Field Trip!

Tomorrow is our first "outside of Manhattan" run. It is at Van Cortlandt Park (in the Bronx), which is apparently some sort of cross-country mecca. It is supposed to be HOT tomorrow, so I am glad that we are running trails. It's kind of funny, but I really have done more trail running here in New York City than I ever have in Cincinnati.

Last night I went to the Injury Prevention clinic that Team in Training put on. It was chock full of information. And the hot topic? Hyponatremia. Of course. It seems like anything I hear anymore about runners and health is about hyponatremia. I went to a clinic put on by the NYRR where the guy scared everyone into grabbing salt packets to dump into your hands and lick before your marathons. Don't get me wrong. The whole thing is scary. Especially if you have ever seen any of the videos of people finishing their races who have it (I don't know if anyone saw the Gatorade commercial where the guy tanked during the Ironman...that is pretty much what it looks like). But it seems to be what EVERYONE is talking about. You know how people are...they will hear about the whole thing, and only hear the scary parts and freak out and then dehydrate themselves on the course.

I WILL say that the clinic last night was VERY good and VERY clear on the whole thing. In fact, I found that I may be one of the people who actually is more prone to hyponatremia. I say this because I exhibit a lot of the signs that the doctor (I can't recall his name right now) was talking about:I get a salt ring around my mouth and sometimes on my arms when I go on any long run. Sometimes my fingers feel tingly. Sometimes I feel light-headed. (Mom and Dad PLEASE do not freak out...I always take care of myself when I do these things. Which I know you know, but I am just reminding you.) He said that some people just displace more salt than other people do. I am one of these people. So his solution was to make sure that I am drinking Gatorade at some of the stops. Also (I am going to try this, this Saturday) to maybe have some pretzels before the run and after the run (NOW I know why they have potato chips at the end of all of the marathons!).

I also found out that my charleyhorses were due to dehydration. I know this sounds contradictory. (How can you be prone to hyponatremia if you are dehydrated?) But the thing is that I need to drink more water before my runs but also be aware that I displace more salt than other people.

I also found out a lot of other cool things (like, studies show that caffeine actually improves your running abilities...Coach Ramon actually puts Red Bull in his Gatorade).

I am glad that they put on clinics like this. And I always go to them even though I've heard a lot of the information before, because I feel like I always learn something new.