Hydration vest on race day, yes or no?
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MNLittleFinn wrote: »@Jeff_01022014 you bring up a point that always has me debating buying a hydration belt. I'm pretty much a road runner (for now, next season might be different) So I'm always wondering if I actually need the extra water, since there's water/powerade every 2 miles at my marathon and actually every mile starting mile 19.
I'd rather carry the water and have it when/if I need it than not have it when I want/need it. I carry it when I train, I carry it when I "race".1 -
I'm starting to think that maybe I haven't run far enough to see if I'll be wanting it. Maybe once I get into the 16-18 mile runs I'll be feeling the need for it more. Of course it's also cool/cold out now, so it skews how much water I feel I need.I'd rather carry the water and have it when/if I need it than not have it when I want/need it. I carry it when I train, I carry it when I "race".
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I learned while with Uncle Sam's Misguided Children, who, I believe, learned from the Israeli Army, that a body under stress in heat needs a liter (litre) of water every hour to be efficient. Your need for hydration come much earlier than you FEEL you need it. I may not finish all the water I carry, but I got it if I need it. Which is a whole lot better than needing it and not having it. Again, since I train with the belt, I should "race" with the belt.2
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Very true.I learned while with Uncle Sam's Misguided Children, who, I believe, learned from the Israeli Army, that a body under stress in heat needs a liter (litre) of water every hour to be efficient. Your need for hydration come much earlier than you FEEL you need it. I may not finish all the water I carry, but I got it if I need it. Which is a whole lot better than needing it and not having it. Again, since I train with the belt, I should "race" with the belt.
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I learned while with Uncle Sam's Misguided Children, who, I believe, learned from the Israeli Army, that a body under stress in heat needs a liter (litre) of water every hour to be efficient. Your need for hydration come much earlier than you FEEL you need it. I may not finish all the water I carry, but I got it if I need it. Which is a whole lot better than needing it and not having it. Again, since I train with the belt, I should "race" with the belt.
Anecdotal confirmation: I have a running buddy who actually completed the Boston Marathon in 2014 (~50º F) with a poor hydration plan. He ended up in a medical tent with an IV for fluids because of dehydration, and could not enjoy the post-race food. By the time he felt the need for water, it was too late to fix the problem the easy way. (Not that this has any direct bearing on a hydration belt; Boston has aid stations every mile.)0 -
I'm by no means an expert marathon runner, but my thinking has been to carry my own fuel (chews or gu) because I don't want to risk gastro-intestinal problems with some new fuel I've never used during the race, and rely on water at the aid stations for hydration.
As for training, when I do have to carry my own liquid, I just got this and really like it. I've only done one run with it though. Previously I had a FuelBelt and in my opinion it was awful. The velcro closure didn't last long and had an annoying habit of popping off during runs. The clip on the Amphipod is much better.0 -
When I first started marathons, I used a hydration pack. My first marathon I used a hydration belt w/ 4 x 6oz bottles. The overall weight was lighter, and I was able to keep the same hydration plan when I was training with the pack. Also, later in the race when my bottles were getting low, I just grabbed water and filled up a bottle or 2. I lost about 30 seconds in overall time (time at water stop less how long it would have taken me if just passing through at avg pace). Something I learned from this:
1. I had trained in really hot weather, and the pack on my back did nothing to help with my body trying to cool itself.
2. For the marathon with NO pack, even though the weather was as hot as many of my training days, I consumed considerably less water because my body was able to cool more efficiently. Now, maybe I was doing something wrong with the pack...but I wore a running hydration pack...so who knows
My second marathon I had trained with the pack again. However, for the race, I just used each water stop instead of carrying a hydration belt or pack. I initially had some issues when I started out, since I was used to hydration on demand. But overall I had no issues with the gap between stations. I was a lot more exhausted at the end of the race though.
For my marathon after that, although I still trained with the pack, I timed my hydration to be in line with hydration stops at the race. This was the most beneficial thing I have ever done. It was awesome. I definitely subscribe to timed hydration and fueling for training and racing, making sure training matches race. I don't subscribe to items though, except for running shoes...I'll never wear different shoes on race day.0 -
You have to run your own race; after all, you're only really racing yourself. For instance, the marathon I'm signed up for in May have changed energy drink supplier and they are now supplied in paper cups, rather than lidded bottles as previously. So I will ditch the energy drinks, stick to water (which still comes in a bottle) and carry extra gels with me.
