The one piece where I’m still a little shaky is my
fuel/hydration strategy. Both of my last
2 marathons have been challenging from about mile 18 onwards in terms of gels,
sportsdrinks, etc. Basically, I can’t
get anything more ‘down in mah belly’ as I reach the critical point of the
race. It appears to be a function of
overfueling.
On race day I tend to drink
a little more and take gels a little more frequently than during my training
runs, since I’m usually working a bit harder and going a bit farther than I do
in training. I try to do anything I can
to avoid cramps once I’m out beyond 20 miles, but apparently I’m
overcompensating.
Cramping has never
really been an issue for me. I’ve never
had any trouble with cramping in training runs, and my only significant
race-day cramping was in the MCM in the fall, which was due in part to my
inability to eat or drink anything beyond mile 17. I created the very problem I was trying to
avoid by sucking down too much gel.
This time I’m going to try following the fueling cadence
that I follow during training, and hope the slightly warmer temperatures I’ll
be facing (compared to training), and the slightly longer distance I’ll be
facing (compared to anything I’ve ever done before) don’t slap me down. Because 29 miles of the race are on the
beach, I’ll also be using more calories than my normal road running (per the
infallible source of knowledge known as the internet), so hopefully that doesn’t
throw everything off. Going to give it a
shot and see what happens. Cinco de Mayo should be
exciting.
I’ve been pondering, and writing about, the possibility of
straying a bit from my Asics Gel Nimbus relationship of many, many years and
possibly giving Brooks a try. Assuming
my legs don’t fall off and wash out to sea on Saturday, my plan after recovery
is to step up my trail running, since it’s something I enjoy more and more
every time I try it. Thus, yesterday I
pulled the trigger and ordered a pair of Brooks Cascadia 7 in all their green
glory:
No chance I’ll wear them before the weekend and risk making
the fasciitis gods angry, but I’m really looking forward to giving them a go in
a few weeks (orthopedists be damned). I
thought maybe this was the first step in a new direction in shoes, and then I
saw a link to the new Gel Nimbus 14 Limited Edition…
I do likes me some yellow.
I’m such a sucker. Must resist ….
Must resist …. Must resist …
