half of it gets splashed in their face or over their shirts. And the result is they are running the final miles in a dehydrated state which inevitably leads to slower times. You absolutely can not let that happen in the Haile Gebrselassie Marathon. The smart runners will stop and walk through the aid stations, grab two or three cups and carefully drink the necessary fluids. These are the same runners you will see passing dozens of runners in the final miles of this marathon. If you don’t want to slow down at the aid stations, your best bet is to practice drinking on the run.
You still have time to practice. Merely set up a table with cups on a loop course or on a track and run by and pick up a cup on every circuit. Then, try to drink most of it without spilling the fluids. The cups should not be filled to the brim, but half a cup is fine. Slow down as you approach the table and pick up a cup. Gently squeeze the top of the cup so that the fluid doesn’t get spilled. Then, funnel the fluid into your mouth while trying to breathe normally. Take a couple of drinks before resuming your normal speed. Try to get as much of the liquid down as you can. You don’t have to get it all down in one swallow, but several smaller ones work best.
Once you’re in the middle of the marathon with all the excitement and commotion which is inevitable at every aid station, it gets tricky. First, you will be dealing with race volunteers who may not have ever done this before. Assume they haven’t. The volunteers will be extending cups of fluid and shouting out whether they have water or Gatorade. Usually, the first group of volunteers have water and the later ones have Gatorade. Slow down as you come into an aid station area. Try to make eye contact with a volunteer to make sure he or she knows you want a cup of fluids. Or signal the volunteer that you want a cup. The volunteer should aggressively hand you the cup (hopefully it won’t spill) and back out of the way so you can continue. Squeeze the top of the cup, drink as much as you can and if you want more, continue on to the next volunteer. If you take Gatorade, be extra careful not to slosh it all over your shirt and shorts as it can become sticky.
Two more hints: As you approach an aid station, don’t automatically veer over to the first volunteer. Everyone heads to the first tables and it can become congested (especially in the early miles). But pay attention to your drinking and don’t panic. There’s plenty for everyone.
Another great drinking tip is to give a squeeze bottle of cold water or Gatorade to a friend or family member who is out on the course, cheering you. That way you can drink at your leisure and get fully hydrated without spilling anything. Obviously, you need to prepare your personal squeeze bottles before the race and position your domestique at certain spots they can easily get to in the first 10 miles. Agree on the position and make them commit to exactly that spot on the right side of the road. (Don’t leave this to chance.) Prep them on what time you will likely pass by so they can get ready to pass you the full bottle. Have them carry a sign of support so you can’t miss them. Make certain they realize how important this is to you.
When you get the bottle, drink slowly. You’ll have plenty of time to drink as much as you need and because it’s a squeeze bottle, it won’t slosh all over you. Drink fully over the next mile or so. This should keep you hydrated for several miles. If you’ve taken in your full amount and have some left, ask one of the runners around you whether they want some. When you’re done, try and toss it near an aid station where there are garbage cans.
There’s no question about it that staying hydrated during the Haile Gebreselassie Marathon is absolutely critical—more so than any other marathon. Formulating a hydration plan before your leave for Ethiopia will go a long way to allowing you to run your best on October 20th.