Race Countdown: RBC Race For The Kids, plus tips for staying hydrated from the Running Room

The Minnesota Half Marathon / RBC Race For the Kids is a week away & we talked with the experts at local running store: the Running Room about the best ways to stay hydrated. (If you’re running the race, or want to (you can still sign up this week!), check out our FAQs for details on bib pickup and race day.

Staying hydrated is a serious task when you are tackling a summer running or walking event, especially when it is hot and humid. Staying hydrated can mean the difference between cramping and no cramping, and between finishing and not finishing your run or walk. Here are a few items to think about that can help stave off running out of fuel.

Three great options for carrying water:

Nathan Hydration Quickshot Handheld which retails for $19.99. This handheld can carry 300ml/10oz of water and is easily refillable at water stations. It comes equipped with a small zipper pocket for storage of small items like a gel or keys and a card.

A step up from the quick shot is the Nathan Speedmax Plus Handheld bottle that retails for $29.99. This option carries 650ml/22oz and is also easily refillable at water stations. It has a larger pocket that can accommodate gels, blocks or chews, and keys or cards.

If you are a heavy sweater and need to replace a lot of water, then the Nathan Vapor Air Hydrations Vests are perfect solutions. They retail for $149.99 but they also have the most storage capacity with 2L of water as well as storage which means you can pack gear for a rainy day, such as a jacket. The vest also boasts great storage for gels and blocks or chews for quick nutritional access when needed. You can add more bottles to enhance your hydration needs.

So, we have the water carriers under control, but what if electrolyte replacement is needed? There are a lot of options out there and at the Running Room we have some easy ones for you to try.

Skratch Hydration Mix is a great additive for water and will help stave off cramps from creeping up. Along with those great features the taste is great. If you need to replace some electrolytes then this product will help with one packet $1.95 containing 380mg of sodium to help keep you going.

For longer events that require more than just electrolytes consider the Nuun performance product. This is a great option that will help replace electrolytes and also contains carbs so you don’t run out of fuel. They contain 380mg of sodium and 15g of carbs to keep you fueled and hydrated. The Nuun endurance packets retail for $1.99.

If you typically run into cramping issues while hydrating, then check out the Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes. These are available in capsule form and contain sodium, calcium, potassium and much more to help stave off cramping. A bottle comes at a cost of $22.99 with 120 caps.

We hope that you found some useful tips here. If you have any questions, the friendly folks at the Running Room are happy to help, just stop on in!