The International Marathon of Mauritius is now 17-weeks away. L?express-outlook continues the countdown as your personal trainer with two training programs: one for beginners and one for seasoned runners. Last week was the start of the 18-week countdown. How did you do? If you did the distance, well done. If you haven?t started yet, it isn?t too late. Put on your running shoes and join in.

Here are some basic guidelines for your training sessions. More detailed information will be given over the following weeks.

Route preparation: Plan in advance where you are going to run. Establish some familiar routes: know the conditions you will face and how long it will take. Many runners train on a treadmill. If you have access to a gym or your own treadmill, use it as part of your program.

Body preparation: Prepare for exercise properly. Eat at least two hours before running to allow digestion. Meals should be light to avoid stomach cramps. Fluid intake is important before running.

Warming up: Warming up properly before a training session is crucial to minimise the risk of injury. Stretch the major muscle groups for at least 15 minutes then run easily for the first ten minutes of the run.

Cooling down: After the session, cool down by relaxed loose running. Do a stretch session, the same as the warm-up stretch. This will avoid stiffness or soreness the next day.

After training: Replenish the body's energy stores. The best time is within the first hour of exercise. Choose snacks that are high in carbohydrates, such as bananas or energy bars. Drink plenty of fluids. Use the first hour after exercise to relax and give your body a chance to recover.

February is one of the warmest months in Mauritius and dehydration can become a real problem.

Exercise raises the body?s core internal temperature (around your spine and internal organs). This would cause severe problems if it were not for the body?s cooling system: sweating and evaporation. When the body?s thermostat (the brain?s hypothalamus) senses a rise in the core temperature above 37 degrees Celsius, hot blood at the core is pumped to the skin. Sweating is initiated and air cools the wet skin several degrees below the core temperature. Hot blood from the core passing through the skin is cooled, and returns to reduce the core temperature. The cycle continues.

On a warm day, exercise typically leads to the loss of 1 to 2 litres of fluids each hour through sweating. As the body?s water content drops, the blood volume drops. Less blood is pumped with each heartbeat and less blood is delivered to the muscles. Lactic acid and other waste products build-up in the muscles. The body?s core temperature rises because less heat is carried away from the skin. The body also works harder to compensate, increasing the heart rate.

Studies have shown that for an average 70kg runner, a 1.5 litre loss through sweating increases the heart rate by up to 14 beats-per-minute, by dehydration alone. Performance reduces by around 4%, or about 2 minutes on a 10km run for most athletes. Some of us would suffer more. If dehydration continues to worsen because fluids are not replaced, muscle strength and endurance reduces and heat cramps can develop. That can stop you finishing the marathon, or cause injury during your longer training runs. Severe dehydration occurs above 6% body weight loss (4.5 litres for our 70kg runner), leading to heat exhaustion and heat stroke which can be life threatening.

The message: Hydrate and keep hydrated.

Most athletes don?t do a good job of keeping fluids topped up.

Richard Mohacsi is a Director of Summit to Sea Adventures. He has trained for and finished several endurance events. These include running mid-distance races, half-marathons and full marathons; the 132-km white water Avon Descent in Australia; and a number of cycle endurance races in New Zealand. He has trained in mountain survival and has hiked extensively in the Himalayas.

by Richard Mohacsi