Your Scrumhalf Connection - Women's Rugby Blog

I am a strong believer in hydration. As I prepare for the Valkyries challenge match against Belmont Shore this weekend...this point of importance has become forefront in my mind.

I played at the University of Oklahoma for five years, a hot, dry...and HOT climate you might say. Especially during the summer months, the AC was always blowing! I have always loved drinking water (yes straight from the tap!) and never had a problem hydrating before games.

So when I moved to Austin, TX last July I thought I was good to go! HA, my first game I started overheating and remember seeing three of my flyhalf. I just threw to the middle one...haha. So I had to revamp my strategy a bit for the even hotter and dry Austin heat. I just realized that some of my readers are probably cursing me right now as they still have snow, sleet and general crappy cold weather! Sorry! Austin has been in the 80's for weeks now...already packed all the winter gear up!

Anyways, so I was thinking of my hydration strategy...and wondered if other players have their strategies or just try to remember to drink water. I know some of you are probably thinking...strategy? Is she nuts? Maybe I am, but now I don't overheat when its over a hundred degrees outside!

Basically if I know I have a game on Saturday or a tournament, I start drinking more and more water starting Wednesday. I would say on a normal week, and a normal day I drink 6-8bottles (I re-use my Vitamin Water bottles...they are 20 fl oz) easily. Yesterday I kept a tally and I drank 8 of these bottles at work and at least 3 while at home last night. Today I have drank 8 bottles already and plan to drink more before practice and before bed.

My strategy for Friday is to drink as much water as I can...my pee should be clear and copious (thanks Mark!). Fridays I usually move to a nalgene bottle too, as I get tired of filling up the smaller bottles. Friday night I usually start drinking a bit of Gatorade because by Friday I am so tired of water I have to change it up to keep the hydration going.

Saturday varies if the match is in the morning or the afternoon. But basically I keep drinking until I am almost sick of drinking...and I haven't had a problem yet!

Does anyone else obsess about hydration like I do? Do you have a strategy? Or do you just drink tons of water the night before your match? Do you drink water, sports drinks or anything else?