Just to clarify, what I ate for breakfast was actually a pretty standard pre race breakfast. What was different is that I usually make sure I fuel properly the day before and I start eating and drinking 3 hours before race and finish two hours before so it all goes down. Yesterdays mistake was I did everything an hour later. Therefore I finished fuelling about 8.40 instead of 7.40.
Sorry, I rudely ignored all the great parkrunning, racing, pbing and taper-reaching! Well done you lot .
I've been staying with daughter in London so I've got in a few runs around Parliament Hill/ Hampstead Heath. Didn't realise how many parrots lived in those parts. Only got lost once.
Energy drinks and gastrointestinal problems...have you seen that episode of the inbetweeners?!
I try and make sure I'm hydrated but 3 pints of squash (plus a red bull) seems a bit OTT to me? I remember having too much liquid before a race once and got the 'belly full of eels' feeling that muddy(?) described in one of his race reports.
Good report, mace. You seem in top form for London.
Good race report Mace. Wondering how fast your club colleagues must go off though and whether it is advisable.
Well done on the last but one long one McFlooze.
I got that eels feeling just off a couple of mouthfuls of water at 10 miles into a half Tommy. Skinny had similar effects but has been practicing this during marathon training. Anything to report in that department Skinny ?
Nah, that was def the last 20, Muddy, unless you're counting the marathon itself!
Skinny - I'm down to 10st 2lb this morning for when you update the table. Hopefully I can squeak under 10 for VLM. I did spend a lot of yesterday "helping" the kids with their Easter eggs though. Acceptable after a long run.
Energy drinks and gastrointestinal problems...have you seen that episode of the inbetweeners?!
I love The Inbetweeners
Drinking water is one of my long list of marathon worries - if I get bored and the thread is quiet I might post the list for your 'entertainment'. I did practice on a 17 which I did in 5 mile loops and picked up the bottles from the hedge but that's the only time I've done it - I wasn't that good at it so need to practice a little more over the next week. Little and often must be the way to go - so a sip at each water station rather than half a bottle at the odd one.
Muddy knocking 2 secs off his 5 mile PB which was really a brand new 5.17 mile PB by the sounds of it.
Lit losing her last NT whilst running in illness recovery mode for a solid 62:39 10 mile PB whilst also collecting national team silver to further clutter her house and I've presumed that the food poisoning resulted in her losing that million stone she put on in US too.
Mace knocking 1 min 3 secs off his 10m PB but not getting the same rewards as he got for his slower time (or he hasn't told us about them yet anyway)
DT knocking 8 secs (1 second for each pint of orange squash he drank beforehand) off his 5 mile PB
McFlooze knocking 1 and a half minutes off her 5 mile PB despite it being a long course although I had to go on Power of 10 to get her official time because she never actually posted it and also losing another pound of flab.
Skinny finally daring to weigh himself and being relieved to find I've only lost a pound I didn't have to lose and no more.
I reckon i do about 500ml on race morning and just mouth wash with 1.5 - 2 hours to go. I still manage a good leak just before the off so DT must be pissing like a racehorse
Skinny - i wouldn't bank on a sip at every stop after 20 miles though. I recall at mile 22 in my first marathon refusing a 250ml water pouch held out at perfect height as the previous one around mile 20 felt so heavy Nice weight loss
On the subject of pre race nutrition, i think i may have been overdoing it / been a bit slack ( for want of a better word ) on that front. I've been having a few issues recently including having to duck behind a beach hut at the end of an MP run. So on Saturday i had evening meal at 6pm and then just a piece of toast and honey on Sunday morning. Delighted to say no problems whatsoever, even with 2 trial gels
I do find a lot of the pre race period i need a wee. After the race i am fine generally.
I found the wather thing both trickey and easy at London. Easy in that there was a water station every mile. Tricky becuase the pre race instructions said not to just take water to sip and tip over head as they wont have enough for everyone. However, from about 10 miles in, i felt like i needed a small amount at each station, yet had no choice but to take a 500 ml bottle. I didnt much fancy keeping hold of one.
Oops! Lit's birthday - Happy birthday for yesterday Lit - sorry that you had to work on it but that's Scotland for you - presumably its the swap day with 2nd January which is a bit useless because noone really wants an extra day in January anyway.
Okay - I've rung and made the appointment and also for 9.
