Marathon Nutrition

May 13, 2013 2 Comments

...about the same time as the last one...

Carrying my calories on a Fuel Belt. 

Amy left this note for me on Facebook:

“I was just curious if you had any tips or blogs or any help on nutrition for running a marathon! I ran my first Marathon about a week and a half ago. It did not go to well, I got really dehydrated and hit the wall fast, after that ! 17-23 turned into the death zone! Anyway I did train but my stomach is just not that good and cramps a lot! So it is hard for me to drink a lot and eat much of anything while I run! Also I lost weight training which is okay but I do not want to lose weight again! I am going to start my training up again in June for the Chicago Marathon. I would just like to feel good while I run and I know the key to this is nutrition! Distance wise I felt I was prepared! I am pretty sure I did not eat enough food before, looking back now! So if you have any pointers, info, book whatever I would love to hear it!! If it matters I do not run to fast but would love to pick it up for next Marathon! However not feeling like death would be great !!”

Amy, you are not alone!  When I first started running marathons, I didn’t even like to drink on the run.  The idea of drinking 4-6 ounces of every 2 miles seemed crazy.  That is one of the reasons that I had trouble starting at about mile 17 on my first marathon as well.

Marathon Nutrition is a tricky thing.  For most of us, our bodies will begin to run out of resources somewhere between mile 15 and mile 17 if we are not careful before and during a marathon.  I will split the nutrition advice into three stages: training, tapering, & race day.

Nutrition During Training

Before I get specific about foods and supplements, let me make one comment about weight loss.  Marathon training means an increase in weekly mileage and a gradual increase in the distance of your weekly long run.  As your mileage increases, your need for nutrition increases.  As a result, marathon training is not very compatible with weight loss.  You need more carbs during marathon training, not fewer.

As for the specific foods to eat to maximize the benefits of your training, the answer is simple: eat healthy.  Instead of cutting back on food to get healthy, you should be changing the kind of food that you eat.  As with any time, you need a balanced diet.  You also need to eat less and less processed foods while increasing the amount of simple natural foods.  Dietician Cassie is always talking about striking a balance at each meal with PFC: protein, fat, and carbohydrates.  In marathon training, it is still ideal to balance these three, with an increased emphasis on carbs.  While carbs are the focus in the last days of the taper, you must keep eating healthy fat and a good amount of protein at each meal.  Here is my blog post about protein for runners.

Some folks, including me, need a little extra help from supplements during marathon training.  I need extra the electrolytes offered through capsules, tablets, drinks, & powders.  I mostly stick with Endurolytes Capsules from Hammer Nutrition.  Each electrolyte supplement has different directions to follow.  Personally, I need more than the average person.  I know that I need more electrolytes when my leg muscles are twitching a little bit while I am relaxing after my workout.  Finding your electrolyte balance during  training & especially on your long runs can save a great deal of pain and cramping during the marathon!

Nutrition During the Taper

The taper is usually about two weeks of gradually lowering your mileage and effort as you approach the marathon.  Nutrition for most of the taper period is no different from during the rest of training.  It is normal and healthy to gain a few pounds, especially during the last week before the marathon.  Your body knows what is coming and is storing energy, electrolytes, and water.  This weight gain is good.  You will use it all during the marathon, I promise!

In the last 48 hours before the marathon, you will no longer stick to the protein/carb/fat balance that you normally consume.  You will gradually reduce your intake of protein and fat while increasing your healthy carbohydrates.  You also want to shift towards carbohydrate sources that have less fiber.

Jeff Galloway makes the following suggestions:

  • Rules:
    1. Don’t try anything new.
    2. Go through the same schedule and foods that worked for you in training.
    3. If you hear sloshing in your stomach, you don’t have to drink for the next 30 minutes.
  • 24 hours and before: Plenty of liquids all day long, especially electrolyte fluids. Before marathons you can eat extra carbohydrates.
  • 18 hours before race: Start eating small meals, every 2-3 hours. Keep drinking fluids. After lunch, cut out red meat, fried foods, dairy products, fats, nuts, and roughage.
  • 12 hours before race: Don’t overeat. Only light, digestible foods like energy bars, bread, small sandwiches, which you’ve tried before long runs and races. Keep drinking water and electrolyte fluids. Avoid salty foods.

