Hi Run Louisiana Family. I’m so sorry I disappeared. These last two months, I’ve only ran three or four times. Not becuase I didn’t have time, but because I was just in a funk. And I’m scared to look at the last time I posted here. The worst part of it all is, I always feel better after a run and now I feel better after I write out what’s going on. I never expected that from this blog. So I am mad at myself for not doing both.

Well, I’m back and July is going well so far. Things are still not easy, but as my grandmother would say “you just gotta keep putting one foot in front of the other” and I’ve been doing that. I’ve had to bow out of the Chicago Marathon because things are still so unstable. This made me very sad. I’m sticking with my marathon training schedule in hopes I can run one at the end of the year or beginning of 2013.  In the meantime, I have redirected my attention, kinda involuntarily. I get off work at 7 a.m., so running right after work is the best option to get in my miles. Even at 7 a.m., it’s already pretty hot in Baton Rouge, or you have maybe 30 minutes before the furnace is at full blast. This means, I’ve had to step up my hydration game.

I’ve always been a fan of HEED by Hammer Nutrition. The 32 serving containers went a long way, kept me cramp free during long runs and feeling good afterward. It also came in an unflavored version. I abandoned it almost a year ago for financial reasons. I had been drinking watered down powerade, which wasn’t as helpful. I had to water it down because it’s disgustingly sweet, and of course watered down wasn’t much better, it for the most part kept my stomach from going sour. So I searched some running threads and come across pedialyte. A couple of years ago, I remember reading about a triathlete who used it and there’s an unflavored version!! I don’t want any flavor, sorry.

I should also add that I use the generic version which is about $1.50 cheaper.

This is more expensive than powerade, but cheaper than my HEED. There are a few more benefits. It’s not disgustingly sweet and doesn’t give me that rot gut feeling. I only drink 8 oz mixed into my water the night before a long run or a run in the summer heat over five miles. Then I put about 6 oz in my handheld water bottle. If I’m just running a few miles and hitting the weights, I don’t think I need to replace any electrolytes.

If you didn’t need to be told, there is nothing scientific about this and what helps me may be totally different from what helps you, so please don’t take this as gospel.