In a quest to settle whether or not to run a 6 hour trail race in three weeks, I set out to do a long run this morning. Since I needed to be home by 10am, I was out the door at 5:15am and got it in.
I was astounded, frankly. I settled into a groove and just stayed there. After 3 hours, I felt great. As I approached 4 hours, I still felt fine. After I got home, the Garmin’s tale was encouraging. The pace of almost all 66 three-minute run sequences were in the upper 9’s per mile, even the last ones. Steady. Enjoyable. What a gift to be able to just walk out my front door and run. I don’t take it lightly and feel for my pals who are sidelined currently.
So, I’m on for the DINO 360 Minute Trail Race on July 5 (or, as we say in Indiana, cinco de Julio). If I finish, it will be a number of firsts for me; my first ultra, my longest trail race ever (previous high…13 miles), my first long run in heat. So much for the mantra of “nothing new on race day.” Therefore, I’m asking for nutritional advice, please.
I tried to practice fluid and food today…please let me know if I’m on the right track for race day:
- Fluids. I drank 50 oz of half-strength Gatorade during the run today and another 20 oz immediately afterwards. I had evidence (three times, actually) I was not dehydrated. It was humid today and the temp ran from 68F at the start to 78F at the end.
- Gu. I had a Gu at 1:20, 2:20 and 3:15 after I started. I’ve discovered if I eat half a pack, wait about 5 minutes and eat the other half that it sits better on the stomach.
- Crackers. I packed a bunch of Wheat Thins in the little front pocket of my fuel belt and ate 3-6 per hour, one at a time during walk breaks. My thought was the salt was helpful, as well as a few carbs.
So, veteran trail ultra runners, what advice would you give me, the newbie, to prepare fluids and food for a six hour trail run in the heat?? I’d really welcome your comment on what I did this morning and what I’ve forgotten.
But, why did I have to be home by 10am?? Because at 11am, we gathered to celebrate the 2nd birthday of our granddaughter Berneice! Hard to believe it was two full years ago she was born…and what a two years it has been. Susan, David and I had a chance to have a good hug over that fact during the party. The little gal is quite a cutie…she has a sweet spirit, is starting to talk well and loves to be with the extended family.
Rejoice with us. And persevere.
6 comments:
Joe,
I am new to this nutrition stuff also. Another drink to look at is PERPETUEM. It gives you everything in one. Good luck!
Happy Birthday to your beautiful grandaughter!
Very cool Joe! Ultra-Joe! That just has a nice ring to it!! My Ironman coach says to take in 300 calories every half hour, and drink 24 oz of sports drink per hour, and supplement that with water. Evidently, if you put too many carbs in your tummy without water it makes it queasy . Also, you need 500-1000mg of salt per hour, but you need to check and see how much you are getting from your food and drink before supplementing.
That's what I know, anywho... Not much!! Good luck!!!
Most of the bloggers I follow have run ultras, I kind of forgot you hadn't. : ) Very cool! I think you probably know what to do...it's not that different from marathon running. If you haven't used electrolyte tabs yet, you might want to try them. (I like S!caps.) Just start drinking and gel'ing from the beginning and don't stop. Some like an every 45 min. schedule for gel. And take a bite or two of something solid at every aid station. Good luck!
P.S. I've said it before, I'll say it again...that granddaughter of your's is a cutie! : )
That's awesome. I really enjoyed all the DINO events before moving away from Indiana. I don't have any great insights since I've not even done a marathon yet, but it seems like you are pretty much on track!!
My thoughts drink early and often! Good luck and Happy Father's Day!
Your granddaughter is a doll!
S-caps are good advice - you will probably need them in the heat. I'm not the best person to give fueling advice - but I will say I think you are going to need more food than you mentioned. I assume today was on fairly flat city streets and your trail race will involve some climbing. I think you'll need more food. And be sure to drink LOTS!
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