Marathon nutrition question

dizzymom

hi all

done a couple of marathons but not getting nutrition quite right, i eat enuf the couple of days before but always feel half starved & almost delirious from about 18 miles. i started taking the gels (isogels) and am getting a kick but still sometimes in the long runs I get 'shaky' jittery - have been advised its from sweat, and the lack of sodium left in the tank, just wondering has anyone (either a 4hour marathoner or ultra m) used salt tabs and any advice on taking them in the LSD coming up to marathon. I think in previous marathons i have ended up being hypoglycemic! any info wud be helpful! :rolleyes:

TFBubendorfer

I have used Succeed S-caps for my ultras last year and they worked very well, but to be honest I don't really think that's your problem. Unless you're drinking too much water, low sodium should not really be an issue during a marathon.

You don't lose that much salt in sweat, it's mostly a myth.

dizzymom

cheers for advice, will see how next LSD goes :rolleyes:

liamo123

dizzymom wrote: »

hi all

done a couple of marathons but not getting nutrition quite right, i eat enuf the couple of days before but always feel half starved & almost delirious from about 18 miles. i started taking the gels (isogels) and am getting a kick but still sometimes in the long runs I get 'shaky' jittery - have been advised its from sweat, and the lack of sodium left in the tank, just wondering has anyone (either a 4hour marathoner or ultra m) used salt tabs and any advice on taking them in the LSD coming up to marathon. I think in previous marathons i have ended up being hypoglycemic! any info wud be helpful! :rolleyes:

Dissy do u eat banana's ?...On my LSR's I always nibble on them.... Like u I hate running on an empty stomach... The few foreign marathons Ive run have fruit stations towards the end and I always grab some banana... In the likes of the Dublin marathon there are always plenty of spectators handing out various bits and pieces like sweets chocolates etc but if ur patient enough u will c someone with the " glorous b " and grab it!!.. Dublin 2010 4 me was going pearshaped til I picked out such a spectator and once I had eaten some almost immediately my energy levels rose and I finished strongly..

dizzymom

on my last marathon happened at mile16, got v dizzy (nearly wanted to throw in the towel) and hungry and found a marshal with a banana and it helped a bit, i took 3 gels but still about 3 1/2 hours into race I got the dizzy hungry thing again, i prob need a few bananas. Funny thing is have tried jelly beans but too much sugar creates havoc with gastric! am going to do the bananas on the next 16miler! :eek:
(wish i liked pasta more!)

Limerick marathon, 1st may - countdown is on!

menoscemo

dizzymom wrote: »

on my last marathon happened at mile16, got v dizzy (nearly wanted to throw in the towel) and hungry and found a marshal with a banana and it helped a bit, i took 3 gels but still about 3 1/2 hours into race I got the dizzy hungry thing again, i prob need a few bananas. Funny thing is have tried jelly beans but too much sugar creates havoc with gastric! am going to do the bananas on the next 16miler! :eek:
(wish i liked pasta more!)

Limerick marathon, 1st may - countdown is on!

Experiment with what you eat for breakfast. A nice breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs and toast means I don't get hungry on my 20+mile training runs at all. If i just have toast or porridge i am starving by about 15 miles.

T runner

dizzymom wrote: »

on my last marathon happened at mile16, got v dizzy (nearly wanted to throw in the towel) and hungry and found a marshal with a banana and it helped a bit, i took 3 gels but still about 3 1/2 hours into race I got the dizzy hungry thing again, i prob need a few bananas. Funny thing is have tried jelly beans but too much sugar creates havoc with gastric! am going to do the bananas on the next 16miler! :eek:
(wish i liked pasta more!)

Limerick marathon, 1st may - countdown is on!

Sounds like youre bonking-running out of energy. You need to have your tank properly filled in the day or two before your LSR. If you dont like pasta what carbohydrate are you taking?
Also are you building your LSRs up slowly? If not youre body is poor at burning fat and you will face this problem later when you run out of juice on LSRs youre not ready for.

In that marathon you should have been taking the gels from 10k, every 5k to offset bonking/hitting the wall.

dizzymom

ya am going to try to stomach 4 gels plus the banana, i have never ever eaten meat on morning of a race or long run, i eat tons of wholemeal breadk porridge, eat some pasta the night before, mainly plain. Ya I think i gotta eat more, am 55.5kilos have lowish body fat so dont think the problem is burning the fat, i just seem to run out very fast. I want to get everything right for this marathon,
what gels are u guys using?

liamo123

My gel of choice is Powerbar Caffeinated Green Apple flavour.. Ive been using them since I started marathon running and they work 4 me......( have to b taken with water )..I take one every 5 miles or so...Alot of runners also use Hi-5 gels that can b taken without water...

Mac Cormaic

dizzymom wrote: »

ya am going to try to stomach 4 gels plus the banana, i have never ever eaten meat on morning of a race or long run, i eat tons of wholemeal breadk porridge, eat some pasta the night before, mainly plain. Ya I think i gotta eat more, am 55.5kilos have lowish body fat so dont think the problem is burning the fat, i just seem to run out very fast. I want to get everything right for this marathon,
what gels are u guys using?

I normally take gels during my marathon runs, but found that a chocolate protein bar around mile 20 gives me a new boost. In my first ever long-run (24 miles), I was running 6 mile loops, and had the chance to run in home and eat cold cabbage and bacon and drink a litre of water. I think that was the biggest energy boost I've ever got to keep me fuelled for running further. I have been meaning to try it again on a long run, and on a marathon (if its pratical to carry it, or leave it at a table), just to see is it a placebo-thought in my mind, or whether it is an instant fuel provider. Also I found eating potato waffles before a marathon very easy on the stomach.