It is literally is a miracle I am still standing.

Hydration is something I haven’t always taken seriously.

When training for my first ultra marathon, I would wake at dawn and run the required distance (in the vicinity of 35-40 km) and forget my water bottle at home. If I would be fortunate enough to cross a water fountain, I would have a few sips before heading home to “hydrate.”

It is literally is a miracle I am still standing.

I don’t know if it is age or experience but I have taken H20 a little bit more seriously the past while. It could be that I flirted with dehydration on the 100 Mile Trek or that I work with people who drink an obscene amount of water, but I finally have pulled up my bootstraps in that regard.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the summer months = need for more water.

Something that I have noticed as the mercury climbs is that I am a bit slower on my training runs. Instead of pushing myself to maintain the regular pace, I allow my body to adapt to the new (and finally warm) Canadian climate and then increase my speed.

I have also been throwing some extra electrolytes into my water to help keep my levels normal. I really like Emergen-C.

And last night, I finally bought something I had been mulling over for months:

A proper hydration pack!

Although I looked into a few Camelbacks, this one ultimately caught my eye because of the pockets at the front for all my gels, additional water bottles, cell phone, pets, and anything else I could possibly want to take with me on a long run.

It carries about 2 L of water. The question remains – How much water do you drink on a run or ride?

I had a very brilliant runner once tell me that at the end of every song on her iPod, she took a small sip from her pack until it became an unconscious action. I have been following her advice ever since and have noticed a huge increase in my performance. I am talking negative splits – finishing the second part of my run faster than the first bit.

I am getting very excited for the holiday weekend ahead so I can hit the trails and try out my new toy.

Do you drink enough water in the summer?