Kimberley Westbury practices good nutrition and hydration to finish strong on a regular basis.

No matter what kind of athlete you think you are now is a good time to start drinking. No, I am not talking about the adult beverage kind of drinking but rather a whole new category of Sports Drink. They practically have an isle to themselves in the supermarkets these days. There are so many available so what do you choose? Here is my quick and simple guide and some of my favorites. If you have particular needs you really should stop by Nature’s Storehouse in Tryon and let John Cash help you choose what is right for you. John is an avid runner and knows a lot about nutrition.

Here are the basics:

• You need to drink DURING your runs in the summer. If you are out there longer than 30 min you need fluid.
• You need a sports drink with electrolytes (some sodium). You can skip the sweet sugary by choosing something like Gatorade G2. Personally I like normal Gatorade frost flavor. Find a flavor you like and you are much more likely to drink it!
• You can add much needed minerals and electrolytes to your water by way of a small power called Emergen-C. An added bonus it has lots of good vitamins in it too. Nature’s Storehouse carries this.
• Sip while running, don’t guzzel. If you want to avoid cramps drink small amounts often during your run. When I say small amounts I mean a good sip every 10-15 min
• Carry a water bottle with you or invest in something called a Fuel Belt so that you can drink whenever you want to. I prefer the kind that fits like a belt with many small bottles as opposed to one that carries a bigger bottle on your back and rump area. Keith’s Triathlon Shop in Saluda usually has these available.
• If you are going on a run that will last 60 min or more you should take a gel pack (100 calories) at about 30 min. My favorite is called Carbboom. They have a great flavor that tastes like cinnamon apple sauce. Can be found at Nature’s Storehouse.
• If all else fails you can even dump the water you carry with you over your head, it really does help during hot days.

Sure there is a lot more to sports hydration than what I have written here, but this is where to start. If you have any specific questions please add a comment to the blog or e-mail me.

For those of you who flew by me while I was running at the lake this weekend and thought I looked like I had a lot of water with me…I did! I was out running a 20 mile run and stopped at my boathouse to refuel. It was great to see so many other runners out training.

Katie