Pee Like A Racehorse...

I have new respect for this phrase...which I actually happen to use a lot. I'm not even really sure what it means. Let's see...Oh, Yahoo Answers, my dear friend, holder of all knowledge of pointless thoughts and things tell me what this means...

"Racehorses are commonly given Lasix ( aka Salix) which is a powerful diuretic. They pee a lot right before they race, we're talking gallons and gallons. The medication is thought to help prevent nasal bleeding, which sometimes happens when racehorses supremely over-exert themselves."

Aha. That makes sense now. So, onto the reason for the chart posted up there. It's a pee chart. You can compare the color of your pee to see how close or not you are to dehydration. Print it out and laminate it for handy use at festivals, restaurants and beach trips!

You can thank me later.

**Just in case you can't read the captions under each color swatch-and really, you need to because they are freaking hilarious! From left to right...

1. Overly hydrated spectator

2. Hydrated spectator

3. Spectator with mild hangover

4. Spectator who jogged to several viewing points

5. Well-hydrated walker/jogger who made it to mile 19.

6. Finisher who got to know everybody's names at all water stations

7. Ran well within heart rate threshold, was able to chat throughout race

8. Pushed body steadily throughout race, no major surges, achieved goal time

9. Looked at The Wall at mile 23 and pushed through it. PR'd. Ideal level of exertion and common sense.

10. Laughed when body said slow down. Negative split the marathon. Still able to go to the post race party.

11. Ignored critical water stations to shave seconds. Party is a big maybe.

12. Whoopsie. This level of masochism has a name **"Rhabdomyolysis". Skip party. See doctor.

**Rhabdomyolysis-is the breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents (myoglobin) into the bloodstream. Some of these are harmful to the kidney and frequently result in kidney damage. Fun stuff.