Nutrition on Race Day

Before a marathon, you need to have a substantial number of calories in the morning.  One expert suggests consuming enough easy-to-digest carbs to provide 200 calories for each hour you are awake before the race.  Keep it simple.  Avoid fat of any kind on race morning.  Whatever you eat that morning, get it in your body about 3 hours before the start.  As the start approaches, shift to your race fuel.  (gels, sports drink, …)

Water mostly, with some electrolyte fluid, in small, regular amounts.  Cold water is absorbed quicker. I recommend 6 oz. every hour, 8 oz. on hot days.  If you want Vitamin C, take it two hours or more before the race.

DURING the marathon is even more complicated.  For a half marathon, most just need one or two gel packets to make it through.  There are mathematical formulas involved in the calculations for marathons and other races longer than the half marathon.  At 160 pounds, I know I personally have to consume around 1,100 calories through gels and sports drinks along the marathon route in order to avoid running out of energy.

Here is what Lucia Mahoney from FitBodyNutrition says about fueling during the marathon:

  • under “normal” conditions, the average runner needs 16-32 fluid ounces per hour of exercise. For best absorption, drink 1/2-1 cup of fluid every 15-20 minutes. You will require more on very hot or humid days.
  • for every pound you lose on a run, 2 cups of water are required to replace.
  • 1 pound of sweat = loss of 500 mg sodium (the equivalent of 1/4 tsp of salt)
  • dehydration will increase body temperature, reduce blood volume and thereby weaken muscular endurance and strength. Result —-> you slow down
  • your gel or sports drink should include electrolytes; studies show that ingesting electrolytes (remember: sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium) during the run will improve performance and help delay fatigue. Electrolytes are important for muscular contraction and for optimal absorption & retention of fluids
  • **how much do you need?** Carb intake during prolonged exercise should be approximately .5-1.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per hour. A 165 lb (or 75 kg) athlete would therefore need 37.5-75 grams per hour. That is equivalent to 2-3 gels or 1-2 gels plus 8-20 ounces of sports drink per hour (most gels contain 20-25 grams of carbs and sports drinks contain 12-14 grams/8 oz)
  • important: each gel must be taken with 8-10 ounces of water (not sports drink) to promote absorption and avoid gastrointestinal distress

Remember This:

Start your eating and drinking within the first mile or two.
If you start your fuel and water intake after 2 miles,
you may have already ruined your marathon.

Be careful to consume enough of everything your body needs to succeed at the task that you are asking it to accomplish.

Train hard, eat well, & enjoy the run!

_____________

The Gift of Running,by P. Mark Taylor, is now available in both paperback & e-book

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com $9.00

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store $2.99

- Ebook Version for Nook $2.99

 

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A Different Kind of PR – Race Report from the Shamrock Marathon 2013

March 18, 2013 3 Comments

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For the second spring in a row, I started a marathon expecting to finish in a time of somewhere around 3:05 and ended up disappointed.  Both years I trained very hard.  Both years I adjusted my expectations a little for the weather conditions.  Eerily similar were these two starts.  That is where the similarity stops.

Spring of 2012

Last April, I knew from the beginning of the Knoxville Marathon that something was terribly wrong.  I could not figure out what it was, but running just seemed much more difficult than it should have been.  I ended up with my first DNF (did not finish) and I was devastated.  What is worse, I continued to get more and more weak for months.  It wasn’t until September that I figured out what was wrong.  I had suddenly developed gluten intolerance.