It's porridge - I am actually planning to take a couple of those porridge pots (just add boiling water) that are yuk but will try them before my 12 miler on Sunday.
Stay away from ill people. Hit them if they come within range.
Have a massage no later than the Monday before race day - not too close to it.
A bit more carbs than you normally eat should do it. Sports drink if you're struggling. Don't eat your evening meal after 6pm night before and have some pasta with not too much protein. Unlike me last year who ate at 8.30 pm ish and it was a massive pulled pork roll which i have no doubt is part of the reason i nearly shit myself during the race. This year i'll be eating a bowl of pasta and nothing else.
No chance of sleeping in !!!
Use a SIS gel belt
Hopefully the taper will sort your niggles and see the physio after your Marathon
What's your ideal pre race breakfast ? Surely nothing too complicated for a hotel to provided ?
PS Mace - my Easter was also ruined by Japanese owners of our US owned company requiring the March accounts by their third working day as normal plus all day 4 supporting schedules meant that we had to do them all in days one and two or work Easter - we went for the day 1 and 2 option then I finished up working part of every day over Easter answering questions about them.
Still sometimes I take 3 hour lunch breaks to go running so swings and roundabouts
it seems they are all covered in one form or another.
I was in a panic about my breakfast as i wanted to eat my own porridge. I rang in advance to the hotel to firm it up and they were more than accomodating.
How many gels are you using? As i mentioned before, i bought a cheap neorprene phone holder to strap to my arm which held 3 gels. Didnt notice all race and when i discarded it at 18 miles it just felt like taking a watch off.
Isn't there some theory that day 1 of carb loading you have wholemeal based items then day 2/3 white carbs? Thats what i did. I just went out for pizza the night before.
You know, I think I might have had a pulled pork roll the night before VLM last year too, though I can't quite remember. If I did it will certainly have been after 6pm. I also had chips and apple crumble, though was bitter about not being able to drink (this is what makes me think it was the night before and not a different night). I carbloaded by eating lots of hot cross buns.
That's exactly the point Lit - for every other race I've ever done I've made sure that I do nothing special or abnormal the day before because that is surely the most sensible way to behave - its not like on all my training runs I have been zooming off to the bushes left, right and centre or any other problems really.
But there is a lot of 'noise' around the marathon that suggests I'm supposed to be thinking about what I'm eating that makes me feel a bit out of my depth - I actually looked up a carb loading plan and it looked a bit like a weight loss diet to me - I was wondering how I could possibly survive until lunchtime on so little food and then I realised it was for the whole day!
One of my sons couldn't eat his so i had to snaffle that up as well. Did you also drink 500ml of beetroot juice on the morning and then a large Costa Coffee even though you never have either before any sort of run That's another balls up i think i might avoid this time !!
Oh, and taking 2 caffeine gels which i'd also never tested
Have you looked at the carbloading plans the Asics nutrionist does for the RW runners? I wouldn't use them myself because I'm not that much of a masochist, but they seem to involve quite large quantities of food, fruit juice, and snacks. I have carbloaded for my marathons, though not as systematically as that; it's about eating more carbs and therefore less fat and protein than normal, and it's no fun because you retain water and feel bloated and just want some normal food (which for me involves meat, salad and ice cream).
Comments
Well done on reaching taper to the London 3 (?).
Just to clarify, what I ate for breakfast was actually a pretty standard pre race breakfast. What was different is that I usually make sure I fuel properly the day before and I start eating and drinking 3 hours before race and finish two hours before so it all goes down. Yesterdays mistake was I did everything an hour later. Therefore I finished fuelling about 8.40 instead of 7.40.
Yes, but three pints of squash ?! What's that about?
It's to wash down the children's party jelly.
Sorry, I rudely ignored all the great parkrunning, racing, pbing and taper-reaching! Well done you lot .
I've been staying with daughter in London so I've got in a few runs around Parliament Hill/ Hampstead Heath. Didn't realise how many parrots lived in those parts. Only got lost once.
Energy drinks and gastrointestinal problems...have you seen that episode of the inbetweeners?!
I try and make sure I'm hydrated but 3 pints of squash (plus a red bull) seems a bit OTT to me? I remember having too much liquid before a race once and got the 'belly full of eels' feeling that muddy(?) described in one of his race reports.
Good report, mace. You seem in top form for London.
