I'm taking my PFT in two weeks, and the facility we use is significantly dryer than where we train. It feels like it sucks the water right from you.

I'm looking for tips on how to make sure I'm properly hydrated beforehand. When I took my PFD I drank 2 bottles about 2 hours before bed, and while it helped, I know there are better ways.

Thank you,
-Mike

when i ran crosscountry in high school, our coach always told us to hydrate for at least 3 days before and up to the race. you should drink enough to where the night before you take some long bathroom breaks, but it shouldnt feel bad. just hydrate alot the whole day before, and if your pft is in the afternoon, drink a little bit more than you would on a normal day. you wont be able to fully hydrate yourself in only one day. everyone reacts differently to how they hydrate. we had kids who could run without drinking anything, but then others who had their own rituals. find an amount of water that works for you, but don't drink too much, as that can be as much as a problem as not drinking at all.

one decent rule of thumb is to drink half your bodyweight in oz. each day in the days leading up. (i.e.: 200lb person would drink 100 oz)... Don't forget the importance of minerals/electrolytes, however:
1. Do not use distilled water! (it is void of minerals and if you drink high amounts will deplete your stores)
2. A good way of adding minerals to your water is to add a pinch of sea salt to a liter of water... celtic salt (found at health food stores) is a good option. This is cheaper than gatorade, and a heck of a lot healthier (artificial flavorings/colorings, sugar/synthetic sweeteners, etc)
3. if you don't know why electrolytes are important, ask away...

Finally, always a good idea to drink filtered/spring water if available. There's plenty of info out there about the poor quality of our nation's water supply.