Fall of 2012

I had managed to put in some training before being diagnosed in mid-September, but that training was limited in terms of distance and intensity.  I ran the 7 Bridges Marathon just about 4 weeks after going on a gluten-free diet.  I went into that race with little to no expectations other than giving it a good try and hope to finish strong.  The gluten-free diet made a big difference.  Even though my longest training runs included only one 15 miler and one 20 miler, I was able to finish the 7 Bridges Marathon.  I set a personal record with a time of 3:22:44, beating my previous PR by 4 minutes and 42 seconds.  At 45 years old, that was good enough to qualify me for the Boston Marathon.  Even with this triumph I knew that I had a long way to go before I was fully recovered from my illness.  I ran the first half of the race at a 7 minute pace per mile and cramped throughout the second half.  I would struggle, stop to stretch, jog for a while and start the cycle again.  I ended up averaging around a 7:44 pace.  This is not the ideal marathon strategy.

Spring 2013

My training for the 2013 Shamrock Marathon was much more consistent, intense, and thorough.  I used the Hansons Marathon Method, training as if I were planning to run at a 6:40 pace per mile.  I carefully followed all of their guidelines and I could tell that I was faster than ever.  If all elements were perfect, I should have been able to run a marathon in less than 3 hours.  The variables that could go wrong included the weather and my gut.  As for the weather, it ended up being a little cold, very humid, and very windy.  For this I adjusted my expectations from a 6:40 pace to a 7:00 pace.  As for my gut, however, this had been left untested.  Without actually running a marathon, there was no way to know whether I could digest enough calories to provide the energy necessary to maintain a 7 minute pace for the full 26 miles.  At the 7 Bridges Marathon 6 months before, I started having issues at around mile 16.  The question was how much farther I would go before it hit me during the Shamrock Marathon.

Now at the Shamrock Marathon, I managed to maintain close to a 7 minute pace until I hit the really strong headwinds on the boardwalk.  That slowed me down and followed us over to Atlantic Avenue.  Six miles of headwind gradually wore me down, but I was still thinking positive.  I believed that if my gut was healed enough, I would be able speed up later after the headwind died down.  At mile marker 18, I had averaged 7:10 per mile.  I had trained to run a 6:40 pace, so I thought I still had a shot at finishing in 3 hours and 5 minutes.  By mile marker 22, I moving even slower and I was even more worn out.  The headwinds had started up again and my legs were beginning to threaten to cramp.  Each time I began to speed up just a bit, my legs would begin to twitch.  I knew this feeling all too well.  If I pushed it, I would cramp up.  If I pushed hard, the muscles would cramp hard enough to injure me.  It was time to reset my expectations.

By the time the headwinds faded around mile 22.5, I knew it was time to cut my losses and just manage.  My gut had not been able to process all of the energy gels that I had managed to swallow throughout the race.  I need to manage my effort to get the most speed out of my legs without cramping up.  For the final 3.8 miles it was no longer about the pace that my Garmin told me.  It was about the listening to my legs.  I rode the line between just enough and too much all the way to the finish line.  My calf gave the first full cramp with only about 100 yards to the finish line.  I grimaced, calmed myself, relaxed the calf, and jogged the last 100 yards.  I finished with a time of 3:13:22, about 10 minutes slower than ideal.

A New PR and a New Kind of PR

To tell you the truth, I REALLY wanted to finish in less than 3:05:00.  This is the young man’s standard to qualify for Boston.  That is just a pride issue, however.  I can get that some other time.  Yes, finishing the Shamrock Marathon in 3:13:22 meant that I had beaten my personal record by 9 minutes and 22 seconds.  That is great, but that is not the victory that I am celebrating.  First, I am celebrating that my gluten issue seems to be less of an issue as my gut heals.  I am hoping that it will not be a factor in my next marathon later this year.  Beyond this, I am celebrating something even bigger.  I am celebrating an emotional victory.

Even though several things did not go my way, I never let them get to me emotionally.

  • I did not lose hope when I knew the humidity went up.  I adjusted my expectations.
  • I did not lose hope when the wind pushed into my face more miles on end.  I adjusted my expectations and pressed on.
  • I did not lose hope when my legs threatened to cramp.  I adjusted my expectations, listened to my legs, and coasted in as best as I could.

