Don’t let dehydration spoil your experience of the Windsor Half Marathon
We hope you’re looking forward to joining us at the Windsor Half Marathon soon! It’s likely to be a warm day, so don’t let dehydration or overheating get in the way of your goal finish time.
Remember that running a half marathon race means you will be pushing yourself harder than you have in training. Adrenaline and excitement might mean you push your boundaries to the limit. But your body can only do so much – despite what your brain is saying!
Make sure you give your body everything it needs to run safely and feel strong right through to the finish line at Windsor.
10 Signs Of Dehydration
1) Feeling thirsty
2) Stomach cramps
3) Feeling sick
4) Dry mouth
5) Tiredness
6) Confusion
7) Dry eyes
8) Muscle cramps
9) Tummy troubles
10) Headache
Here are our best tips for staying well hydrated on race day – we want you to enjoy it!
Get hydrated first
You can actually prepare yourself with hydration in much the same some runners choose to “carb load”. But don’t over do it. All you need to do is drink water regularly throughout the day in the days leading up to the race. This might look like 2-3 litres of water on Wednesday-the evening before the race. Then drink some water when you wake up on race day, and sip water before getting to the start. The important thing is not to et yourself get thirsty or dehydrated in the week before the race.
Eat hydrating foods
Enjoy lots of delicious hydrating foods in the week leading up to your race. This means salads, stir fries, smoothies, raw fruit, and raw veg. Wonderful foods include celery, all salad leaves, melon (especially watermelon), oranges, and pineapple. Many of these exotic fruits also contain valuable electrolytes like magnesium and potassium. One word of caution: don’t suddenly eat something unfamiliar the day before the race! Be sensible.
Race nutrition.
Plan your race nutrition. We will have water stations, but you might like to also carry gels. The best ones are isotonic which means they have a thinner consistency and you don’t need to take them with water. Choose a gel with carbohydrates (for energy) and electrolytes (for hydration).
Shade your head.
Wearing a peaked cap or visor (and/or running sunglasses) is a great idea for sunny races. Keeping the sun off your face makes life easier, you can concentrate on running rather than worrying about the heat on your face and the sun in your eyes!
Splash yourself with water.
The water on our aid stations is for drinking but we don’t mind if you take an extra cup to pour over your head. Alternatively, do what the pros do: drink most of the cup then pour the remaining water over yourself. Putting water on your head, neck, arms, or hands helps your body cool itself down.
Windsor Half Marathon Sunday 25th September click here to enter today