Minimalist Running – is it for you?
October 28, 2011
A reminder about the Natural Running Mechanics seminar on October 29th organized by Solefit Orthotics, all proceedes to impossible2Possible, the gang at Solefit are looking to give i2P as big of a cheque as possible! It’s such a fantastic cause!
Here is some info Ryan from Solefit posted a few days ago “We are offering a great giveaway: if they can get over 150 people signed up between now and Saturday, i2P will donate another pair of Oakley sunglasses to give away (yep, the cool ones that Lance Armstrong wears). That would bring our prize total to nine pairs of shoes, technical clothing and TWO pairs of Oakley sunglasses!
Along with supporting i2P, our goal for the evening is to present some of the current research (pros and cons) around running technique and barefoot running and explain what it means for us (runners). We have Neil Rosenthal and Ryan Grant speaking from SoleFit Orthotics, Ray Zahab (a really fantastic speaker!) from i2P, and Francine Eastwood speaking from PSI Runners Clinic. Should be a fun afternoon!”
Tell your friends, family, coworkers, and running buddies! We hope to see you there! For more information check out the facebook page Click Here , to registrater with Events Online Click Here
To give you a bit more information on Barefoot and Minimalist running (all of which will be covered at the Saturday seminar, here is a guest post by Melinda Neufeld, Elation Centre member who loves her minimalist shoes – even in the winter! She wrote this for us last winter as we trained for the National Capital Race Weekend, I’ve been holding onto the info and now seems a perfect time to post it, thanks Melinda
“Ah, winter. The bittersweet, love-hate relationship that I have with winter precedes my running career and has only intensified over the past blistery months of snowy winter runs. As a relatively new (about a year now) minimalist footwear runner, I have come to embrace the hardship of running nearly barefoot in my Vibram FiveFinger Flows in the snow and cold. In general, running in FiveFingers is great fun. Let’s be honest, I definitely prefer running on clear, dry roads in my favorite FiveFingers model, FiveFinger Sprints. The Sprints bring me as close as I can get to running barefoot with the added benefit of some sole protection. The feeling of the road or path beneath my feet is amazing; I’d even go as far as to say that it feels like I’m running naked—or at least what I imagine that would feel like. But let’s come back to reality and back to winter running in my Flows. This model features less of a barefoot feel than the Sprints because the upper part of the toe shoe is made from Neoprene, a material commonly used to make wetsuits. This material helps keep my feet relatively warm, but it also gives a stiffer feel to the toe shoe. The Flows are not waterproof, and after a run in slush and snow, my feet are definitely wet. You would think that my toes would freeze right off, but as long as I keep moving, my feet stay warm. Usually, it takes the first five minutes of a run for my toes to warm up. After that, I don’t even notice the cold or wetness. According to the official FiveFingers Web site the sole on the Flow model is made with Idrogrip performance rubber for added slip resistance. As of yet, I have managed to remain vertical during all of my winter runs!
Running in FiveFingers throughout the winter might seems a bit crazy, but I didn’t want to counteract all of the progress that I made over the summer learning to run nearly barefoot. Running in minimalist footwear or barefoot requires a change of running form. Typically, runners to tend to forefoot strike as opposed to heel strike. Daniel Lieberman, Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, has conducted research on barefoot running and theorizes that a heel strike may be the cause of various common injuries suffered by runners, and that a forefoot strike naturally strengthens feet and leg muscles. This can prevent common injuries and eliminates the need for a shoe that compensates for weak feet and leg muscles. Personally, as a runner who was used to running with a heel strike, adjusting to a forefoot strike took time and patience. It was a slow, gradual learning process. But I am happy to say that I have avoided all injuries to date. I am an avid runner and a strong believer in the benefits of minimalist footwear.
The minimalist footwear trend continues to grow and many different shoes brands are coming out with their own minimalist shoe line. While not quite as odd-looking as Vibram FiveFingers, other models are appearing in stores (e.g., Merrell Barefoot shoe line), and my goal is to eventually switch all of my footwear to shoes with a “zero drop”, a.k.a. no drop from heel to toe. So, here’s to natural running! “
Guest Post by Natalie Giroux – First Marathon
September 30, 2011
Elation Centre member, Natalie Giroux, is a consultant in the high tech industry. Her passions includes being a mother, playing the violin, cooking awesome food and, of course, running and yoga. Her dream is to inspire others to become fit and live a balanced life.
