water: how much is too much

Question
I keep hearing that I should drink half my body weight in
ounces of water per day, this means I should drink 66 ounces
or roughly 8 glasses of water per day.  What if I drank more
than 8 glasses (66 ounces) of water per day?  Would I get
sick?  If I can drink more, how much more before I start to
get into the danger zone?

I have another question, this is regarding a marathon runner
who died a few years ago after consuming too much water.  I
hear there's something called "water poisoning", what
exactly happens to the body during water poisoning and how
much water does it take?

Answer
First, realize that almost everything except water is diuretic - sodas, coffee, juice drinks remove not add.

Too much is when water is out of balance with potassium and sodium.

The worst stories come from the Grand Canyon, where people go downhill in the cool, climb in the heat, the opposite of most hiking experiences.

What one needs sitting in the shade is obviously different from working in the sun, the temperature and humidity. But going by your sense of thirst is waiting too long.

Here is an article from Runner's World

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-302--8785-0,00.html

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