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I will be running my first marathon, at age 55, on Oct 30. I am following a beginner marathon training schedule and do lots of reading about nutrition etc. I just want to know what worked for you during your race. What did you eat/drink, when and how often. I know I need to find what works best for me, I'm just hesitant to eat as many gels as I read some people do for fear of a stomach ache. I ran a half marathon last year, age 54 in a 2:06 and only drank sports drink every 2 miles. I did my first 16 miler last weekend and again only drank gatorade. I was able to maintain 10 minute miles and felt pretty good except I was really hungry the last 2 miles. It seems some people eat a gel every 30 minutes, which seems excessive to me. What worked for you and what didn't work? Will I have more energy if I do eat them? I keep thinking that everyone ran marathons in the 70's without all the nutrition that people rely on these days. Is it hype or not?
Thanks
When I was training for my marathon, I liked to eat a small snack about 30 minutes before running...a bagel with cream cheese, a yogurt topped with granola and a piece of fruit, or even a PB&J...these were easy on my stomach and didn't bother me while training. I also liked to use gels...one about every 5-6 miles or so for long runs. On shorter runs, I'd carry them with me, but only use them if I felt a dip in energy. That method really worked for me, and I liked the convenience of the gels, but some of the flavors were awful. You just have to experiment to find the ones that taste best. I always carried a runner's water bottle with water only for hydration during my runs. I occasionally would drink a sports drink afterward (I happen to love orange Gatorade, so it was a good excuse to indulge).
You probably already know this, but one good tip is to never try anything new on race day. Wear clothes & shoes that you've trained in before, and your pre-race meal & in-race snacks should all be something that you know works for you.
I'd recommend carb loading two or three days prior to the race. You can do a google search for more details. I incorporated that into my routine for my last marathon. Got a 20 minute PR and qualified for my first Boston Marathon with 6 minutes to spare .
I'd suggest consuming 200 calories per hour during the race. This equates to one gel every 30 minutes which is not excessive in my opinion. Consuming calories during a marathon is not hype. Your body can only store so much fuel and hitting the wall is no joke . Trust me on that!
BTW, are you running Marine Corps? If so, I'll be joining you on October 30th.
I will be running my first marathon, at age 55, on Oct 30. I am following a beginner marathon training schedule and do lots of reading about nutrition etc. I just want to know what worked for you during your race. What did you eat/drink, when and how often. I know I need to find what works best for me, I'm just hesitant to eat as many gels as I read some people do for fear of a stomach ache. I ran a half marathon last year, age 54 in a 2:06 and only drank sports drink every 2 miles. I did my first 16 miler last weekend and again only drank gatorade. I was able to maintain 10 minute miles and felt pretty good except I was really hungry the last 2 miles. It seems some people eat a gel every 30 minutes, which seems excessive to me. What worked for you and what didn't work? Will I have more energy if I do eat them? I keep thinking that everyone ran marathons in the 70's without all the nutrition that people rely on these days. Is it hype or not?
Thanks
Congrats on your upcoming marathon; I'm sure you'll do fine.
I'm in my mid-40's and have run three marathons and four half marathons. My PB marathon time is 3:44. These days I pretty much stick to 10ks.
But I can tell you the Undisputed All-Time #1 Rule when it comes to running your first marathon: Don't do anything differently than you've done before!!
The cardinal sin alot of people make when they do their first marathon is they try something different: new shoes, a new pre-race meal, different in-race snacks, stc. This often backfires: the shoes are too stiff; the pre-race meal is too heavy and disagrees with you; the in-race snacks bog you down.
Stick with what's been working. If you're gonna run 26.2 miles in five weeks then I'm assuming you've done at least one 20 mile run already. So just stick with what you did on your long training runs; provided you were happy with their results andhow you felt during them. As far as hydration and food intake: err on the side of caution.
It's better to be just a tad under-hydrated or under-carbo'd than to be bogged down with too much of either. It's not gonna be that hot anywhere in the U.S. on Oct. 30, so your risk of dehydration is slight if you follow this "less is more" mindset.
Best of luck!
Congrats on your upcoming marathon; I'm sure you'll do fine.
I'm in my mid-40's and have run three marathons and four half marathons. My PB marathon time is 3:44. These days I pretty much stick to 10ks.
But I can tell you the Undisputed All-Time #1 Rule when it comes to running your first marathon: Don't do anything differently than you've done before!!
The cardinal sin alot of people make when they do their first marathon is they try something different: new shoes, a new pre-race meal, different in-race snacks, stc. This often backfires: the shoes are too stiff; the pre-race meal is too heavy and disagrees with you; the in-race snacks bog you down.
Stick with what's been working. If you're gonna run 26.2 miles in five weeks then I'm assuming you've done at least one 20 mile run already. So just stick with what you did on your long training runs; provided you were happy with their results andhow you felt during them. As far as hydration and food intake: err on the side of caution.