In May, I challenged myself to run my first marathon on August 28th . My friend, an experienced Ironman athlete, kindly agreed to coach me. He provided me with a detailed training plan, which at first sight looked quite overwhelming. Speed training, hills training, interval and super long runs were on the menu, combined with yoga. I decided to take it one day at a time, one step at a time…
Some days, I wanted to “skip” what was on the schedule… after all, only me would know… I sometimes could find very creative excuses! But I just went out and ran… rain or shine, heat advisory or not, tired and sore. I focused on the end goal and was determined not to have any excuses to miss my objective. I must admit returning home from each run exhilarated and pumped even more so the days I did not want to go! Although this was a lone conquest, I was fortunate to have and many friends encouraging me along with a great coach giving me continuous feedback and ideas.
By August 28th, I was scared, but as ready as one can be for their first marathon… but they cancelled the race that same morning because Hurricane Irene was going to hit Quebec city! Instead of seeing it as a set back, I immediately registered for the Montreal marathon scheduled for September 25th. My coach encouraged me and gave me another month worth of training, which seemed like a mountain at first. My body was getting tired! But I thought I could use this delay to ready myself more and to build up some confidence. Finally, the day came and the temperature was great. I still had some jitters in the morning, but definitely felt ready and excited to execute the final milestone….
I ran my first marathon 8 minutes lower than my objective with a negative split. Most importantly, I had a great time during the race; I felt in control and the entire four month training was a fantastic experience of soul searching and self discovery. Through the yoga practice and the long runs, I learned that patience and having a quiet mind achieves greater results than trying to cut corners and get things done in haste. Finally, I celebrated my achievements serving my friends and my faithful coach a fantastic meal with delicious wine and dessert. Now, what is the next challenge??
I was reflecting on this experience and compared it to training I did previously for a half-marathon which I did not approach with the same discipline resulting in a painful, stressful run with poor results. Some things I learned apply very well to any large business projects you undertake…
- You need to have a mentor or a coach available to provide input and guidance, someone that has done it before with successes and failures.
- You need a detailed plan with room for contingencies, something that will challenge the team, but that they can see as realistic to achieve. The plan has to be clear and everyone needs to understand each milestones.
- You need to execute the plan one milestone at a time, acknowledging the achievements and the progress as it materializes.
- You need focus, focus, focus. It is easy to get distracted and to find excuses to do something else, but there is no time to change direction or to second guess the goal or take some time off.
- Your entire team needs to be determined to succeed and feel dedicated to the goal.
- If a set back occurs, set up another goal. Keep the team focused by making them understand that everything happens for a good reason and the results will even be better.
- Once the goal is achieved make sure to take time to celebrate and acknowledge the effort that everyone has put in the process! Recognition is important for them to want to sign up for the next challenge…
- Plan ahead for the next objective to avoid losing momentum!
Guest Post by Liisa Vexler – Run Club
September 26, 2011
Liisa Vexler, an Elation Centre Yogini and Runner, shares her experience with Elation’s free Saturday morning Run Club. Her blog, Fit for a kid, focuses on raising a healthy, happy, and fit family. Check it out!
Last year, about this time, I fell back in love with running. I ran a couple of marathons in 2000 and 2001 but had completely stopped right after that. I did yoga and circuit/strength training to stay in shape, had a couple of children, and merrily went about my life.
Then one day, I decided to go for a run. We live near the river and it was a gorgeous, sunny, cool day. I ran for twenty-six glorious minutes. Two days later, I laced up my sneakers again and did the same thing.
But I’m kinda a social person. I like to talk. I like to listen. When I’m tired, I like to feed off the energy of others in a workout or class. And then I happened on the Elation Centre website and noticed the free Saturday morning Run Club. The Elation Centre is not far from my home and I thought, it’s free – why not?
I planned to go for the first time in mid-January 2011. I happened to mention it to another mom at my son’s school. She and I knew each other to say ‘hello’ and exchange a few words. She told me she had been thinking about going to the Run Club too. We decided to try it out together.
