Electro-whaa?

[mrrun]

Regardless of how long our run may be, many of us experience pleasantries like ‘heavy legs’, dizziness, headaches, cramps, twitches, fatigue, etc. The key is to find out what’s causing them and quite often the guilty party is the loss of electrolytes as well as poor hydration.

I spoke to many, read lots, got in touch with some heavyweight running pros on Twitter and made sure I was exempt from such treats well before my marathon training began, nearly two years ago. If you get your diet, electrolyte intake and hydration right (and a few other sidekick bits), you could cruise through shorter distances and I even stopped taking any drinks for up to half marathon (although I would not advise or recommend it, we are all different and my sweat rates are not too high).

So what are electrolytes and why are they so important during running (or any other intense aerobic exercise)? You can find out in my latest blog where I write unhinged and unsupervised (to an extent, courtesy of my editor), and where you can also find links if you can be bothered to follow me on Facebook & Twitter. So often the solution to our running woes is so simple and close and we just don’t see it.

runmrrun.com/importance-of-...

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Great explanation there Mr Run. I don't drink a great deal when I'm running, but I need a good drink when I finish! More recently I've been adding an electrolyte tablet to my water for post-run and I really think it helps with post-run fatigue and I feel far less thirsty later in the day than I would if I just had water. I agree it's a case of experimenting to find what works for you.

[misswobble Marathon in reply to linda9389]

I’m trying to remember to take a drink with me now as I learned that dehydration was a factor in psoriasis 💡

You live and learn 🙂

I forgot it yesterday on my ten miler ☺️😤

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to misswobble]

As they say, for as long as we learn we'll come good. Yep, dehydration can cause all sorts of issues - and yet, it can be so easily prevented.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

I make sure I've got enough in the system at all times, if possible. Hydration is so easily overlooked, many don't know that dry mouth means you are already dehydrated. I had no clue what I was doing before I took up marathon. Even during the first one I wasn't sure about correct dosage and made my life really difficult during the run. It all sounds complex but in reality it's very simple, body gives us enough signals - we just need to start recognizing them. I learned most of my chops from seasoned marathon and ultra runners. For once in my life I set down and listened very carefully.