Know how to hydrate

A topic among runners is how much water is needed on a run. Much of this depends on the body size, the temperature during the day, and how much of the runner is muscle. The body weight average of water in males is between 56% and 59% and in females it is between 47% and 50%. We drink water, we bathe in water, and use water in cooking many meals. People in general, and runners especially, have a need for water. There are not many times when a person doesn’t want or need water.

One exception is when water arrives as rain. Plants and trees love water from rain. But for some reason people are not as welcoming of water as rain. In sports, rain will cancel the games. Baseball, softball, tennis, and golf are examples of sports being canceled when it rains. Football and soccer can be played in rain and while it may have an effect on how the game is played the game can go on. Then there are runners. For some reason rain is one of the main reasons a runner does not go out the door to go running. Cold weather and very hot weather are often times listed as reasons to not go for a run. Running in cold weather can be conquered by dressing in warmer clothes. Hot weather requires ventilated clothes and putting cold packets of ice on the head and neck to help with a run. There are rain suits for runners but they can only be used in certain temperatures. Most rain suits are made of Gor-Tex material or similar water repellent fabric. They are well ventilated to help with letting body heat escape in moderate temperatures. On a hot day that running suit becomes a sauna and body temperatures become so high as to make the run uncomfortable and dangerous. If it is a very cold day an underlayer of warm clothes is necessary. It is amazing to think how rain can affect a person going out for a run and the necessary changes that are often needed. And when you combine rain with lightening, strong wind or cold temperatures it gets even more complicated.

One exception of running in the rain is if it is raining the day of a scheduled race. Race organizers know that if it is raining the majority of entered runners will be there ready to run. The problem race organizers have is with the non-running volunteers needed to help with the race. A non-runner knows that baseball games are canceled because of rain and what type of person is crazy enough to run in the rain. Non-runners think a person who runs long distances is a little crazy on a good day and know that they must be really crazy to run when it is raining. The runners will be there but the volunteers are more likely to miss.

There is a difference between starting a run in the rain and getting caught in the rain during a run. Many runners will not go for a run if it is raining before they head out the door. Getting caught during a run is something different and it makes for a memorable run in many cases. We were running out near McCarty Lane and were crossing the overpass when a very dark cloud appeared. My running partner and I picked up the pace to see if we could get back home before it started to rain. That dark cloud moved increasingly fast and we got caught in a very heavy downpour. We took shelter in one of the businesses on Wonder World Drive to get out of the rain. The rain looked like it was going to last for some time so I decided to run home and get my car to give a ride back for my partner. The combination of rain, dropping temperatures and a strong wind made rain drops (small hail) feel like getting shot with a BB gun. When I got home I looked like I had some strange rash of red spots all over my legs and arms. But running in the rain that day made for an unforgettable run.

One of my most miserable runs came on a rainy day training for a marathon. Paul Paese and I had scheduled an 18-mile training run out on Lime Kiln Road. It was in late December and the temperature was in the 30s. Midway into the run it started to rain. We were running uphill, into the wind, in rain and cold temperatures. It couldn’t get much worse for a fun training run. Runners are like many athletes in that they do not want to be the first person to call it quits. At about 15 miles into the run I was cold, wet and miserable. I became that first person to call it quits. Paul didn’t argue with me and we headed back downhill, with the wind, and rain on our back. Sometimes it takes a runner a little time to bring in some common sense during a run. Water is welcomed by runners except when it is rain.