Correct fuelling and proper hydration are vital to successful training for a long run, as is finding a comfortable strategy. This means that you need to ensure that you drink sufficient water before you start your run as well as ensuring that you carry water with you to drink during your run.
Some individuals forgo carrying drinking water with them during a run because they say that it weighs them down and makes them slower and they will drink water after their run, but this is not a good idea at all. Just think about professionally organised half-marathons and marathons – they all have plenty of water-stations dotted throughout the run so that runners can hydrate themselves constantly, especially if they are running on a particularly warm day.
There are various methods of ensuring you have water during your run, including:
Carrying a single handheld bottle that is ergonomically moulded to fit your hand and which holds up to 500ml of fluid. Unfortunately many runners find that these bottle become rather heavy to carry while running.
Wearing a multiple-bottle belt around your waist will allow for hands-free running and can accommodate various liquids such as water and sports drinks in two to four 240ml – or 300ml bottles. While these belts are sized and made of flexible material for comfort and easier breathing and balances the weight of the bottles over your hips, some runners are uncomfortable carrying anything on their waists.
Some runners prefer wearing a hydration pack or vest, which generally include 1.5- to 2-litre bladders and several easy-access pockets for on-the-run fuelling. Just make sure that if you decide on this option, you do not carry too many items, as this can cause you to expend more energy per kilometre.
You could also plan a strategic rout for your run, on which there are public water fountains so that you can rehydrate without having to carry water with you.
Get bottled water coolers and mains water coolers from Living-Water in London.