It's better to be just a tad under-hydrated or under-carbo'd than to be bogged down with too much of either. It's not gonna be that hot anywhere in the U.S. on Oct. 30, so your risk of dehydration is slight if you follow this "less is more" mindset.
Best of luck!
100% agree with Drummerboy....don't try anything that you haven't first worked out in training.
The gel-every-30-minutes is the gel company's recommendation...I wonder what they recommend so many?
I typically only use 3-4 gels/marathon (every 10K or thereabouts). Even then, I'm not sure they do much in the grand scheme of things (at least for me).
Drummerboy also makes a great point about hydration. I think its becoming more and more apparent that people are Waaaaaay over-doing the drinking when doing endurance sports. Thank gatorade for this. If you look at actual scientific studies, its quite well documented that the body can tolerate a significant level of dehydration without any loss of performance.
Personally, I think the whole "replace every drop of water sweated out by drinking something during race/training" is a crock. It'll just lead to bloat, GI tract shut-down, and in severe cases hyponatremia.
100% agree with Drummerboy....don't try anything that you haven't first worked out in training.
The gel-every-30-minutes is the gel company's recommendation...I wonder what they recommend so many?
I typically only use 3-4 gels/marathon (every 10K or thereabouts). Even then, I'm not sure they do much in the grand scheme of things (at least for me).
Drummerboy also makes a great point about hydration. I think its becoming more and more apparent that people are Waaaaaay over-doing the drinking when doing endurance sports. Thank gatorade for this. If you look at actual scientific studies, its quite well documented that the body can tolerate a significant level of dehydration without any loss of performance.
Personally, I think the whole "replace every drop of water sweated out by drinking something during race/training" is a crock. It'll just lead to bloat, GI tract shut-down, and in severe cases hyponatremia.
Thank you, I agree. Just did a 17 mile and did just fine. I had one pack of chews or chomps or whatever they're called and some water. I guess I just started to get concerned that I wasn't taking in enough stuff after reading all the recommendations. But you're right, of course they are promoting their products.
Hunger will be the least of your concerns for the final 6.2 of the race. I think your practice of drinking a LITTLE every 2-3 miles is very sound, as dehydration creeps up on you and when it really hits there's no bouncing back. Also, it's better/easier to take 5-6 gulps while running every few miles than trying to pound a pint of water and having it slosh around in your belly afterwards at, say the 6-7 mile mark. I would usually only eat one gel during a marathon, usually around 17-18 mile mark to help power through the final push.
Of course carb loading the day before is good (nothing exotic, stick with what you know and practice) and then the morning of I would usually have a Powerbar and a bagel with PB on it. Drink some cold water with it all and hope to get your morning growler out of the way before you hit the road! Ha ha.
The big thing I would recommend for the race is not to get too caught up in the hype and excitement in the beginning. If you do a normal taper, your legs should feel really good and you may feel like you are running slow, but trust me you want to keep it reigned in for the first 10k just to settle in and leave something in the tank for the long haul. If there is anyway to latch onto a pace group running a pace you are comfortable with, that is a great way to conserve energy by moving as a pack and will keep you on a consistent pace. I am no expert, my PR was only 3:12, but I found all these things as my own best practice for optimal race performance. The first marathon is sort of a crap shoot...if you end up doing another you will feel 100 times better than this first time, but just stick to your plan and put the work in now and you should be okay. Good luck!
I will be running my first marathon, at age 55, on Oct 30. I am following a beginner marathon training schedule and do lots of reading about nutrition etc. I just want to know what worked for you during your race. What did you eat/drink, when and how often. I know I need to find what works best for me, I'm just hesitant to eat as many gels as I read some people do for fear of a stomach ache. I ran a half marathon last year, age 54 in a 2:06 and only drank sports drink every 2 miles. I did my first 16 miler last weekend and again only drank gatorade. I was able to maintain 10 minute miles and felt pretty good except I was really hungry the last 2 miles. It seems some people eat a gel every 30 minutes, which seems excessive to me. What worked for you and what didn't work? Will I have more energy if I do eat them? I keep thinking that everyone ran marathons in the 70's without all the nutrition that people rely on these days. Is it hype or not?
Thanks
I have been running in marathons and participating in tri-athelons for decades. My best and most simple advice for you would be, 1 hour before the start, eat a power bar and wash it down with water. Relax your mind until the race starts. Right before the race get a piece of chewing gum( I prefer Trident) and run with the gum. It will help keep your mouth hydrated and it will help you pace your breathing. Lastly, run YOUR RACE at your pace and enjoy being 55 and being alive. You will do great! Have fun.
I've lumbered through 5 halfs and usually have the same pre run meal and a bottle of water. Clear pee before I start is always good. I would take a gatorade at the water stations, but would keep a powerbar with me if I needed a bit more for the tank. Figure it takes 2-3 miles for power bar to kick in.
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