If I had pushed too hard against any one of these issues, I most certainly would have ended up sidelined by severe cramping.  I would have either walked it in or DNFed.  But I didn’t.  Not this time.  The thing I am most proud of is focusing on what I could control and letting go of what I could not control.  Because of this, I know for a fact that I did the very best that I could.  For me, those adjustments are a new kind of PR.  They represent a personal record in staying positive and enjoying the run.  Now THAT is worth the trip to Virginia Beach and all of the training that came before it.

___________

Train hard. Race easy. Enjoy the run!

_____________

The Gift of Running,by P. Mark Taylor, is available in both paperback & e-book

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com $9.00

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store $2.99

- Ebook Version for Nook $2.99

.

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What to Eat Before Running a Race

March 8, 2013 Leave a comment

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I recently wrote about the question of whether to eat or not before a run, but a friend recently asked me a more specific and detailed question:

What should I eat during the days before a race and on the day of the race?

The very clear answer: it depends on the race you are running.

If you are racing a distance of 8 miles or less, what you eat on the days before is not quite as critical.

  • Feeling Good:  It is always better to stick with healthy foods, especially as you approach race day.  This will help you feel your best.
  • Avoiding GI Issues:  There is no avoiding this topic.  It is hard to run your best when you feel bloated or suddenly feel the need to poop. You know your body best.  Eat foods that agree with your body and encourage regularity.  Eat early enough on race day to allow any extra pressure in that area to work itself out well before you head to the starting line.  Specifically, eat at least 2 hours before start time.  Three hours would be better, but do not lose sleep over it.
  • Energy:  Assuming you are eating enough calories to maintain your current weight, you are naturally storing enough calories to run a race of this length.
  • On Race Day:  You really do not need to eat much on race morning.  Stick with easy to digest carbohydrates.  Avoid fat, which can slow digestion and slow you just a bit.

If you are racing 10 or more miles, what you eat in the days before a race makes a much bigger difference.

  • Feeling Good:  It is still true at any distance; It is always better to stick with healthy foods, especially as you approach race day.  This will help you feel your best.
  • Avoiding GI Issues:  This is especially relevant for racing longer distances; it is hard to run your best when you feel bloated or suddenly feel the need to poop. You know your body best.  Eat foods that agree with your body and encourage regularity.  Eat early enough on race day to allow any extra pressure in that area to work itself out well before you head to the starting line.  The difference on the longer distance races is that you should limit your intake of fiber starting the day before the race.
  • Energy:  You must consider carb-loading.  At 10-13 miles, you might naturally store enough calories to run a race of this length., but you should keep your tank topped off to make sure.  For marathons (or anything beyond 13) it is absolutely critical!  Gradually increase the percent of your calories that you get from carbohydrates.  By the day before the race, as much as 80% of your calories should come from carbs.
  • Hydration:  An important part of carb-loading is hydration.  In order to store those carbs as glycogen in your legs, your body must store some water with it.  Most experts suggest sipping on sports drinks for a day or two before a marathon.  It delivers the carbs and water together.
  • On Race Day:  For a marathon, you need to have a substantial number of calories in the morning.  One expert suggests consuming enough easy-to-digest carbs to provide 200 calories for each hour you are awake before the race.  Keep it simple.  Avoid fat of any kind on race morning.  Whatever you eat that morning, get it in your body about 3 hours before the start.  As the start approaches, shift to your race fuel.  (gels, sports drink, …)
  • Calories DURING the race:  This one is complicated.  For a half marathon, most just need one or two gel packets to make it through.  There are mathematical formulas involved in the calculations for marathons and other races longer than the half marathon.  At 160 pounds, I know I personally have to consume around 1,100 calories through gels and sports drinks along the marathon route in order to avoid running out of energy.  I will save that technical info for another post.

What you eat in the days before the race can make or break your attempt at running a personal best.   Think about the consequences before you reach for something to eat.  Get enough of the right things at the right times and you will be happier with the results.

Eat well & enjoy the run!

_____________

The Gift of Running,by P. Mark Taylor, is now available in both paperback & e-book

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com $9.00

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store $2.99

- Ebook Version for Nook $2.99

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Designing My Race Schedule

January 26, 2013 2 Comments

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I train hard for my races and always have a training plan, but those plans revolve around particular races.  How do I go about deciding which key races to choose each year?  How do I go about choosing smaller races?