Good race report Mace. Wondering how fast your club colleagues must go off though and whether it is advisable.
Well done on the last but one long one McFlooze.
I got that eels feeling just off a couple of mouthfuls of water at 10 miles into a half Tommy. Skinny had similar effects but has been practicing this during marathon training. Anything to report in that department Skinny ?
Nah, that was def the last 20, Muddy, unless you're counting the marathon itself!
Skinny - I'm down to 10st 2lb this morning for when you update the table. Hopefully I can squeak under 10 for VLM. I did spend a lot of yesterday "helping" the kids with their Easter eggs though. Acceptable after a long run.
I love The Inbetweeners
Drinking water is one of my long list of marathon worries - if I get bored and the thread is quiet I might post the list for your 'entertainment'. I did practice on a 17 which I did in 5 mile loops and picked up the bottles from the hedge but that's the only time I've done it - I wasn't that good at it so need to practice a little more over the next week. Little and often must be the way to go - so a sip at each water station rather than half a bottle at the odd one.
Above updated for:-
Muddy knocking 2 secs off his 5 mile PB which was really a brand new 5.17 mile PB by the sounds of it.
Lit losing her last NT whilst running in illness recovery mode for a solid 62:39 10 mile PB whilst also collecting national team silver to further clutter her house and I've presumed that the food poisoning resulted in her losing that million stone she put on in US too.
Mace knocking 1 min 3 secs off his 10m PB but not getting the same rewards as he got for his slower time (or he hasn't told us about them yet anyway)
DT knocking 8 secs (1 second for each pint of orange squash he drank beforehand) off his 5 mile PB
McFlooze knocking 1 and a half minutes off her 5 mile PB despite it being a long course although I had to go on Power of 10 to get her official time because she never actually posted it and also losing another pound of flab.
Skinny finally daring to weigh himself and being relieved to find I've only lost a pound I didn't have to lose and no more.
Blimey, that's some serious hydrating !!
I reckon i do about 500ml on race morning and just mouth wash with 1.5 - 2 hours to go. I still manage a good leak just before the off so DT must be pissing like a racehorse
Skinny - i wouldn't bank on a sip at every stop after 20 miles though. I recall at mile 22 in my first marathon refusing a 250ml water pouch held out at perfect height as the previous one around mile 20 felt so heavy Nice weight loss
On the subject of pre race nutrition, i think i may have been overdoing it / been a bit slack ( for want of a better word ) on that front. I've been having a few issues recently including having to duck behind a beach hut at the end of an MP run. So on Saturday i had evening meal at 6pm and then just a piece of toast and honey on Sunday morning. Delighted to say no problems whatsoever, even with 2 trial gels
I do find a lot of the pre race period i need a wee. After the race i am fine generally.
I found the wather thing both trickey and easy at London. Easy in that there was a water station every mile. Tricky becuase the pre race instructions said not to just take water to sip and tip over head as they wont have enough for everyone. However, from about 10 miles in, i felt like i needed a small amount at each station, yet had no choice but to take a 500 ml bottle. I didnt much fancy keeping hold of one.
I usually give the bottle to someone else when I have finished with it.
I can't believe Skinny forgot my birthday.
Above updated for:-
Oops! Lit's birthday - Happy birthday for yesterday Lit - sorry that you had to work on it but that's Scotland for you - presumably its the swap day with 2nd January which is a bit useless because noone really wants an extra day in January anyway.
And so I appear to have arrived at taper madness...................
Marathon Worries
1) Weather getting too hot
2) It being too windy
3) Getting ill – lots of colds about including my receptionist
4) My right foot has started hurting on outside – started day after my 20 miler in Kinvaras but then went away but has come back after weekend.
5) My ongoing peroneal tendonitis flaring up
6) My Achilles are a bit tight
7) My knee was hurting a bit yesterday like an ITB pain
8) Should I have a massage this week or not?
9) Should I go to physio this week and discuss my sore foot or not?
10) Carb loading not agreeing with me
11) How to do carb loading, what to eat?
12) What to eat the night before? Where to get that food in Manchester?
13) How to get my ideal pre race breakfast when I’m in a hotel
14) Sleeping in
15) Drinking water mid race giving me bad guts
16) Gels bouncing in my pockets – not quite happy with the way the gels bounce in my Ron Hill cargo shorts
17) Based on 4) which shoes to wear for the race
18) The last 6 miles
I'm hoping by posting these they will all prove nothing to worry about.
