Do not skip a drink - Plenty of drinking seems to be the necessary ingredient to have fun. While it is not true for alcohol, it is indeed the golden rule of running. Drink before the race, drink at every refreshment table along the race, drink at the end of the race. Do not wait to feel thirsty before drinking: thirst is already a symptom of dehydration. Drink only what you are used to drink. It is not advised to try new sport drinks while on the race because our organism could not digest them properly.
Do not exercise after eating your meal - Since it takes two hours for food to pass through the stomach, it is not a good idea to exercise within two hours after eating a meal. Fat and protein are particularly slow in being processed through the stomach and into the digestive tract, at a rate of three to five hours. As a result of eating before your workout, the blood normally used in the digestive tract and kidneys is redirected to the exercised part of your body, thus leaves the food just sitting in your stomach.
Do not stop drinking - Not only it is important to drink while running, it is also necessary to restore the fluid level of your organism immediately after the race. Drink pure water or sports drinks but make sure you avoid beverages containing caffeine (soda, tea or coffee) because caffeine will act as a diuretic and contribute to dehydration. As a general rule, try to drink a small bottle of fluid per each pound (half kilogram) of body weight that you lost while running.
