I would like to share the information that I will be talking about on November 2 in Santa Clarita on preventing race day problems. For Erin Duffy and Eloy Rodriguez who will be doing the Marine Corps Marathon this weekend, and all other runners, I would take a look at this if you want to have a great race. Here it is: There are three things that from my experience are necessary to prevent race day problems and to have the best and most successful race you have ever experienced. These three things are to use a proper pacing strategy, set a realistic goal, and to consume plenty of carbs before and during the race. Most runners, even more experienced runners do not do any of those things correctly. Too many people make the same mistakes thinking that someday they will just get away with it. If everyone trained hard and followed these guidelines, the average marathon finishing time would without a doubt be under four hours. Keep in mind that making a mistake is significantly more costly in a full marathon than with a half marathon simply because when you are pushing the limits of your body, there is less room for error. But even if you are doing the half marathon, all of these guidelines are highly effective. Pacing: Your pacing strategy is the number one factor that is likely to make or break your race whether you are doing the full or half marathon. A negative split, running the second half faster than the first half, is definitely the way to go for the half and full marathon. Every world record from the 1500m to the marathon has been set by running a negative split. Every one of my half marathon PRs were a result of running a negative split, and 6 out of my 8 marathon PRs were set by running a negative split. Goal setting: You cant properly set a pace without a time goal. The two most important things to remember with goal setting is to know what time you are capable of running, and to set a goal range, especially if you are not sure what time you believe is realistic. There are many ways that you can set time goals including previous performances of the same distance, using a race equivalent calculator such as the McMillan Running Calculator, and by comparing your current level of fitness to your other race performances. When determining a goal range, it can be a range of less than a minute for an elite runner, or as much as 15 minutes for a first time marathoner. Because running a negative split is highly effective, it is always a good idea to start off at the slower end of your goal range, and throughout the race do multiple reality checks to determine if you can finish closer to the faster end of that range. Carbo loading and race day fueling: You can’t run 26.2 miles without being properly fueled for it. Even if you set the right goal and pace yourself properly, you will hit the wall if you do not consume enough carbs. I recommend consuming 4g/lb. body weight the three days before the marathon and your body weight in grams of carbs for breakfast the morning of the marathon. So for a 150 lb. runner, you would consume 600 g. of carbs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 150 grams of carbs for breakfast on Sunday morning before the event. Be sure to cut back on the fat, protein, and fiber which are slower to digest when you carbo load. After the race begins, you will also need sufficient carbs throughout the race. Be sure to consume gels, sports drinks, or any other type of fuel that has worked well for you during your long runs. Consume enough to keep you from hitting the wall, but not so much that the excessive sugar makes you sick during the race. It typically takes a lot of experience to figure out the perfect combination. Carbo loading is optional for the half marathon. If you consume slightly more carbs for 1-2 days before a half marathon, you should be in good shape on race day.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 05:48:28 +0000
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