First Things First – Marathons & Halfs

I prioritize my longest runs first for two important reasons.

  • They take the most planning in order to be effective.
  • Training for the longer runs helps me get faster on the shorter runs.  :)

The longest races that I run each year are marathons.  Hence, it makes the most sense to start there.  Some of you may recall that I recently qualified for the Boston Marathon.  You would expect that I would plan around that, but I qualified for the 2014 Boston Marathon.  Hence, it barely factors into my decision about this year’s races.

For my spring marathon in 2013, I chose a nice flat course.  The Shamrock Marathon is run near the beach at Virginia Beach on March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day).  Hence, my planning starts there.

For my fall marathon, I have chosen a very fast course.  The BayState Marathon has a very high percent of its runners qualify for Boston.  It is run in late October in Lowell, MA.

I also love my half marathons as well.  Each year I run the Strawberry Plains Half in February and the Secret City Half in November/December.  Both are events that are close to home and perfectly scheduled.  I use the Strawberry Plains Half as a tune-up for my spring marathon.  I use the Secret City Half to display the new speed I developed in training for the fall marathon.  :)

Second Things Second – Choosing the Shorter Races

I have a few basic rules for scheduling my smaller races.

  • They should not interfere with my marathon training schedules, so they need to be early in the training schedules or during the months when I am not training for a marathon.
  • They should be local and fun!

Looking at the rest of my calendar, that always leaves me available for these Knoxville Events:

  • New Year’s Day 5K
  • Expo 10K in late May
  • Fireball 5K in early July
  • Hal Canfield Mile & 5-miler in early September.

Third Things Third – Volunteering at Races

I do not actually place these on my schedule, but these races are important, too.  As a general rule, I like to follow the suggestion for the Knoxville Track Club:  Race 3, Volunteer for 1.  If everyone follows this guideline, then we should have enough volunteers at each race.  :)

So, putting it all together – here is my racing schedule for 2012

  • January 1 – New Year’s Day 5K
  • February 9 – Strawberry Plains Half Marathon
  • March 17 – Shamrock Marathon
  • May 25 – Expo 10K
  • July 3 – Fireball 5K
  • September 2 – Hal Canfield Mile & 5-Miler
  • October 20 – BayState Marathon
  • December 1 – Secret City Half Marathon

So Far for 2014:

  • April – Boston Marathon

___________

Train hard. Race easy. Enjoy the run!

_____________

The Gift of Running,by P. Mark Taylor, is available in both paperback & e-book

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com $9.00

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store $2.99

- Ebook Version for Nook $2.99

 

 

 

 

 

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Wise Running: Looking Back at 2012 and Looking Forward to 2013

January 1, 2013 Leave a comment

When I set my goals for 2012, I was healthy and gradually getting faster. I was nearly half way through an excellent marathon training schedule and had every reason to expect the trend to continue. At that point, I set the following goals:

1,800 total miles for the year (I ran 1,400 miles in 2011)
5 minute mile
18 minute 5K
1:20 half marathon
2:50 marathon

I knew that this was a very challenging set of goals and that everything would have to go right all year to meet them. If I worked consistently and stayed healthy, I think I could have met most of them.

The Journey

As it turned out, however, 2012 turned out to be much more challenging. I had a few good weeks, but by late February, my performance in training and races was beginning to fall a little flat. I responded by trying harder, but it was no use. By the the time the Knoxville Marathon rolled around (April 1), I was feeling more and more fatigued. I had determined that I should be able to run a 3 hour marathon, but decided to slow down just a little and aim for a 7:06 pace. From the starting line, I never felt right. By the 5th mile, I decided to back off more. By mile 13, I was struggling mightily. I stretched, I drank, I ate. Nothing could revive me. I did not finish. :(

Still, I was not quite sure what was happening. My doctors and I took several educated guesses but I just became more and more ill. At one point in early June, I could barely walk down the hall 20 feet without becoming fatigued and dizzy. We continued trying until we finally guessed correctly. In mid-September, I found out that I had become gluten-intolerant. I am somewhat allergic to gluten, which is in wheat and barley.