If you're not sure, why not try the aid station method on one of your long runs? My aid stations are 3 miles apart, so I would pick a 3-mile route going past my house and leave drinks for myself on the front wall. Alternatively, you could carry the water as you do now, but only consume it when you would be at an aid station. If you can get away with it, there are several advantages, and if not then at least you'll be sure of your choice.0 -
That's a great idea. I'll have to look at trying that on one of my runs.rightoncommander wrote: »If you're not sure, why not try the aid station method on one of your long runs? My aid stations are 3 miles apart, so I would pick a 3-mile route going past my house and leave drinks for myself on the front wall.0 -
During marathon training, my coach has hammered home the need for us to stay on top of fueling during longer events. As a result, I have been wearing a UD race vest to carry liquid fuels, gels, shot bloks and the like during our long training runs.
My question: Does anyone here wear a vest during the actual race itself, or do you rely soley on aid station fueling?
In my case, no. First, I've generally ditched carrying water for any run under 10 miles...summer...winter does not matter. On longer runs beyond 16 miles; yes, I'll carry water unless I can set things up to pass one or more water bottles to assist in hydration. I have a Camelbak with 70 oz. capacity that I may carry if I'm not running a multi-lap loop or out and back route where I can set things up for a periodic pass for water. Here's the key...on those runs where I take water, I drink at the same relative interval to the race I'm training for. But in the race, I have no interest in carrying 4-5 pounds with me over the beginning of a marathon where energy management is so critical.
Let me give my most recent example.
I trained to run the Venice Marathon...a flat course run in October. My training up to two weeks before the marathon was all my local training terrain in the North Carolina heat and humidity. But unlike many of the marathons and half-marathons that I've run where the water/hydration stations are at two mile intervals, there they were at 5km intervals (3.1 miles) in that marathon. As my training distances increased, I practiced rehydration at 5km intervals. I was well-served by practicing that interval because I was accustomed to the longer distance between stations. My body/mind was adapted to the greater distance. When I got to Italy, I purchased some of the energy gels and drinks that were being used in the race to make sure there were no issues.
Yes, I PR'd that race by nearly 18 minutes and was 31 minutes faster than the previous marathon that I ran in the spring.
One other thing about fueling. Less than 16 training miles, no supplemental fueling for me. I might carry one or two gels for those 18-20 miles run. I also tend to run fasted for those longer runs. That way, my body is "dependent" upon a constant supply of carbs for the longer distance. I will do one of the three 20 mile runs to test the fueling plan. On race day, the gels and the energy drink become the additional fuel that my body drinks up because it was trained to operate long distances without it.
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I'm in the @STrooper camp on this one. I may carry water on long runs where there aren't fountains, but one of the things you're paying for at a race is for people to be standing around handing you cups of water. If you flub a hand-off, you can always stop and go back. Better yet, if you are worried about the hand-off, slow down and walk through the station. (making sure you don't run into another runner) That will cost you a few seconds at most.
I do like to carry a couple of my own gels in races because you never know what icky flavor they'll be passing out. It's also good to practice opening the gel and eating it as you approach the aid station. Then you wash it down with the water they hand to you.
Generally, people think they need more water than they do. Start a race well hydrated and you're usually okay unless it's a really long run or the weather is hot.
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Lots of interesting points here. As I mentioned in my OP, my coach is very focused on trying to insure her athletes are managing their fuel intake during longer events. We look at fuel intake based on time, as opposed to mileage. Given her calculations of our energy burn rates during races, she ran calculations that produced the following hourly intakes for me (I'm 185lbs) : Calories: 255-300, water: 28-32 oz, 60-85 grams of carbs. plus xx grams of sodium (forget the number). The idea is to replace roughly half of what we burn hourly.
We then practice race day fueling on every long run (or bike ride) to see what works best for each person (gels, liquids, waffles, etc.) and to get us used to the fueling process. We often run either loops or multiple "out and back" segments in training, so we have stops available if fuel needs exceed the amount we're carrying. After each workout, we enter both our fuel intake(calories, carbs, electrolytes, liquid) as well as our comments about how we felt into our Training Peaks account of the workout. That way, we can see not only our HR and pace data, but also our fuel consumption and notes about how we felt during the runs. Over a 20 week training program, the historical data becomes very helpful. So whether I wear the vest on race day or not, I have a pretty good idea of what fuel intake amounts and timing works best for me and I can try to follow that plan on race day. I'd say this approach is overkill for shorter races, but it seems to work well for full marathon or longer duration events.3 -
@Djproulx that some cool/good info. You're giving me some good ideas for training, whether or not I end up carrying anything with me on race day or not.0
