Q I assumed I could drink less when running in the autumn, but my urine is dark yellow, which I know means I’m dehydrated. Are there any guidelines for staying hydrated in cooler weather? A Exercising in cold conditions can blunt your thirst
lead to low blood sodium levels," says Ingleby. "This makes it difficult to regulate the nervous system." That's why energy drinks contain sodium. Stay hydrated, and give the shaker a miss - but don't obsess about salt.In practice: Beans on toast
.To help make all this happen, here's our first-ever beginners' racing guide. Here, you'll find everything that you need to know – from tips on nutrition and warm-ups, to race-day strategies and recovery techniques. Race DayRace day can be intimidating
, so I could see how far I have come."Sean Fishpool, 29. Years running: 7Hydrate properly "With the way I sweat, I ought to be the world’s leading expert on hydration and exercise. Maybe I am. My first sign of dehydration trouble occurred during my very
In the December issue of RUNNER’S WORLD, we introduced you to three intrepid volunteers willing to let us train them up from being absolute beginners to running the Flora London Marathon in April. You’ll be pleased to know that, after six weeks
miles or so. People get really obsessed about hydration and energy, wrongly believing that ‘the wall’ is essentially a failure to eat enough. Eat if you're hungry, drink if you're thirsty. – TmapStick to what you normally do in training with regards
weekly runs, you should focus on increasing the amount you can run at one time until you build to at least the race distance, or the equivalent amount of time spent running."I encourage runners, particularly beginners, to focus on time and effort, rather
(which you shouldn't be), you don't need sports drinks and an advanced hydration strategy. Sip a little water before your workout and a little more after. And skip the extra calories in sweetened drinks. "Beginner runners don't need a sports drink
, your salt intake would be 5.5g – before dinner.On the other hand, if it’s hot or if you’re training hard, you can sweat out a lot of salt – as much as 3g in an hour. Losing that much sodium may be bad news, since it is essential for hydration. “Sodium
, high-carbohydrate meals and drink at least two litres of water every day. Keeping your energy stores topped-up and staying hydrated is important. Don't overload on fibre as the race nears - try white pasta and bread instead of brown - and avoid alcohol