I had just barely over 6 weeks left before the 7 Bridges Marathon. I had been able to do most of my training and had gone gluten free long enough to accomplish one 15 mile run and two 20 mile runs. Before that point, anything over 10 miles had been a real struggle. I still struggled through the marathon, but I managed to set a personal record and qualify for Boston with a 3:22:44. It was just a few minutes faster than the same race in 2011. It fell very short of the goal for the year. Given how sick I had been for about 6 months of the year, however, it was still a major accomplishment.

I continued to eat carefully and gradually improved in overall health. A month after the 7 Bridges Marathon, I ran the Secret City Half Marathon in 1:28:44. Again, this was well short of the lofty goal I had set for 2012. Still, it was a major victory for the gluten-free era of my life.

My training runs have gone very well in the last month or so of the year. I am on a tough training program that pushes me hard in 2 week cycles. I feel like I am making great progress. I waited until January 1 to do this post so I could run the New Year’s Day 5K and see if I had made as much progress as I thought. It was cold and rainy, but I managed to finish with an unofficial time of 18:36. If that holds up in the official record, then I will have averaged a little less than 6:00 per mile. I haven’t done that since 1984!

So, I did not meet any of my goals, but I did make progress. I did qualify for the Boston Marathon (2014). That will do. :)

More than Running

Beyond running, in 2013 I moved my blog to WordPress. Since the move in July, there have been 18,000 page visits from 104 countries! You asked a lot of questions, and I answered a lot of them. I also shared the ups and downs of the year as they happened. Thank you for going on this journey with me. :)

Finally, I published my first book about running: The Gift of Running. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback on it and I am always glad to hear how it has helped people.

So what is on tap for 2013?

I will continue my quest to run a sub-6:00 mile pace at every distance up to and including the marathon. I cannot possibly achieve that pace in the marathon in 2013, but I would like to run under 2:50:00 in a marathon by the end of this year. I believe that I can achieve the sub-6 pace in the 10K for sure and possibly for the half marathon. I also think I have an excellent shot at running a sub-5:00 mile this year, but I need to find a few more 1 mile races.

Since my goals are at various distances, 2013 will continue my effort toward maintaining balanced training with repeats, intervals, tempo runs, and long runs. I will keep posting my workouts on DailyMile.com, Twitter, and Facebook. I will also keep posting encouraging quotes & photos as I find them.

I intend to write at least one more book this year.
Which one should I write first: the book about marathons or the book about running 5Ks?

Let me know what you think.

Train hard.
Race smart.
Enjoy the run!

Thank you for a great year!
P. Mark Taylor

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Which Photo to buy from the Secret City Half 2012

November 24, 2012 3 Comments

What do you think?  Which photo should I buy from the professional photographers that were at the Secret City Half Marathon?

 

 

 

 

 

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Making Progress in the Half Marathon

November 18, 2012 Leave a comment

I had a good morning.  I won the Masters level of the Secret City Half Marathon.  This has been a long hard road to get here since getting back into running in 2009.  I was barely able to finish that race.

  • 2009 Oak Ridge Half Marathon – 1:59:27
  • 2010 Secret City Half Marathon – 1:48:53  (same race, new course, new name)
  • 2011 Secret City Half Marathon – 1:33:31
  • 2012 Secret City Half Marathon – 1:28:41

What have I been doing to steadily make progress?

Everything I tell you on this blog.  I practice what I preach.  Consistent, persistent, and purposeful training.

___________

Train hard. Race easy. Happy Running!

_____________

The Gift of Running,by P. Mark Taylor, is available in both paperback & e-book

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com $9.00

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store $2.99

- Ebook Version for Nook $2.99

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How I feel after setting a Personal Record (PR)

November 17, 2012 Leave a comment

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Race Report: 7 Bridges Marathon 2012

October 24, 2012 5 Comments

It has been a while since I have blogged.  I have been overwhelmed by life issues – especially the change to a gluten-free diet.

