Think Drink
Ray LaVoie
It was 55 years ago when I ran my first marathon. I was a young runner with the expectation to become a competitive marathoner. I was motivated to enter my first 26.2 miler, an event whose title is no longer embedded in my memory, and for good reason. By today’s standards, this is a race that should never have occurred.
It was held in NYC’s Central Park during August and accompanied by near 90-degree heat. And, might I add, there was only one water stop that I encountered at each 6-mile lap around the park. It’s easy to conclude that this would be a one-and-done marathon. There were only 13 runners competing and I sprinted to beat Fred Lebow to the finish line. I remember crossing the finish line when Lebow beckoned a volunteer to wrap a wet, cold towel around my neck as I was about ready to collapse. Of course, Lebow went on to become the Father of the NYC Marathon and a colleague at future New York Road Runner events.
Jane Dimel’s article, The Pulse of Energy, sparked a thought that continues to haunt me. In the early days of the marathon movement, little knowledge existed about marathon safety. Staging a marathon during the heart of summer is unthinkable today.
Dimel’s article sheds light on how my early runs were void of the importance of hydration, electrolytes and safety during endurance training. Up until about 30 years ago, I failed to heed the research about the importance of keeping hydrated even though the literature was replete with study after study emphasizing the dangers of not hydrating during long runs.
I remember running 10 miles most mornings and not drinking until I returned to my home base. And I paid for it the hard way. After one of my workouts, I experienced blood in my urine that I determined was caused by not hydrating. However, I had some sense of rational thinking knowing that drinking a large amount of water would cause my condition to return to normalcy.
You might have thought I had learned something from my first marathon. The repercussions of my stupidity had ongoing implications. My lack of attention to keeping hydrated facilitated the development of kidney stones that resulted in multiple visits over the years to the emergency room. The excruciating pain from kidney stones finally sunk in and hydrating finally became my pre-workout routine.
Today, you will not see me on a long workout through our beautiful paths without an electrolyte drink in my hand. In addition, I drink 16 ounces of water an hour before my workouts. My failure to heed the importance of hydrating before, during and after a workout was learned the hard way. “Think drink” is my mantra prior to every workout. It should be yours too.
Healthfully,
Phil Heit
Emeritus Executive Director
Healthy New Albany, Inc.
