A brief introduction is in order:
I'm Janette, married to Brian, cousin to Dave, mother of a busy nine-month old boy, and first time marathon runner. I did a half marathon a few years ago and swore I was never crazy enough to do a full, and yet here I am. Why am I here again? Oh yeah! A lot of it is because during this time last year, while a lot of you were busy training your tails off for your first marathon, I was busy gestating and being confused by pregnancy hormones thinking, "I'd like to try that someday." Well, now that I'm back to my right mind, there's simply no excuse for my poor decision making...I'm just hoping that crossing that finish line will make a lapse in judgment seem not so bad after all!
Alrighty...so let's move on. The purpose of my post today is to find out from a few of you veterans what sort of supplementation you used during your races. I've heard a variety of different things about a variety of different products. I've also heard that one should experiment with different products before race day. So, now that I'm getting up there in mileage, I'm ready to experiment. (For what its worth, I did my 12 mile run this last week...it went smoothly...challenging, but finished in 1:55:52. Definitely not a hare, but a notch faster than Mr. Tortoise.) Anyway, it was my first experience with Gu gel. Long story short, it wreaked havoc on my lower GI tract for the entire day. I was totally out of commission and I don't think I'll be trying that again anytime soon...unless someone can personally vouch that it only happens the first time you try it.
Additionally, I wanted to inquire about the frequency such supplementation should be used. I also wanted to hear a little bit about what some of you do to carbo load the day before and whether or not you eat before your races.
Rather demanding for my first post, eh? I promise I'll share some gems if I come across any on my own!
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2 comments:
Hooray! Janette, I'm SO pumped for you. You're going to love the St. George marathon. From what I've heard, it's awesome.
So, GU is a tricky supplement to use. I've had good and bad experiences with it. The first time I used it, I was fine. It worked great. The second time, though, it made me cramp up, and I felt horrible. I found out later that I needed to drink a LOT of water along with the GU to get the electrolytes flowing, I guess. The third time I used GU, I made sure I was well-hydrated, and I didn't have any trouble.
So, like you said, everyone has their own supplements they like to use. As far as liquids go, I like my gatorade and water. I usually mix it up so I don't get too many electrolytes just from gatorade. For solids, I suggest you practice eating as you run, because you'll probably get hungry. Powerbars are good, and you can just nibble on half a bar every now and then when you get hungry.
Carbo loading...I start two to three days before the race, and I usually eat things like oatmeal, pasta, stuff like that. You want carbs that will burn pretty easily. When I eat pasta, I avoid meat sauces because I hate the way it makes me feel when I run. Alfredo sauce is usually what I have.
On race day, I can't not eat. Usually it's a banana and a granola bar an hour or two before the race starts. Running on an empty stomach stinks.
And 12 miles in under 2 hours? Not too shabby, cousin! Keep up the good work!
Thanks Brent! Good stuff here! I was sipping water every two miles during my run, but I'm sure I could've had more. I've heard that avoiding protein before long runs is a good idea...or else. I did nibble on a Cliff bar right before my last long run...maybe that caused the GI upset? I'll definitely try the banana next time and see how it goes. I do my 13 miler in two days...I'll check back when and if I survive it!
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