My first run with the Elation Centre Run Club was on January 28, 2011 and I have spent thirty of my last thirty-four Saturday mornings with them. That other mom and I have become good friends. You really get to know people when you run with them. I have also gotten to know a whole host of other people from our Saturday morning group, some of whom run regularly, others who just pop in for a run every few weeks. Try running with someone for two hours and see if you don’t know at least a little of their life story at the end of it!
While running with the group, I learned about the speed-training classes offered at the Elation Centre and I registered. I wasn’t able to attend every session due to family obligations, but some was way better than none and the cost was reasonable, even knowing I would have to miss some sessions. I knew about speed work, and usually did it on my own… but it’s harder to cheat with a coach and your peers watching you and cheering you on.
I ran the National Capital Race Weekend Half-Marathon with others from the Run Club and just last weekend, several of us ran the Canada Army Run Half-Marathon.
In May, I ran a 1:53:12 half-marathon; after an additional 3 months of regular training, I ran a 1:49:51 at the Army Run. The motivation and encouragement of my running buddies and the Elation Centre coaches played a major part in these results.
As coincidence would have it, I was half-way through writing this post when I ran into an old friend at this morning’s yoga class. We chatted a little and she told me she’s been trying to run two or three times a week. She was considering doing a half-marathon, but she said she can never run more than 60 minutes because she gets so bored.
“Ah”, I said. “You need to come run with us on Saturday mornings. There is nothing boring about Saturday morning long runs”.
My friend had read about the Elation Centre Run Club on the website but wasn’t sure exactly how it worked, so I explained it to her. In case you aren’t familiar with it, here’s what I told her:
It’s very simple. We meet at 8 am on Saturday mornings just inside the studio doors. If you’re on the email list, you get the route ahead of time, usually Wed or Thurs. At 8 am sharp, we discuss the route, maps are handed out, and we head out. Run distances are usually between 10 and 14 kms in the off season, and work up to half-marathon distance between February and September in preparation for the two big races in Ottawa: National Capital Race Weekend and the Canada Army Run Half Marathon.
So, with maps in hand and energy to burn, we naturally break off into groups based on pace as we start to run. We almost always follow a ten minute run: one minute walk format.
We run. We walk. We sip water or energy drinks. We laugh. We snack (on appropriate running fuel). We vent. We solve life’s problems.
Saturday mornings are for me, not for anyone else. It’s a time to be selfish, to get motivated, to recharge and to run.
And we can always use new blood. So join us on Saturday!
The Elation of Running!
June 2, 2011
Ottawa Race Weekend 2011- Elation Centre members, family and friends all put in weeks and months of training, stayed focused and were totally prepared for their race last weekend. Experiences ranged from personal best times, participation in a very first race weekend, and the accomplishment of something just a few months prior was simply an idea. Everyone asks about the elusive Runner’s High, yes it can happen during a run, for the most part however, it happens after the race, when you know have done your best and you experience the joy, the strength of body and mind and sheer elation of a job well done! Congratulations everyone
Also a huge thank you to all our friends and family members who were cheering along the route, Jeanette and Jean-Pierre organize our Saturday Run Club and were on Richmond Road to high-five all of us as we ran by and Jean-Pierre took some awesome photos. Below is Jean-Pierre’s account of the race from a spectators perspective.
“Richmond Road was eerily silent. The constant hum of traffic was gone, replaced by the footfalls of locals walking along the empty road. People are gathering on the side walks and at intersections. Some have opened lawn chairs and others have signs and placards saying “Run Bob Run!”, “You can do it!” and “Go Mom Go!”
At the corner at Kirkwood, a police officer is preventing people from turning onto Richmond, constantly explaining “the road’s closed for the Marathon”. Frustrated drivers do a quick u-turn and speed away. Across from the officer, a group of teenagers, dressed in cheerleader outfits, bop and dance to techno music.
As the minutes tick past, the anticipation mounts amongst the ever growing crowd. People are constantly looking at their watches, 9.20 one time, 9.23 the next. “They’ll be here soon” says a spectator. Everyone’s looking down the street, craning to see over the rise and around the bend.
From around that bend, the lights of a police motorcycle flash and the siren shrieks to clear the streets. Suddenly, you can see the leaders of the race cruising past the 8km mark at a tremendous pace. A few seconds later, a small peleton of runners were trying to chase down the leaders. Within minutes, the road was filled with runners and the ground reverberated and a thunder rolled out from under their feet.
