Bad Angel Rule #91
Drink Water.
Simple concept. But are you drinking enough?
That “eight glasses of water a day” rule of thumb is outdated. The new-school formula for a woman’s minimum daily water requirement is Body Weight x .31 (Body Weight x .35 for men). That means a 130-pound woman (like myself) should drink at least 40 ounces of water a day. On a running day or when it’s extremely warm, that number goes up.
Chicago’s Lakefront Trail is chock-full of drinking fountains, and I take full advantage of them.
Of course, these rules of thumb are just that. Everybody is different, and, as we recently discussed in this space, sweats differently. Pay attention to your body and your sweating habits to find the amount of hydration that really works for you.
Quick story: A couple weeks ago, I was about 8 miles into a very, very warm 12-miler when I noticed that I had stopped sweating. Not good, folks. I paused for a solid 5 minutes to seek shade and hydrate properly before getting back out there. Then I hit up nearly every drinking fountain over the next four miles, just to be safe.
We haven’t seen the last of this excruciating summer heat wave, so as we push through August, let’s keep the H2O flowing, shall we? — Mags
I shouldn’t geek out when I see a familiar picture, given that Chicago is huge and must have a lot of bloggers … but still, I drink from that water fountain! Great advice too — there’s that split between those who say to drink at regular intervals and those who recommend you drink to thirst. I’m in the previous camp, with those who believe that once you’re thirsty, it’s too late.
I wonder if we’ve even stopped at that fountain at the same time. I wouldn’t be surprised.