August heat and humidity is tough on everyone and training for the Virginia Ten Miler can be brutal. In our Training Tuesday, some advice on how hydration is key to your success.

Whether you are just starting out or have been running for years, drinking water or some type sports drink is a must.

Jeff Fedorko, Riverside Runners - "You need to have a game plan, before you start your run, for hydration. Get up a little earlier. Drinking a water bottle, which is about 20 ounces before you go run."

That should be enough for short runs, say less than twenty minutes.

Jeff - "Every twenty minutes you should be drinking some type of fluid."

Now for running several miles...

Dr. Chris Thomson, Centra Health (web) Physician - "If you are exercising for sixty minutes or more. Think about a sports drink. An electrolyte, carbohydrate solution that is going to replace salt and carbohydrates.

But if you drink just water, more than two liters can be dangerous.

Thomson - "If you drink a lot of water, without replacing salt you could develop hyponatrymia. It is the combination of losing salt in our sweat and in addition not replacing it by the liquids that we are drinking."

Jeff - "There is no reason not to drink, some people feel if they do drink they will have an upset stomach."

If this happens to you, drink small amounts while exercising. Your body will condition itself and you are less likely to become sick.

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