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Hydration 101: Prepare for Race Day

Hydration 101: class is now in session

nuun is our chosen hydration partner for the 2019 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour. nuun performance will be available on course on race day. We encourage all of our participants to train with what will be on course. You should also know why proper hydration is beneficial for you before, during, and after your long run. Hydration 101 will teach you about proper hydration’s benefits and how it affects your body. Use the 30% off code below and save. You will also find nuun and a rainbow of their flavors at our Health & Fitness Expo. Swing by their booth and meet nuun!

Hydration is energy (for your muscles)

Most people think that the purpose of hydration is to prevent dehydration and replenish electrolyte stores that may be lost via sweat. Although both of those are true (recent studies have shown that electrolytes may play greater roles in fluids absorption than sweat replenishment), the fundamental goal of hydration is to deliver oxygen to working muscles. Try to think about hydration or the fluid you are consuming as a way of helping your muscles breathe, which in turn gives them the energy they need to perform. Sometimes, it’s not so easy to just drink straight from a tap in order to help you hydrate yourself. You might find, that you are more likely to drink water if it is filtered. If this is something that interests you then you can check out Water Filter Way to help you find the best products to get pure water.

Water does not hydrate you

Yes, you read that correctly! While water does fundamentally provide your body with fluid, it does not truly hydrate you. Water needs to be in a specific concentration (composing of carbohydrates and electrolytes) to exit the stomach and move into circulation where it can be used by the body. Our water needs to contain sodium to ensure proper fluid absorption. To make matters even more complicated, your “water” should contain different amounts of carbohydrates and electrolytes before/during/after your workout.

Proper hydration will help mitigate gastric distress during exercise

To put it simply, when you are exercising, your body (stomach) is under stress. There are ways you can eat and drink to mitigate that stress or encourage it. When it comes to hydration, if the ratio of carbohydrates to fluid is too high or the electrolyte profile is too low, the delivery of fluid slows down. It sits in the stomach. That’s what causes sloshing and GI issues during racing.

Hydration will help you fuel better

This builds on the previous point. With proper hydration, you can help eliminate the GI issues that can come with it. This allows for faster and more efficient fueling. This is achieved by not overloading your system and using multiple pathways to absorb fluids and carbohydrates.

Hydration aids in recovery

One area that is critical to the recovery process is rehydrating. Rehydrating not only replenishes fluids lost during exercise, but it also aids in replenishing the electrolytes that were also lost. Keep in mind: drinking too much too fast can degrade the potential gains of the workout. Here’s why: over time your body has developed a strong immune system that helps repair itself when it is under the stresses of exercise. Therefore, naturally, your body begins repairing itself, slowly rehydrating, and continuing to hydrate throughout the day.

The experts at nuun wrote this Hydration 101 article. To learn more about nuun hydration, visit their website at nuunlife.com.

Austin Marathon Secures Title Sponsorship with Ascension Seton

in Press Release

Ascension Seton’s impact will be tremendous both race weekend and beyond

High Five Events is excited to announce Ascension Seton as the title sponsor of the Austin Marathon. The multi-year agreement includes naming rights, race weekend activations, and community engagement opportunities. Additionally, Ascension Seton will be the Official Medical Provider of the Austin Marathon. The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour® will take place on February 17, 2019.

“Ascension Seton is excited to be the title sponsor and Official Medical Provider for the Austin Marathon,” said Adam Bauman, vice president of business development at Ascension Seton. “The Austin Marathon reflects the community’s commitment to be an active and vibrant city, and through our partnership with High Five Events and friends of the Austin community, we are committed to promote, support, and facilitate activities for a healthy lifestyle.”

Official Medical Provider

As the Official Medical Provider, Ascension Seton doctors and nurses will staff the finish line medical tent and work with Travis County EMS on course. During race weekend, Team Ascension Seton will participate in all events. They’ll also volunteer their time and have a major presence at the Health and Fitness Expo. Their presence will be felt outside of race weekend as they get involved with local running clubs and attend community runs. They will raise funds and spread awareness as an Official Austin Gives Miles charity. Ascension Seton is part of the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system.

“This is a monumental day for the Austin Marathon and we’re thrilled to have Ascension Seton as the title sponsor,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “Their race-weekend involvement will take the Austin Marathon to another level, but we’re just as eager to support and better the Austin community throughout the rest of the year.”

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 28th year running in the capital of Texas in 2019. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 30+ countries around the world. Having start and finish locations in the heart of downtown Austin puts participants and spectators near all the action and within walking distance of restaurants, hotels, and shops. Finishing with the picturesque Texas State Capitol as your backdrop is icing on the cake for the perfect running weekend destination. Participants can register on the Austin Marathon website.

PROfile: Rachel Baptista, 2019 Austin Half Marathon Elite Athlete Program

in Blog post

Rachel Baptista has overcome injuries and is ready to race the Austin Half Marathon

Rachel Baptista has been accepted to the Austin Half Marathon’s Elite Athlete Program. She will compete against other top runners for a prize purse that totals $26,000 on Feb. 17, 2019. Baptista gives some insight as to who she is below. Run with her on race day, cheer her on, or watch the FloTrack live stream on race day from anywhere in the world.

About Rachel Baptista

Rachel Baptista, Austinite and 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier.

