In the summer it was much easier to drink enough water. I ran. It was hot. I was thirsty. Simple. Running in the freezing cold temperatures just has not left me thirsty. Somewhere between my calf strain in September and now, my day to day water consumption has dramatically dropped. I think I've had a few days where the most I drank was 16 ounces total. If I want to get the most out of my workouts (and I definitely do!) I need to start fixing this issue right now!
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While this is definitely a huge improvement over what I was doing, I am hoping to continue to increase my water consumption over the course of the month. I also want to build this into my daily habits now so that when I begin to increase my mileage for marathon training this fall, I will be building on a solid, healthy base.
Has anyone else noticed they are less thirsty in the cold months? What have you been doing to make sure you are drinking enough water?
I've been having this problem for sure. One thing that helps me in the colder months is to drink a mug or two of herbal tea during the day. It's warm and comforting, which is nice in the winter, and since it has no caffeine it helps hydrate just like water. Plus it's tasty!
ReplyDeleteCan you link to that Running Time's article? I haven't seen it and I'd like to read it. The 5k is a real beast of a race for me. Thanks!
Oh I'll have to remember that tea tip for next winter (right now I am firmly believing that it is spring!).
DeleteHere is the article: http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/solving-5k-puzzle?page=single
It makes sense to drink more in the summer when it's hot and the thirst triggers are more prevalent. But dehydration is just as dangerous, if not more so, when it's cold out because even though those triggers aren't there, you are sweating just as much, it's just dissolving into the air.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that this article came out, since I've seen a couple articles recently stating that runners don't need as much fluid as they think they do, that our culture is obsessed with water and runners in general are more likely to be over-hydrated than dehydrated, especially women.
I usually just drink to thirst, which is what more research is starting to say is the better strategy, as opposed to just frequently taking in water because you feel like you should be. Like everything else, listening to your body is key, and be careful - overhydration is just as dangerous.
http://running.competitor.com/2014/05/nutrition/the-truth-about-dehydration-and-performance_76027
I'm actually not changing how much I drink while I am running, which, as I understand it, is when most runners tend to be over-hydrating themselves (I also follow the drink to thirst rule while running). I'm just trying to get back in the habit of drinking water (or any beverage really) throughout the day. When I am at work if I don't have the water right in front of me, I don't remember to drink anything. So I would get up, head to work, drink nothing all day, head home run 5 miles and then have maybe a glass of water after the run and maybe another drink with dinner. Definitely not the right way to be training, oops!
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