The Months Before the Race

While this post is a race report about the 7 Bridges Marathon 2012, I have to give you some background first.  Back in April of this year, I had an unexpected DNF (did not finish) at the Knoxville Marathon.  I was ill on and off for months after that.  I was able to finish a couple of races well, but I faced fatigue issues.  These fatigue issues would not allow me to train at tempo pace.  It also kept me from completing runs over 10 miles.  I finally forced myself to try runs of 12 and then 15 miles.  Based on my fitness level, I should have easily run the long runs at a 7:45 pace.  These two runs were done at a 9:10 & 9:30 pace respectively.  Not good for a guy wanting to run a 2:59:00 marathon!

I went to 3 doctors who ran blood tests, ultrasounds, and a CT Scan.  Finally, I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance.  In hindsight, I now understand that I have been ill since January or February, way before my DNF.  It just wasn’t bad enough for me to notice until April.

By the time I was diagnosed, I had only 6 weeks heal from this gluten issue before the 7 Bridges Marathon.  I managed to get in two 20 mile runs, the first at a 8:20 pace and the second at a 7:56 pace.  Unfortunately, I was cramping towards the end of all of the long runs as a result of a calorie deficiency.  I was on a very restrictive diet and I just couldn’t eat enough calories.

The good news is that I could run for several miles at tempo pace again.  Hence, I could run fast effectively, but I could not run far effectively.  My only hope of running a great marathon was if my system could heal a bit more through the time of the taper.  Unfortunately, there was no way to know just how healed I was by race day.

I knew I could manage running at around a 7:45 pace per mile, but that was not my goal.  If I was able to process my food properly and store enough glycogen, a 6:50 pace was reasonable by all of the predictive models.  As the race day approached, I decided that I would let my body tell me which path to take.  I would start out at a 6:50 pace and stick with it if it felt comfortable & relaxed.

Race Day!

The 7 Bridges Marathon is a nice marathon with only two imposing hills.  After running in Knoxville, having only two noteworthy hills = flat.  The course runs through the city, over seven bridges, and finishes with 8 miles along the scenic Tennessee River Walk.  It starts at 7 am, before the sun comes up.  The weather was perfect for running as it stayed in the 40′s and 50′s for most of the morning.

I approached the starting line focused on the first mile.  Like most runners, I usually start way too fast.  Last year I actually stopped after the first few hundreds meters to stretch and calm down.  This year I managed to keep it mostly under control.  I ran the first mile in 6:38.  While that was a little faster than goal pace, I was able to keep nearly all of my miles in the first half right around that 6:50 goal pace.  I added an extra minute at a port-a-potty in mile 12 and still managed to finish the first half of the marathon in 1:30:59, a 6:57 pace.  I still felt comfortable and relaxed at that point.

I maintained the pace for about two more miles.  Then came the big bridge at miles 15 to 17.  It is about 1 mile from the beginning of the ramp up to the bridge to the crest of the bridge.  It is another mile from the crest of the bridge to the exit off the bridge.  I managed to average around an 8 minute mile pace up the bridge, but had to stop and stretch on the way down the second mile of bridge.  I was beginning to feel the cramps that I felt in training.  Not good.

I slowed down to nurse that cramping, but went into full-on cramping in my right hamstring during mile 18.  It was much like the experience in Knoxville 6 months earlier.  This time, however, I was used to it.  I knew what to do.  I stopped and waited for the worst cramping to subside.  I relaxed, I stretched just a bit, and I jogged on to finish mile 18 in 10:50.  I managed it well enough to run a 7:44 pace for miles Miles 19 and 20.

More importantly, I stayed calm.  I knew I could still manage to beat my PR of 3:27:27 that I ran on this course last year.  I also knew that the toughest part of the course lay ahead at mile 25.  I had to keep managing to run as fast as I could without causing the full cramps to emerge again.  In miles 21 through 24, I gradually slowed a bit more with each mile.