Half marathon PR (1:12:39)

Born and raised in Austin, so I guess that makes me a unicorn in modern Austin terms! I ran for Austin High School, Go Maroons! After high school, I attended and ran for The University of Colorado and The University of Tulsa. I endured quite a few injuries in college. I’m healthy again and have figured out the right mix of high-level, healthy training. When I’m not running I work at Rogue Running. I enjoy the finer things in life like chips and queso, playing with my bulldog Chunky, hanging out with my homies, and listening to Justin Bieber.

*Earned “B” standard for 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials at 2018 Silo District Half Marathon (1:12:39)

Training tip: Find awesome peeps to run with that will push you and inspire you to go places you didn’t think you could. One thing that helps me get up at 4:45 in the morning is knowing I’ll get to do one of my favorite things with some of my favorite people. #bettertogether

Race day tip: Keep it simple and don’t over complicate it. That is one of the biggest things I have learned about racing. I used to get so nervous and psych myself out. Now I try to stay as relaxed as possible, almost like I am not even about to run a race. I make sure to have friends and good music around me to try and enjoy the moment. In the end, you are just putting one foot in front of the other, no need to overthink it!

Social media: Facebook and Instagram

Meet the Olympic Trials Qualifying ‘B’ Standard Pacing Group

in Press Release

Trio of runners will pace female marathoners to ‘B’ standard qualifying time

High Five Events introduces a pacing team that will lead female elites to an Olympic Trials Qualifying ‘B’ Standard time at the 2019 Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour®.

The trio of Austin runners will reach the finish line in 2:44:59 (“B” Standard time is 2:45:00). The team consists of Bryan Morton (2x “B” Standard pacer), Will Nation (2016, ‘20 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier), and Rory Tunningley (2016 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier).

Female elites are invited to apply to the Austin Marathon’s Elite Athlete Program. The goal of this pacing group is to guide as many females as possible to an Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time. The Elite Athlete Program focuses on creating a field of elite male and female runners with a competitive nature and discovering emerging talent, while helping the existing talent pool reach Olympic standards. Allison Macsas qualified for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials at the 2018 Austin Marathon.

“The addition of this pacing trio underscores the goal of the Austin Marathon’s Elite Athlete Program, to help elites reach Olympic standards,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “Our 2017 – ‘18 female marathon champion Allison Macsas proved you can qualify on the streets of Austin when she qualified for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials on Feb. 18, 2018 (2:43:11).”

Rory Tunningley

Rory Tunningley is a member of the “B” standard pacing group at the Austin Marathon.

Tunningley is a 2013 graduate of The University of Texas, serving as cross-country Team Captain his senior year. A three-time All-South Central Region performer, Tunningley helped the UT men win back-to-back regional titles. Tunningley ran an Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time of 1:04:51 at the 2015 Rock ‘n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. He finished a solid 89th at the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials in 2:35:53, his first marathon ever. During his time with the Longhorns, Tunningley recorded personal bests of 29:30.36 in the outdoor 10,000m and 14:15.87 in the indoor 5,000m. His 50th place finish at the 2012 NCAA Cross Country Championships (second among UT runners) helped propel the team to a 9th place finish overall.

“When I qualified for the Olympic Trials in 2016 I had the help of a friend who paced me half way through a half marathon in which I ran a qualifying standard,” said Tunningley. “I look forward to helping others achieve their goal of qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials.”

Will Nation

Will Nation is a member of the “B” standard pacing group at the Austin Marathon.

Nation is a lifelong Texan who moved to Austin in 2010 to attend The University of Texas. He earned a B.S. in Computer Science and competed on the track and cross country teams. Upon graduating in 2014, Nation began his post-collegiate career with a first-place finish at Austin’s own 3M Half Marathon. Since then, he has qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials twice (2016 and 2020). His most recent qualifying time coming from the 2017 USATF Marathon Championships (2:16:59). Will currently trains in Austin under the guidance of his longtime coach, Steve Magness. When he’s not running, he works as a web developer for FantasyPros.

“Austin has such an amazing fitness community and it only makes sense to have a marathon that reflects that,” said Nation. “ It’s my hope that I can assist many talented individuals in achieving their goal of hitting an OTQ and demonstrate that the Austin Marathon is a race where you can do just that.”

Bryan Morton

Bryan Morton is a member of the “B” standard pacing group at the Austin Marathon.

Morton moved down to Austin in 2010 for his gig with Facebook. He’s been marathon training with Team Rogue ever since. Morton is a marathon veteran with 20+ races on his resume. He set his PB of 2:25 this past February in Tokyo. This is his fifth time pacing at the Austin Marathon and second time pacing the women’s Olympic ‘B’ Standard.

“Austin’s endurance community has given me so much over the years, and I wouldn’t be the runner I am today without the support of many in it,” said Morton. “Races like the Austin Marathon afford the opportunity to give back and pay it forward to others with similar goals. It’s my hope that we can shepherd a large pack of women to a 2020 Olympic Trials qualifying time and pave the way for many others to follow in their footsteps.”

Applications are still being accepted and elite marathoners can apply on the Austin Marathon’s website. Accepted athletes that meet the program’s standards will be given one comp entry to the Austin Marathon or half marathon. They’re also eligible for travel reimbursement and standards bonuses. Runners not accepted to the program but still invited will receive one comp entry. They’re also eligible to win prize money.

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