In my article about what to do in the week leading up to your marathon, Heather asked if overindulging a little the weekend before a marathon is going to be a problem.

She’s a little worried that she might be dehydrated and might have a little trouble re-hydrating before the race.

I don’t think that there’s really that much to worry about, as I talk about in today’s video:

You want to try and keep your alcohol consumption within a reasonable levels because it’s never good to abuse it, but drinking in moderation isn’t going to hurt your race and I know plenty of people who have had great races even drinking the night prior to the marathon. I certainly don’t recommend going out on a bender right before you go out to run a marathon, but while hydration does take some time to happen, it also takes some time to get dehydrated. One night of drinking isn’t going to completely ruin a race that’s over a week away.

Just spend the next week doing what you normally would by eating well and drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Preferably you should take a sip of water every 15 or 20 minutes, or every half hour at the very least. Just make sure that you’re keeping your body well hydrated, and come race day you’ll be in fine form.

(Download Video: MP4)