"Cool, clear ... water."

Some water stops along the
Louisiana Marathon route

Written by Bob Nolan and made famous by the Sons of the Pioneers and Marty Robbins, Cool Water is a song about a man, his mule named Dan, and a mirage. Water's a pretty important thing out there in the desert, I'd imagine. It's also pretty important when running, especially an endurance event like a marathon. Water management (aka hydration) is a bit more important than maintaining energy reserves, for without enough water - or with too much water - there are grave dangers lurking. Indeed, consuming energy resources during a race would be ineffective without consuming water as well; so it's best that the water stops we see are not mere mirages.

On short runs in cool weather (< 60˚F), having access to water during a workout or even a race has not usually been an issue for the timelapserunner. However, even just before dawn on these summer mornings the temperature is already 74˚F+, with humidity in the 90%+ range. Head out any later and it only gets worse - fast. Drinking 8 oz. of water before heading off to the Lakes is a ritual with me, as is consuming more water after the workout. For the longer workouts coming up later in the training schedule, hydration logistics will become exceedingly important. During training runs around the LSU Lakes there are (see photo collage above) some water stations located at strategic spots. For weekend long runs, even these might not be sufficient, assuming they are even in working order (which is not always the case).

Friendly aid stationers hand out water
(Courtesy ianhun2009 @ Flickr)

Managing hydration on marathon race day will be very important, even if the ambient temperature conforms to the cool expectations for that time of year in south Louisiana. Fortunately, the marathon race director plans for this and provides aid stations at regular intervals along the route, probably a mile or two apart. As we mentioned above, drinking too much water during such an event can be just as dangerous or more so than drinking too little. A condition known as hyponatremia can arise, where electrolytes are diluted below necessary levels. Serious complications - even death - can ensue.

All in all, hydration will be a matter for serious study both during training and in planning for race day. In future blog posts, we'll outline what we find from our experience and the wisdom gleaned from others.

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Nice walk around the block for three miles, averaging 15:55 per mile. No squawking from legs or anything else.