8) yes.
13) take it with you.
Okay - I've rung and made the appointment and also for 9.
It's porridge - I am actually planning to take a couple of those porridge pots (just add boiling water) that are yuk but will try them before my 12 miler on Sunday.
1) Nothing you can do about it.
2) See 1).
14) You won't sleep much so you won't sleep in.
18) Only one way to find out!
Oh shit - I'm worried about that now too
Lit - i hope you had a great Birthday
Skinny - jeez, where to start
Don't worry about the things you can't control
Stay away from ill people. Hit them if they come within range.
Have a massage no later than the Monday before race day - not too close to it.
A bit more carbs than you normally eat should do it. Sports drink if you're struggling. Don't eat your evening meal after 6pm night before and have some pasta with not too much protein. Unlike me last year who ate at 8.30 pm ish and it was a massive pulled pork roll which i have no doubt is part of the reason i nearly shit myself during the race. This year i'll be eating a bowl of pasta and nothing else.
No chance of sleeping in !!!
Use a SIS gel belt
Hopefully the taper will sort your niggles and see the physio after your Marathon
What's your ideal pre race breakfast ? Surely nothing too complicated for a hotel to provided ?
x: post - ah, porridge. Then what Lit said.
Didn't beat the alarm this morning and felt knackered when it woke me so i deferred the 9 w 5x600 to lunchtime
Target was 2:05 (5:35m/m pace) off 90 seconds. Relatively generous recoveries but i suspected i'd need it after Friday's race and Sunday's 22.
2:07 - 2:05 - 2:03 - 2:06 - 2:05
So overall on target but the last one was a bit of a battle late on
PS Mace - my Easter was also ruined by Japanese owners of our US owned company requiring the March accounts by their third working day as normal plus all day 4 supporting schedules meant that we had to do them all in days one and two or work Easter - we went for the day 1 and 2 option then I finished up working part of every day over Easter answering questions about them.
Still sometimes I take 3 hour lunch breaks to go running so swings and roundabouts
it seems they are all covered in one form or another.
I was in a panic about my breakfast as i wanted to eat my own porridge. I rang in advance to the hotel to firm it up and they were more than accomodating.
How many gels are you using? As i mentioned before, i bought a cheap neorprene phone holder to strap to my arm which held 3 gels. Didnt notice all race and when i discarded it at 18 miles it just felt like taking a watch off.
Isn't there some theory that day 1 of carb loading you have wholemeal based items then day 2/3 white carbs? Thats what i did. I just went out for pizza the night before.
- DT thanks - not sure I would feel safe following your pre race dietary advice though
4 - 2 energy gel, two isogel - every 5 miles and will pocket the free one at 19 miles just in case.
You know, I think I might have had a pulled pork roll the night before VLM last year too, though I can't quite remember. If I did it will certainly have been after 6pm. I also had chips and apple crumble, though was bitter about not being able to drink (this is what makes me think it was the night before and not a different night). I carbloaded by eating lots of hot cross buns.
That's exactly the point Lit - for every other race I've ever done I've made sure that I do nothing special or abnormal the day before because that is surely the most sensible way to behave - its not like on all my training runs I have been zooming off to the bushes left, right and centre or any other problems really.
But there is a lot of 'noise' around the marathon that suggests I'm supposed to be thinking about what I'm eating that makes me feel a bit out of my depth - I actually looked up a carb loading plan and it looked a bit like a weight loss diet to me - I was wondering how I could possibly survive until lunchtime on so little food and then I realised it was for the whole day!
One of my sons couldn't eat his so i had to snaffle that up as well. Did you also drink 500ml of beetroot juice on the morning and then a large Costa Coffee even though you never have either before any sort of run That's another balls up i think i might avoid this time !!
Oh, and taking 2 caffeine gels which i'd also never tested
Have you looked at the carbloading plans the Asics nutrionist does for the RW runners? I wouldn't use them myself because I'm not that much of a masochist, but they seem to involve quite large quantities of food, fruit juice, and snacks. I have carbloaded for my marathons, though not as systematically as that; it's about eating more carbs and therefore less fat and protein than normal, and it's no fun because you retain water and feel bloated and just want some normal food (which for me involves meat, salad and ice cream).
.