Hydration

Being hydrated is critical to running. I have experienced being dehydrated for practices and races and it severely cut my performance. The only way to be hydrated correctly for races is by drinking water throughout the day. Our coach always says that each day you should drink about 8 normal bottles of water to be hydrated. Whenever I drink that much, I feel much better running and perform better too. 

The American Beverage Association gives guidelines on their website for how much water you should drink. They say that for adults you should drink around 11-16 cups. It also says that if you're an athlete you should drink more. http://www.ameribev.org/nutrition-science/hydration/

So why only drink water? Soft drinks do have water in them, but they have so much sugar in them, they are awful for you. Drinking a little bit of a sports drink every day also helps you keep your electrolytes up. This is crucial for the hotter weather that is coming up with the summer. 

In conclusion, drink water. Drinking 11-16 cups a day will make you feel better and perform physical activities better.