TRAIL

Thirsty?

From the doctor

Ballito GP and ultra runner Dr Rosie Carey explains how dehydration affects your body and how to avoid it.

The 2013 Comrades up run is etched in my memory. It was unusually hot, with temperatures above 30°C, and a blistering headwind picked up. I started vomiting 45km into the run and the second half of the race became increasingly torturous as I got more and more dehydrated.

I was not alone.

Running up Polly Shorts was like an apocalyptic scene, with runners lying collapsed every few metres on the side of the road. The stats say it all: of 14,200 runners who started, just over 10,000 finished and 366 runners ended up in the medical tent

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from TRAIL

TRAIL2 min read
Lekker Lekker Lekker!
South Africa lost a unique and much-loved voice in October 2021. Carel Bezuidenhoud, better known as Raasbekkie, was synonymous with many of South Africa’s favourite running and cycling events. His big smile, soulful serenading, and a seemingly endle
TRAIL3 min read
4 Cool Hot Day Runs
Andy Wesson is an avid trail explorer from Port Elizabeth. The new trails at Hayterdale are marvellous. If running in mid-summer is hot, you know Addo will be pure swelter! Thank goodness for forests and streams to keep things cool, and this brand-ne
TRAIL6 min readDiet & Nutrition
Mexican Wave
DEON BRAUN is exploring ways to live a healthier, more Nature-centred life through permaculture. Have you ever bonked on a trail? No, not that kind. Any endurance athlete knows that bonking – also known as hitting the wall due to low blood sugar – is

Related Books & Audiobooks