Week 9- Nutrition Time!!

With the marathon now only 3 weeks away (eeeek!!) I really needed to decide what race nutrition I was using.

Posted: 4 April 2012
by Kari-Ann Webb

Lots of different things to try!!

I really cant believe I am only 3 weeks away from running the London Marathon, the past few weeks have just whizzed by me so fast.

Training has been going really well, I have had a mad panic that my long runs just havent been long enough and I am not prepared enough for the big day, can I run another 10miles more on the big day or will I crash and burn? After a panic stricken email to Debbie at Full Potential she send me a lovely email reassuring me that the big day isnt just built on the long run but with all the other speed training I have been doing too and that they have every faith in me as I have been working so hard and at a disadvantage of starting my training later than others. She also said its normal to panic and have doubts...phew!! I'm calm now!!

Well, I have been practising for race day, been drinking my Nestle Pure Life Water, following the advice from the Dietician I spoke to at the training day, wearing my race day outfit on my runs but the only problem I have been having is getting my race day nutrition 100%. After a few tummy troubles on the longer runs, I have been trying to eliminate the issues, I have cut down on the fruit and vegetables 24-48hours before and eliminated my morning porridge from the day before and race morning, all goes well till I forget like last week (oops!!). I have started to eat more rice pudding and this has replaced the porridge on running morning and keeping with the marmite on toast too (yummy). I have no problems with the carb-loading at all so thats all good!!

I seem to have a phobia with gels now, because I was sure they were the problem with my tummy. But I have had a breakthrough, I have been brave and tried a Lucozade gel on a few of my runs and been ok, I have also tried High5 Isogel and they too seem to be ok, fingers crossed!! I have also been using dextrose, jelly beans and babies which also work ok, but have noticed that I am a bit pooped half way through my runs. I know its all trial and error and got to keep at it....as my mother would say "practice makes perfect!"

This weeks training is so far so good, Sundays long run has been reduced to 2hours, so I suppose I am kind of tapering!! Oh no...sad face...I dont want it to end....I love this whole experience and my running has improved so much!! When I started this plan I was running a 37minute 5k, I am now 27minutes and I know I can run faster.

As the VLM Website says.....17 days, 21hours, 55minutes and 02 seconds till RACE DAY!!

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JEvaNs*

Oh wow - time goes so quickly! I have been meaning to pop into this far more often!

Your training sounds tough - I haven't done any of the threshold runs you seem to be doing. I've concentrated on just getting my miles in. I have an extra week than you, with my marathon on 29th April. My two milestones this week have been a 4 hour run (longest ever at 22 miles - about to welcome the taper!) and booking the hotel for the night before. Booking the hotel was a major milestone - can't beleive I left it so late! Silly me.

I know what you mean about being sad to taper. I love being able to go out for such long runs of 15miles plus. I've done 15, 17, 18, 20, 22 miles and going to finish off with 20, 15, 10 over the coming weekends. I am surprised that I have been able to build up to 22 miles, but it has been at the expense of other runs in the week. I'm the same as you in that I have been SO TIRED and only doing around 30 miles week over the last 2-3 weeks over just three runs a week. I can't even use the excuse of doing other cross training.

However - I am looking forward to getting back to my training after the marathon. Yoga, circuits, spin classes are all planned, and I would like to be able to maintain my fitness with the occasional 15 mile run every other week or so.

What are your plans after this?

Posted: 09/04/2012 at 17:40

Kari-Ann Webb

Hiya!
Yes its so tiring isnt it, I dont know what makes me more tired the long slow runs on a sunday or the shorter faster ones in the week!!

Well done on the 22miles I am very envious, I have only managed 16miles!!

My plans after VLM, not sure hopefully I will want to run another marathon in the future, I have booked in at a local 10k and my 2 local half marathons in Plymouth and Torbay and looking as Bristol in September. Back to the gym too I have missed Body Pump and spinning!!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog
Kari-Ann xx

Posted: 15/04/2012 at 10:10

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