Minutes later, we spotted our first Elation runner, Tonja, hopping through the crowd saying hello to us. Then followed Mary, with a wave and a smile from the middle of the pack. Still more runners streamed past and we strained to find our folks in the crowd. Suddenly, Kristen shouts for our attention and then so does Melinda. Caroline jumps in front of us and slaps our hands. Jenn and Liisa flash huge grins as they power past us, while Jodi and Consuelo wave their arms in the air. Suddenly, the crowd swallows them up and we continue our search. Finally we see Tiffany as she slaps our hands, Shirley pops out of the crowd striking a pose, and then Mike calls out a simple, “hey!” as he continues past the cheerleaders. Donna, Amy and Cathy are next as they pause for a few high fives. Lynn, Ashley and then Dominique aren’t far behind and we give them a great cheer and send them on their way.
There are so many people that we’ve missed! We continue to scan the faces of the runners hoping that we simply missed them in the crowd and not that they’ve fallen of the back of the pack. As we look and cheer on the runners, a light rain begins to fall and the pack stretches and thins out. The walkers are next and we keep our cheers loud for them. Just 50 minutes after the leader passed us, the last 2 runners go past the cheers of the soaked spectators. Happy and beaming pride, we head of to look up everyone’s finishing times.”
Running Wrap-Up and Potato Salad
May 25, 2011
This is the week we finish up our Spring Run Class session, with many of our members participating in the National Capital Race Weekend. From our Learn to Run class completing their first 30 minute run, to our Run Faster participants fine tuning for their big race and our Saturday morning group ready to tackle the half-marathon, it has been a great season of training.
We send out a huge thank you to our coaches, Sherry Carson our speed demon, Deb Ozarko helping everyone run faster, Maria Fulford guiding our Beginners, Monja DeLuca cracking the whip at the Runner’s Boot Camp and Jean-Pierre Morin & Jeanette Steffler leading our Saturday morning Run Club; Elation Centre is blessed to have so many talented and dedicated coaches – Thanks to all of you!
A reminder that our Summer Run Session starts with the Learn to Run Faster #1 class on Wednesday June 1 and the LTR Faster #2 class on Tuesday June 7 and our very popular Trail Class on Thursday June 9, the Run Club is training for the Army Run half-marathon, the training schedule will be posted soon. You can check out the run class page for more details and you can register here.
Roasted Potato and Bean Salad with Basil and Walnuts
On Saturday we had a potluck with our Run Club to celebrate our last long run before the NCM weekend and Jenn made an amazing salad, perfect for pre or post-race fuel. The recipe comes from Food and Drink Magazine and was a huge hit. Jenn tells us the secret ingredient is the basil, lots of it, and to get fresh green beans. I’m going to make a big bowl of this and eat away at it all weekend
Roasting potatoes instead of boiling them gives a new flavour spin to this classic summer salad. Toss the salad ingredients together just a few hours ahead of serving to preserve the vibrant green colour of the beans and basil vinaigrette. Use the freshest walnuts available – either California walnuts or ones in the shell.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs (1.5 kg) new red potatoes (about 16 to 20)
- 1/3 cup (75 mL) olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup (175 mL) walnut pieces
- 1 1/2 lbs (750 g) green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) lengths
- 6 green onions sliced
- 1 cup (250 mL) packed fresh basil
- 1/3 cup (75 mL) walnut or olive oil
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Scrub potatoes (do not peel) and cut each into 6 to 8 wedges. Place on a large heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with half of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 35 minutes or until tender. Let cool. Place in a large serving bowl.
- Meanwhile, place walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until fragrant. Set aside.
- Cook beans in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes or until just crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold water to chill. Drain well and wrap in a clean dry kitchen towel to absorb moisture. Add to potatoes along with onions.
- Purée basil, remaining olive oil, walnut oil, vinegar and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour over potato mixture and toss to coat well. Sprinkle with walnuts.
Just because it’s cold outside… you still need to be hydrated!
February 17, 2011
The number one rule that you will find on tips for staying hydrated? Drink water even when you don’t feel thirsty – this is especially important when you are engaging in strenuous exercise. A lot of us think that we are fine in the winter months, clocking our weekly runs, including our long slow distance, without too much concern for water intake. This is mainly because we don’t feel over heated in sub-zero temperatures, and with all those high tech wicking fabrics …it feels like we are sweating less. But guess what? We need water just as much in the winter as we do in the summer. Aside from a good training schedule, hydration is one of the most important considerations for enhancing your performance – winter, summer, spring, and fall.
