With warmer weather here, be aware of the importance of hydration.

Staying adequately hydrated will make your runs easier and ensure you do not run into problems during longer runs or high mileage weeks of training. Hydration is also easy to overlook. Make sure you do not neglect the importance of hydration or you will find yourself making some grueling runs or even in the hospital.

Keys to staying hydrated:

• Drink 10 to 12 eight ounce glasses of water throughout the day. The average person who is not training for a marathon or half marathon is recommended to consume 8 eight once glasses of water per day.

• Weigh yourself before each run. Then weigh yourself after each run and get your body weight back to what it was before the run by drinking water or sports drink within two hours following the run.

• Consume 6-8 ounces of water or sports drink during your runs. You can get away with not drinking on 30-40 minute runs, but it is a good idea to drink on the run for anything longer.

To learn more, visit http://www.marathonrookie.com/hydration.html.

Pasta with Spinach & Cheese

Ingredients:

12 oz. pasta shells, cooked

3 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 can (10 1/2 oz.) condensed mushroom soup

1 c. milk

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook and drain spinach. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Mix spinach, pasta shells and 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese and pour into dish. Blend soup with milk and garlic well. Pour over pasta mixture. Top with remaining Cheddar cheese and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Bake for 45 minutes.

Nancy Clark's Food Guide For Marathoners is a great resource for nutrition during training.

Practicing visualization is an easy way to get your mind working for you to achieve your goal. To learn more, check out Dr. Barbara Walker’s CD titled Great Running! Visualize Yourself to a Great Marathon.

Brad Boughman
www.MarathonRookie.com