Hydration Is a Full-Time Job
Hydration isn't something you think about five minutes before your run. It's something you're doing all day long, whether you realize it or not.
A few summers ago, I remember finishing what should have been an easy run and wondering why it felt so hard. My pace wasn't the issue. The weather wasn't unusually hot. By the end of the day, I realized I'd barely had anything to drink before heading out. That run was a good reminder that hydration doesn't start when you lace up your shoes. It starts hours earlier.
As the seasons shift and warmer weather arrives, it's time to get serious about one of the most important parts of your training: staying hydrated.
A note before we dive in: Everything here is a recommendation, not a prescription. Individual hydration needs vary based on diet, sodium intake, environment, lifestyle, body size, and age. When in doubt, consult a health care professional.
Why Hydration Matters More Than You Think
I've coached runners who spent weeks trying to figure out why easy runs suddenly felt harder. More often than not, the issue wasn't their training plan. It was that they were trying to play catch-up with their hydration. Water is critical for performance.
Hydration starts long before your run.
In practice, dehydration shows up in a lot of small ways that runners don't always recognize at first. Maybe your energy crashes halfway through the afternoon. Maybe you develop a headache that seems to come out of nowhere. Maybe an easy run feels harder than it should. Those are often early signs that your body is asking for more fluids.
So yes, hydration is a full-time job and as warmer months approach it deserves our full attention.
How Much Should You Drink
There isn't a single number that works for everyone but there are a couple of helpful places to start.
The National Academy of Medicine recommends that men and women consume around 125 ounces and 90 ounces of water per day, respectively. About 20% of that water typically comes from our food. That means the recommended intake from drinking water and other beverages is roughly 101 ounces for men and 68 ounces for women.
Another guideline many runners use is:
Body weight (lbs) ÷ 2 = daily fluid ounces
Think of these recommendations as two different tools. The National Academy of Medicine provides general daily intake recommendations for the average adult, while the body weight guideline is a simple rule of thumb many runners use as a starting point to estimate their individual hydration needs.
Remember, these are starting points. Your hydration needs may be higher or lower depending on your training load, environment, body size, sweat rate, and overall lifestyle.
How to Tell If You Are Dehydrated
Here is something that surprises a lot of runners: by the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.
It only takes a 1%–2% decrease in total body water to affect performance.
One of the first questions I ask runners who tell me they're getting headaches after long runs isn't about pace or the workout itself. It's, "What have you had to drink today?" More often than not, we uncover the answer pretty quickly. Hydration is often the missing piece. Not because runners don't care about it but because they're trying to make up for it after the run instead of staying ahead of it throughout the day.
Here are some ways to check in with your hydration status at home:
Check your urine color. This is one of the easiest ways to check your hydration status at home. Pale yellow is what you're aiming for. Dark yellow or amber usually means you need more fluids, while consistently clear urine may be a sign that you're drinking more fluid than your body needs.
One important note: certain medications, vitamins (especially B vitamins), and foods like beets can change the color of your urine regardless of your hydration status. Use urine color as one piece of the puzzle, not the only measure.
Body weight changes can tell you a lot about sweat loss. Weigh yourself before and after your run. Any weight lost can be considered fluid loss. For every pound lost, aim to drink 16 to 24 ounces of fluid and continue hydrating through the rest of the day. If you weigh more after your run, you may have taken in more fluid than you lost or be retaining extra sodium. If you drop more than 2 to 3% of your body weight during a run, it's a sign to revisit your hydration strategy.
Thirst is a late signal. Do not wait for it. Sip consistently throughout the day.
Other signs of dehydration include muscle cramping, fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness, confusion, dry mouth, and an elevated heart rate. Your body will let you know. The goal is to listen before it has to shout.
COACH LAUREN’S NOTE
One thing I've learned from my own training is that the scale can tell you more than you might think. I don't weigh myself before and after every run and I don't think that's necessary. But I do use it as a tool, especially during the summer months, to understand how much fluid I'm actually losing and how much I need to replenish to stay healthy, recover well, and continue hitting my training goals.
What to Drink
For most easy weekday runs, water is all I need. Once my long runs start creeping past an hour, that's when electrolytes start becoming part of the conversation.
Not all fluids play the same role when you're training.
Here's how I think about it with runners:
Water: Your everyday baseline. Simple, accessible, and usually enough for shorter or easy efforts. Just remember it doesn't replace electrolytes lost through sweat.
A quick note on plain water: more is not always better. During and after longer efforts, relying only on water without electrolytes can actually work against you. Remember, balance matters.
Sports Drink: Useful for longer runs or hotter days when you're sweating more. Look at the nutrition label for sodium and carbohydrates so you ensure it matches your needs rather than just grabbing whatever is available.
Fruit Infused Water: A small upgrade that can make hydration more appealing especially if plain water is hard to keep up with during the day.
Chocolate Milk: After long runs, chocolate milk is still one of my favorite recovery options. It's easy, it tastes good after a hard effort, and its nutrition profile checks a lot of the recovery boxes without overcomplicating things.
Electrolytes
Electrolytes have become one of those buzzwords in the running world.
Some runners think they need them for every workout. Others never think about them. The truth usually lands somewhere in the middle.
When we sweat, we primarily lose sodium and chloride. These play a key role in muscle function, fluid balance, and overall performance. Once you start running consistently, especially in the heat, those losses matter more than most runners realize.
Most people eating a balanced diet will get enough electrolytes day to day. But training changes the equation. You do not need to rely on sports drinks alone. Whole foods can support electrolyte intake as well and many runners do perfectly well without supplements.
Note: Electrolyte supplements are not for everyone. If you are generally healthy and do light activity, water and a balanced diet are likely all you need. Your body is remarkably good at regulating electrolytes on its own.
If you're unsure whether you need additional electrolytes based on your training, environment, or health factors, it's always worth checking in with your doctor before adding anything new.
Wrapping It Up
Hydration is not glamorous but it is foundational. It affects how you feel, how you perform, and how well you recover.
Nobody gets excited about carrying a water bottle around all day. But the runners who stay healthy through the summer usually aren't doing anything flashy. They're just consistently taking care of the basics. Hydration is one of those basics.
As we move into warmer months I encourage you to treat hydration as part of your training, not just an afterthought.
What This Looks Like at Wayfinder Running Co.
One of the things I emphasize with every runner I coach is that training doesn't begin when you press start on your watch. The choices you make throughout the day (how you fuel, how you recover, how you sleep, and yes, how you hydrate) all influence how your runs feel.
Hydration is one of those habits that often gets overlooked because it isn't exciting. Most runners assume they just need to drink water during or after a run. In reality, staying hydrated is something you're working on all day long. That's why, during our coaching calls, we don't just talk about workouts. We also talk about the habits that support those workouts.
At Wayfinder Running Co., my goal isn't simply to help you cross a finish line. It's to help you become a healthier, more confident runner who understands why your training works. Whether we're preparing for your first 5K, building toward a half marathon, or getting back into running after time away, we focus on creating sustainable habits that fit your life.
I am RRCA certified, a lifelong runner, and always learning. The thing I hear most from clients isn't about paces or plans. It's that they finally feel like they have someone in their corner.
If you're curious whether coaching might be a good fit for you, I offer a free introductory consultation. There's no commitment. It's simply a conversation. You'll get a sense of how I coach and I'll learn about where you are and where you want to go. Together, we'll decide whether working together is the right fit.
Keep Moving Forward,
~ Coach Lauren