What is the big deal about being hydrated? Well, there is a strong scientific rationale: When you are exercising you are losing fluids, in addition to the normal loss you encounter on a day to day basis. You are not only losing fluids but you are also losing electrolytes. Fluids and electrolytes are all necessary in maintaining good blood flow to muscles and in supplying them with sodium, potassium and carbohydrates. As well, consistent hydration has a natural cooling effect which helps to maintain a normal body temperature. Other benefits include, increased concentration, enhanced skin complexion and increased overall energy.
Here are some pretty basic tips for staying hydrated while in a running training program:
- Oh? What was #1 again? Drink water even when you don’t feel thirsty!
- For daily living: we all need to consume half our body weight in fluid ounces; for a 125lb runner that’s about 8 cups of water per day, if you weigh more – drink more
- Start drinking water as soon as you get up in the morning – get in the habit. Try to have at least two – four cups of water before noon. Yes, there is some debate about whether or not coffee and tea count … but do yourself a favour and have pure water (with a squeeze of lemon or lime – bonus!) on top of those caffeinated drinks.
- You might want to stop drinking water about an hour before your actual running start time so you don’t feel the urge to go to the bathroom half way through.
- Bring water or plan for water breaks during your running workouts. If you are running more than an hour, you need to plan to hydrate at least every 15-20 minutes.
- Invest in a good fitting water belt. There are so many wonderful choices these days, including the multi-bottle fuel belt which can be used for both fuel (water + a gel), water and a sports drink containing electrolytes.
- Rehydrate after your run. It helps you recover more quickly – replacing those depleted potassium and sodium stores. For runs over 90 minutes rehydrate with Sports Drinks
- Watch the weather forecast. In the summer you have to be extremely diligent about hydration as lack of hydration could have very serious effects on your health.
- The ultimate test? Watch the colour of your urine. Health supplements and some veggies can make your urine a bright or odd colour. But despite this, a well hydrated individual will pee pretty clear! Take a look – it is one of your best measures of whether or not your body is hydrated!
Guest Post by Sherry Carson – Tempo Runs
February 12, 2011
Sherry Carson is Elation Centre’s Speed Running Coach. She wrote this post in response to questions raised in her class.
Some runners have been asking me how a long, slow distance run can translate into a faster race pace over the same distance. Quite simply, on it’s own, it can’t. Speed work is the catalyst that will allow you to pick up the pace on race day. The type of speed work we do on Tuesdays (intervals) is a very good start to seeing a differential but the other type, tempo runs, also play a large role in increasing your race pace. I have described tempo runs by answering the following questions:
- Who? Anyone who is serious about improving race times.
- Why? To improve speed, not just in racing but run speed in general.
- What? Tempos are a run where you warm-up at your usual pace, pick up the pace in the middle of the run for a period of time, and then do a cool down run at the end.
- When? Roughly once a week, approximately 3 out of every 4 weeks. I tend to do 3 weeks of tempo runs (once per week) and then take a week off.
- Where? Anywhere you do your regular run. Try and avoid a route with lots of stop lights or a lot of hills so you can maintain a steady pace without a lot of breaks.
- How? Warm up with a 2-3 km run at an easy pace, then pick up the pace to where you feel like you are working but not in distress. You should be in slight discomfort but able to hold the pace evenly for the duration. The distance should be approximately half the distance of the race you are training for. (If you are training for a half-marathon, for example, you should increase your tempo distance until you get to 10-11km). Cool down with an easy jog for 2 km.
Note that you don’t need to make every tempo run 10-11km. For example in half-marathon training, my 4 weeks of tempo are as follows:
- Week 1: 5-6 km
- Week 2: 7-8 km
- Week 3: 10-11 km
- Week 4: Off
For a 10 km race, it would be as follows:
- Week 1: 3-4 km
- Week 2: 4-5 km
- Week 3: 5-6 km
- Week 4: Off
Tempos are tough mentally and physically but they will make you a better runner. Unfortunately, they almost always have to be done on your own as it is hard to find a run partner who is your pace as well being on your schedule. I am not too focused on actual pace when I do them but more on the effort I am putting in. I figure if I am running fairly hard, that’s what counts. Your goal is to maintain the same pace throughout. Once you get into the routine of them, they are not so bad. I liken it to taking medicine when you are sick. It is unpleasant momentarily but the outcome is why you do it.
