A race recap is coming but I’m too tired to write it now. Click on the picture to jump to a photo gallery from the marathon.
26.2 baby!!!
How do you carry 6 gels, 12 Endurolyte capsules, an iPhone and a race number bib for 26.2 miles? You COULD push a shopping cart but the race director might frown on that. A better option is an elastic race belt with lots of extra gel loops sewn in. Might as well get one with a special loop sized just perfectly for the small pill bottle that you’ll also want to include. Oh yeah, you’ll also want a neoprene pocket that is perfectly sized for your iPhone.
If you’re having trouble finding something that will do all of that, welcome to my dilemma. If you’re amazed beyond belief at the awesome contraption in the photo here, welcome to my solution.
No one would accuse me of being a seamstress, even if I do own a sewing machine. Really, I do. It’s cheap. It’s purple. It’s called “Pixie” something or other. It’s really hard to thread the needle (THANK YOU Google!). It’s not meant to sew two pieces of neoprene but why should that stop me? See, I’m a GUY with a sewing machine. Guys can make stuff work. Even purple pixie sewing machines.
Anyway, here’s my improved custom race belt. It holds 6 gels, a small pill bottle for E-caps, an iPhone and a race number bib. I torture tested it fully loaded for a full three miles. I think I’m set.
What do YOU carry on a marathon and how?
As I write this, it is about 15 days until the third annual Run For Life Marathon. I have been training for this race, my first marathon, for the past 6 months. I only have a few more good runs left in the next few days before tapering off and nervously resting my shin splints. This late in the game, there’s no point continuing to train hard since any performance gain wouldn’t be realized until after the race. So, now, it’s time to focus on nailing down a race strategy. Specifically, I want to set a few overall goals, finalize a fueling plan, and really think hard about pacing.
How can I set a realistic goal without prior marathon experience to base it off of? I know how long it takes me to casually run 16 – 20 miles in mid-summer Mississippi heat but does that translate to a marathon race in October? Luckily, people smarter than me have figured out how to predict marathon race time based on previous times from shorter races. A Google search for “running pace predictor” and a previous half marathon time (or two) are all that’s needed to get started.
For this experiment, I’ll use my most recent half marathon times. These races were run two weeks apart in April and in very different conditions. The Pensacola Beach Half Marathon was flat but hot and very humid… 2:06:16 9:33/mi. The Renaissance Half Marathon was hilly but the weather was great. I also had the benefit of running the last 7 miles with a faster friend pacing me… 1:54:33 8:45/mi.
Plugging in my times, I get: Continue reading
Sunset run on the Ross Barnett Reservoir Multi-use Trail
I stopped and snapped this photo with my iPhone a few nights ago.
Underneath my keyboard at home, I keep two important things. A well-worn printout of Hal Higdon’s “Novice 2” 18 week marathon training schedule and an equally worn Runner’s World “SmartCoach” marathon training schedule. From these two sources, I have created my own customized marathon training program.“Hey, what are you training for?”
“Oh, I’m doing my first marathon next month.”
“You’ve been out here a long time. I saw you a few hours ago in Madison.”
“Yeah, its been about three hours now.”
“I thought you might be training for the Badwater Ultra-Marathon…”
Don’t worry, Robin. This doesn’t make me want to actually race 135 miles across Death Valley in mid-July. But I’m ok with getting mistaken for someone that hardcore. Truth is, I might as well have been in the middle of the world’s toughest footrace. I was about to push farther than I had ever gone before, and win.
Twenty miles is a long way to run. I haven’t even ridden my bike that far yet. (I know, I need to ride more.) Needless to say, I’m very proud of this accomplishment and I’m really looking forward to my chance to join the ranks of the marathoners in just a few weeks.
My first full marathon is now only seven weeks away. Training consistently has been difficult in this brutally hot summer. At this point, I know I’m half-marathon fit, but I’m worried that I’m not marathon fit. After today’s long run, I’m pretty sure a DNF is not in my future but the last ten miles are going to be an awful struggle.
Today, I hit mile 16 at the base of a long demoralizing hill. I had already taken my last gel one mile back and it was doing nothing for me. So I walked, and walked, and walked. I couldn’t even motivate myself to pick up the pace (and pretend like I’d been running all along) when I saw cyclists heading my way. I don’t know if I ever really “broke through” the wall. I was able to get myself running again but it seemed like the walls were lined up every quarter mile or so. I should add that the temperature was around 97 and shade was non-existent.
Salt crust was thick on my clothes and skin so there’s a good chance my electrolytes were low. I like my current fueling strategy of drinking only water and getting electrolytes and carbs from PowerGel but I may need more than just the gel – at least in the summer heat. I think I’ll check some ultra-running blogs for advice on getting additional electrolytes. Hopefully, that will be just what I need to get me through the wall. Suggestions, anyone?
I have read most of ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes’ books over the summer. If you don’t know who he is, Google. He may be a shameless self-promoter, but I like his sense of adventure. One of the quirky things he does frequently is put the family to bed and then go out for a run…until sunrise. It just happens that, like Dean, the best time for me to go run is after everyone else has done their thing and gone to bed. I haven’t run all night (yet) but I have gotten in a few late night long runs.