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PEORIA (Heart of Illinois ABC) – It’s hot here right now and current temperatures are expected to hit the low 90s this weekend.
Journalist Brett Brooks spoke with a few experts about how runners can prepare today to stay hydrated on race day.
“Our preparation should be the same as our participants, which is to drink plenty of water and stay well hydrated throughout the week.” Said Philip Lockwood the general manager of the Steamboat Classic 2022
The annual Steamboat Classic takes place this Saturday, with the extreme heat this week it is important that riders start hydrating before the race.
“If anyone knows they’re going to do a race like the Steamboat Classic on Saturday. I want to start hydrating now.
RC Outfitters owner Adam White says you’ll need more than just water, “we want to make sure we’re getting our sodium, our magnesium, our chlorides, we want to get the full range of electrolytes in plus fluids, their two vitals.”
White recommends anyone who does physical activity outdoors add an electrolyte tablet like this to their water.
“It’s tabs that dissolve inside water and you get all the healthy electrolytes without all the other junk from processed chemicals and sugars.” said White.
However, on race day, race general manager Philip Lockwood said there would be a lot of water, “on average there is a water station every mile, then in the last two miles of the race, there is a water station every half mile.”
While it’s important to stay hydrated, White says runners need to listen to their bodies because signs of heat exhaustion can start slowly.
“So you watch for fatigue and cramping, and then things will slowly turn into heat exhaustion.” said White.
A good indicator of how much water weight you are losing is to weigh yourself in the morning and then in the evening, the difference would be the amount of water weight you have lost.
Also, the electrolyte tables mentioned by Adam cost less than $8 and are available at most outdoor stores.
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