Guest Post by Anne Boucher – Enjoy the Moment
January 27, 2011
In our quest to help all our members and readers to stay motivated and healthy, here is a great story from Elation Centre Runner, Anne Boucher, telling us about a fantastic run she had over the holidays.
Everyone knows that starting to run was a big thing for me and I’m so proud of it. I started with Donna’s Beginner Runner class in March 2010. I was always active, but it was in September 2008 that I started to lose weight. I had exercised using the elliptical machine and I was looking for a change.
Over the Christmas holidays, I went to my parents’ place and had a wonderful time with all my relatives. On Boxing Day, I would usually hang around the house and maybe go to the shopping center in the afternoon. But this year I decided I had to go for a run. I don’t want to lose any of the strength that I have gained since March.
My brother has horses and he made a trail for his horses to walk through the woods. I thought this would be a nice place to run. Since I was running through the woods and not on a busy road, I brought my parents’ dog with me. It ended up she was such a nice buddy to run with, I wondered why I had never run with her before. My brother did not know how long his trail was, which was too bad because I couldn’t log the run in my journal (the one I bought following Donna’s suggestion for entering all my accomplishments). I figured I would be able to tell roughly how far I had run by watching the time.
I started to run in a field that ended up deep in the woods. It was a bit cold, but beautiful and the dog was so happy I could almost see her smiling. I had my camera with me and took pictures of the inspiring scenery as I was running, so inspiring that I ran 55 minutes in that trail. I was not exhausted or anxious to finish as often happens to me. Certainly not because I wasn’t giving my best effort (I was sweating even though it was cold – actually my hair was a bit frozen on the side!). I guess I was just enjoying being outside and using my new strength to run and even my ability to run (something I did not even think I was able to do some months ago). Donna is always telling us in class to enjoy the moment. That is what I did that day and, wow, it was a good feeling!
Total Core Solution
January 3, 2011
We are very happy to introduce Core Conditioning classes as part of our drop in offerings at Elation. Join Deb Ozarko on Thursdays at 7:15PM for an hour that will leave you feeling worked-out and strong.
What is true core strength and why does it matter?
The core consists of your abdominal, back, and hip muscles – basically, everything from shoulder to hip. Core strength is important for power, posture, agility, and stability – as an athlete and in everyday life. This challenging class incorporates yoga, pilates and body weight stability into a challenging mix to strengthen and tone as well as help reduce back problems. All exercises can be modified to accommodate all levels. With commitment, YOU will experience the difference a powerful core will make in your life!
Classes are taught by Deb Ozarko: Yogini, Functional Training Specialist, Vegan Triathlete and Triathlon Coach.
Hydration
December 7, 2010
Anyone who has been to my classes lately has heard me talk about staying hydrated. Recently, a friend was given the following calculation by her chiropractor to define how much water each individual needs:
your body weight (pounds) divided by two = amount of water needed daily (ounces)
I remember learning this in my nutrition classes and spoke with a couple of other nutritionists who also agree with this calculation.
I am an avid reader and love to read different perspectives. Although the above is a great way to approach hydration, it’s not necessarily always that simple. Apparently, we eat an average of 5 pounds of food per day.
- If your diet consists of an abundance of fruits and veggies: 4 to 4.5 pounds of this is water.
- If your diet consists of meat, refined flour products, and so forth: well….not so much water.
You also need to look at how much coffee you drink, which is quite dehydrating, and how much you perspire (if you are man) and how much you glow (if you are a woman), as this also impacts how much water you need to replenish.
The Mayo Clinic lists the following signs as mild dehydration:
- dry, sticky mouth
- sleepiness or tiredness
- thirst
- decreased urine output
- dark urine
- muscle weakness
- headache
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- dry skin
It’s very easy to get dehydrated, yet staying hydrated is free, calorie free, and incredibly supportive for physical and mental health.
I recommend reading the following articles from the Globe and Mail:
Rethink how your rehydrate when exercising
What kind of sports drink will keep my hydrated?
They are educating, empowering, and enriching. Thank you, Patricia, for passing them on.
