Water on cold long runs?

In the summer- anything over 3 to 5.
Mid-season, I'll go 6 without water.
In the winter, up to 8.

but that's just me.  and I drink before and after, of course.

I don't do fluids for anything under 10.  Once I'm over 10 I'll bring a small amount of fluids and maybe a Gel pack. 

Michael

I never take water. I bring cash as an emergency plan.

I'm on the same 'schedule' as morey000.

I also find that there's a ton of water sources around when you stop to look.... school's, parks, trailheads, etc. often have drinking fountains outside. 

 

Good Question.  I did a little over 10miles on Sunday w/o water.  I had some light camping in the calves around mile 5 but they went away.  Pace was slower than normal but I made sure I hydrated well the day before and morning of, as well as took in a little additional salt with my meals.

I think what' I'll do is loop back to the house (after 7-8 miles).  No stores on my route.  I like to travel light, don't like the fuel belt thing.

Not me. I rarely ever take anything with me for runs under 14-15 miles at any time of the year. However, I have taken water in a Camelbak on 20+ mile runs in the winter.

i carry a handheld Amphipod bottle with me for any run of an hour or more.  Easy enough, why not?  Since most of my runs start at a random trailhead on the side of the road, and head up into the trails, there's no amount of money that would buy me a drink if I want one during my run...

I take water on anything over an hour (so 7+ miles I guess) in the winter.   Late fall / early spring I bring along water 5+ miles.  Usually just bring 2 fuel belt bottles with me.

Edited by bgraboski 2011-01-12 5:55 PM

Yes. Sometimes I had problems with the Camelback tubes freezing, though.

Yes. Even if you're not sweating heavily you still loose a lot of water through breathing dry, cold air. If you don't like fuel belts, drop a bottle along your route just before you head out. If it's below freezing, turn the bottle upside down so that it freezes at the bottom first, not at the top of the bottle.

+1

Camelbak makes a winter system. Skiers use it all the time.

Just because it's cold doesn't mean you don't need water. You're still sweating, right?

That said, I don't generally take or seek out water unless I'm doing a run lasting over 2 hours--regardless of the temperature. That just seems to be what works for me.

I hate carrying water, but I've learned to get used to it during the winter because many of the bathrooms and water fountains are closed for the season. I also find that I prefer to carry my own fluids when I do marathons because I perform (and feel) better when I keep myself hydrated at my particular body's pace (as opposed to where someone randomly decided to set up a table)--so I train on my long runs that way as well...

I like carrying my hand held so I will take it with me any season for anything more than an hour.  I tend to overdress in the winter so I'm sweating a lot :-)  

In the summer I always carry water in my Nathan hand held.  In the winter I have a problem with the water freezing in the bottle.  On long runs in the winter I either leave water in my car (it has frozen there too), and loop back around using car as an aid station, or carry a little $ and stop at the Beeline market to buy water.  One thing I hate in the winter is that I can get my core warm, but my face/mouth never gets warm.  And don't wear mint chap stick.  Learned that lesson!  But when my mouth is really cold, the last thing I want is ice water.  I have to make myself drink in the winter.

jami   

Regardless of weather I bring water on anything over an hour. In the summer I bring more, but I still bring it when it's cooler.I hate stopping at drinking fountains, I hate stopping at all, it's so hard to get going again mentally, so I'd rather be able to drink while moving. And I don't run anywhere near stores.Mainly it's a mental comfort for me to have it. Some days I don't really need it, but if some reason I am a bit under hydrated and my mouth starts to get dry (happens from the cold air too) then I would be miserable the rest if the run because all I'd be able to think about was the sensation of being thirsty. It would mentally eat away at me. But if I have water, then a quick sip and I feel comfortable again. So I'd rather bring it just in case and enjoy my run than have the possibility of getting thirsty and then suffering through it.

I'm on a similar type schedule with carrying hydration, but around here they shut off water fountains in the winter. Frozen pipes and all that. I'm guessing you don't have in Ventura County

That's OK. We are hardier and can just eat the snow if we get thirsty.

In all seriousness, I did 10 mi last Saturday and took nothing. I'd never do that in the summer. In the summer, I'll take water on a 30-minute run, especially if I worked out beforehand. This is my first winter running long outdoors. Maybe if I get used to not drinking, I'll be able to do it more even when it is hotter.

I was seriously considering that the other day.

Agreed, taking water should not depend on the temperature so much as you would think. When it is colder and drier out you don't feel like you are losing as much because you probably are not as sweaty. The drier air will cause quicker evaporation.

My general rule any exercise over an hour and a half I'll take water.