When you are dripping with sweat on hot and humid summer runs, you know you need to hydrate.

But what about in cooler weather? Is it really that important if you're not really sweating that much?

Yes.

But your fall hydration plan isn't going to be exactly like what you need in the summer.

Clearly, if you are sweating less, you need to drink less to replace less fluid lost.

But how much less?

Figuring out the answer for you is done the same way as it is in the summer, using your thirst and testing your sweat rate at home.

Like most things running, it involves trial and error. But the more you test and practice, the more likely you will be to find the right amount that will hydrate you just right, without mid-run bathroom breaks.

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read more (6 minutes)

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ask me anything

Q:

My last half marathon was 1:45 but my last full marathon was 3:55. My dream is to qualify for the Boston Marathon, but I need at least 3:40 (and probably much faster). Do you think I'm capable of a BQ this fall?

A:

Using a quick race equivalency calculator, a 1:45 half roughly equates to a 3:39 full marathon.

So sure, go for it!

Actually, not so fast...

Calculators are really estimators because they are nowhere near an exact science. In your case, it's likely that you're not unrealistic with your goal, but you might need to open up your timeline for achieving it.

The discrepancy in your current race times tells us that you either haven't built up the stamina for the marathon and/or something about your strategy or fueling is off.

This is why the full is more than twice as hard as the half.

Even if you have the perfect fueling and pacing strategy, you are attempting to knock off about 20 minutes from your current PR. If you've been trying for a while, big jumps in finishing times happen less and less often.

My suggestion is to keep your BQ dream in mind, but focus on simply getting better at the marathon at your current fitness.

Do not train for a 3:39 marathon right now, because you are not there yet.

Focus on getting better and better at all the things that got you to the 3:55 marathon so you can build your fitness and confidence right now, instead of overreaching.

I like to call this "sneaking up on your fitness."

That means it might take 2 or 3 more marathons, spread out over 12-18 months more to get within real striking distance of the BQ.

Methodically chipping away at your dream goals with consistency is typically the best way to actually achieve them.

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podcast

Let's face it. Most of us aren’t Olympians. We’re parents and people with full time jobs, and we’re not in our twenties any more.

But we still want to get the best out of ourselves every time we train and line up at the start.

What’s the best way to do that?

Today we are going to talk to John Davis, coach and writer, who holds a PhD in human performance.

His new book is called Marathon Excellence for Everyone and I’m going to ask him if everyone really can be excellent at it.

We also talk about:

• Regular runners can get really good at the marathon,
• How advances in science have made massive changes in the sport, and
• We’ll go over some marathon training myths and mistakes that might be costing you minutes

While we don’t get into the mental side of training in this conversation, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered for your next race with my new Find Your Flow State Audio training series. Head to theplantedrunner.com/flowstate to learn more.

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inspo

“Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.”

— Thomas Edison

Have a great run today, Coach Claire

P.S. You've trained your body. But what about your mind? If you are ready to turn race anxiety into calm confidence, it's time to Find Your Flow State, my brand new 4-part audio series. It's more affordable than you think. Click here before race day!

Thank you for being a part of the Planted Runner community!

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My mission is to help runners just like you reach goals they never dreamed possible through science-backed training and plant-based nutrition.

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Since 2016, I've helped thousands of every day runners become fitter, faster, and stronger with truly customized training and coaching.

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I also love to share what I have learned from my own journey starting as a non-runner to a 2:58 marathoner at age 42, as well what I have learned coaching runners, completely FREE. I do that every week in this newsletter and on the Planted Runner Podcast.

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Being a part of this email community ensures that you first access to everything we have coming up – from free running and nutrition guides, to events like workshops and retreats, and so much more to help you get results.

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I'm so glad you're here and my inbox is always open. Feel free to reply with questions or feedback!

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