By the 24 mile marker, I was confident that I had at least eked out a PR.  I just had to carefully survive the last two miles.  (the last 0.2 is downhill)  I ran miles 25 & 26 at a 10 minute pace.  During these two miles I was careful to distribute my weight purposefully relying on different muscles.  Form was no longer about speed, but survival. And survive I did.

Results

I forgot to stop my Garmin when I finished so I had to wait a while to find out the exact time.  Officially, I finished the 7 Bridges Marathon in 3:22:44.   That is a personal record by nearly 5 minutes.  At my age, it also qualifies me for Boston for the first time.  :)

3:22:44  (personal record & Boston qualifier)

32nd Place Overall

1st Place in 45-49 Age Group

What I have Learned

You should learn a little something from each race you run.  In this year’s 7 Bridges Marathon, I learned that I still have a lot of healing to do from this gluten issue.  I also learned how to run through a cramp problem and still do fairly well.  Finally, I learned that I am a tough son-of-a-gun.

What’s Next

My next race is the Secret City Half Marathon on November 18 in Oak Ridge, TN.  My next marathon is the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach, VA on March 17.  The P in P. Mark Taylor stands for Patrick, so it should be my lucky day, right?  I hope so, because I will be aiming for a 2:55.  If my gut has healed and the weather is good, I should have a very good day.  Until then, I will stay on my new gluten-free diet and train hard.

Train hard.
Race easy.
Happy Running!

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The Gift of Running,by P. Mark Taylor, is now available in both paperback & e-book

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com $9.00

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store $2.99

- Ebook Version for Nook $2.99

Filed under P. Mark's Blogs, Training & Racing Tagged with , ,

The Gift of Running: A Book for Runners and Future Runners

October 10, 2012 3 Comments

My new book, The Gift of Running, is now available in both paperback & ebook

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com   $9.00

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store $2.99

I wrote this book for several reasons.  Many of the books on running are tough to read, a lot like technical manuals.  I wanted to offer something more personal, runner to runner.  Moreover, I wanted it to be easy to read for the inexperienced runner.  I think I have accomplished this with The Gift of Running .

Below is the official description.  A small excerpt is included at the bottom of this page.

Book Reviews by Runners:

Book Reviews on Amazon.com:

If you would like an autographed copy of the book, please email me at pmark67@gmail.com

_________________________

The Gift of Running: a book for runners and future runners

by P Mark Taylor

Running is a gift, but not only for the gifted.  Whether you run just for fun or want to become a more competitive runner, The Gift of Running is for you. In The Gift of Running, P. Mark Taylor shows runners how to get started and stay motivated.

The book includes:  advice on how to get started as a runner, tried & true methods of running faster and longer, how to prepare for a marathon, tips on staying healthy & happy, motivation to keep you running, an insider view of the running community, & training programs for a 5K, 10K, half marathon, & marathon.

P. Mark Taylor is a runner & author of the blog at http://www.WiseRunning.com.

Publication Date:    Jul 20 2012
ISBN/EAN13:    0615668607 / 9780615668604
Page Count:    196
Binding Type:    US Trade Paper
Trim Size:    5.5″ x 8.5″
Language:    English
Color:    Black and White
Related Categories:    Sports & Recreation / Running & Jogging
 
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How to read this book:   (an excerpt from the book)

“This book is not a technical manual.  I have intentionally tried to keep my explanations brief and simple.  I have avoided technical terms and explained what I mean whenever needed.  It does offer important research-based information, but it offers more than that.

The book is about:

  • the human side of running,
  • becoming a runner,
  • working to become a better runner,
  • & staying safe, sane, and happy as a runner. 

It moves back and forth between personal stories, quotes from runners, and advice on running.

Most of the subsections of the book could be read independently, but I encourage you to read it from front to back.  This is especially true for the inexperienced runners.  Read the whole thing first, then go enjoy the run!

This book is the culmination of years of running, studying, and life experiences.  Most of all it is about the love of running and my respect for runners.

This book is dedicated to all of those who share my passion for running & to all those who are trying running for the first time.”

_______________

 

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