Half marathon fuel

Bbrunnin

Hi doing the half in cork this weekend ,have tried the gels in last few week s but they donot agree with me ,i find in training when i get about 9-10 mile im hittin the wall.any other ideas normally only drink water but weather is lookin great for weekend, and with added heat would you get dehydrated quicker thanks bb:P

liz2

Hi,
I've also tried the gels in the last few weeks and like you, they don't agree with me.. So a fellow marathon runner suggested i try mixing a gel with some water, at one of the water stations.. I'm hoping it won't be as harsh on the stomach..
There'll be plenty of stations to include water or lucozade sport, so whatever the weather i reckon we should be fine. I wouldn't be used to drinking lucozade sport while on a run, but if i think i'm hitting the wall at the later stages, i'll sip a little bit.. Fruit pastilles are also handy for a sugar fix... HTH..;-)

PVincent

You really shouldn't need gels for a half marathon. If you are properly hydrated and eaten well the day before you should be fine . If its warm just make sure to take fluids at all the water stations. If you are worried about the 'wall' ( it's definitely not the wall you are hitting by the way) , stop worrying. The adrenaline on the day will help you thro that patch at 9 miles. You could arrange to have someone meet you at that marker with some jellies or a sports drink. Anything that gets you in a positive frame of mind at that difficult period that you 'think' you might have is a good idea. Stay positive , stay hydrated and above all enjoy the occasion. You will feel fantastic WHEN you cross that line with a big smile on your face, and remember to relax and finish strong

Bbrunnin

liz2 wrote: »

Hi,
I've also tried the gels in the last few weeks and like you, they don't agree with me.. So a fellow marathon runner suggested i try mixing a gel with some water, at one of the water stations.. I'm hoping it won't be as harsh on the stomach..
There'll be plenty of stations to include water or lucozade sport, so whatever the weather i reckon we should be fine. I wouldn't be used to drinking lucozade sport while on a run, but if i think i'm hitting the wall at the later stages, i'll sip a little bit.. Fruit pastilles are also handy for a sugar fix... HTH..;-)

Hi thanks wouldnt mix them as got sick last time half way in a race , but i ll prob stick with water and lucozade sport ,its the weather has me worried up in the 20s in cork today . Never tried eatin b4 but if needs be thanks again

Bbrunnin

liz2 wrote: »

Hi,
I've also tried the gels in the last few weeks and like you, they don't agree with me.. So a fellow marathon runner suggested i try mixing a gel with some water, at one of the water stations.. I'm hoping it won't be as harsh on the stomach..
There'll be plenty of stations to include water or lucozade sport, so whatever the weather i reckon we should be fine. I wouldn't be used to drinking lucozade sport while on a run, but if i think i'm hitting the wall at the later stages, i'll sip a little bit.. Fruit pastilles are also handy for a sugar fix... HTH..;-)

PVincent wrote: »

You really shouldn't need gels for a half marathon. If you are properly hydrated and eaten well the day before you should be fine . If its warm just make sure to take fluids at all the water stations. If you are worried about the 'wall' ( it's definitely not the wall you are hitting by the way) , stop worrying. The adrenaline on the day will help you thro that patch at 9 miles. You could arrange to have someone meet you at that marker with some jellies or a sports drink. Anything that gets you in a positive frame of mind at that difficult period that you 'think' you might have is a good idea. Stay positive , stay hydrated and above all enjoy the occasion. You will feel fantastic WHEN you cross that line with a big smile on your face, and remember to relax and finish strong

Hi thanks already smilin at the idea of finish line ! First half , its defo a frame of mind thing but v positive and excited about it, also i run with a few friends at moment and they are doing half with me,do u feel its a good idea to stay in the group eventho i feel they run slightly slower than me and its hard to pace slower than i normally would run

PVincent

Just to say that gels must be taken with water(most of them anyway) but if you are not used to them steer well clear of them. As this appears to be your first half then the big goal has to be finishing and enjoying. If running in a group with friends helps you achieve that , then no matter what , it's the right decision. What can upset the cart is if someone is having a really bad day and you end up walking or waiting and that then spoils everyone's day. So use sense in deciding the ground rules for the group and don't feel guilty if you want to push on if you are confident. Steady start , solid middle and a strong finish. Just be careful to allow for the heat as that saps us all. Good luck

huskerdu

Bbrunnin wrote: »

Never tried eatin b4 but if needs be thanks again

Dont do anything on the day that you have not done in training. More risk of feeling sick.

Your body holds enough glycogen (fuel) for approx 20miles running, and food, even jelly babies need to be digested before they become glycogen, so there is no physical advantage to gels or food during a half marathon.

Hydration will be a bit of an issue as I am guessing that you have no recent experience of a training run at 20 degrees:).

However, as everyone else has said, the adreneline and the buzz of race day willl give you an extra boost. Enjoy your race.

Clearlier

there is no hard and fast rule about the distance that you can cover before you hit the wall. I once hit the "wall" 5 miles into a 10 mile race and I have comfortably finished 20 mile runs on fresh air. If you have been running out of energy after 9-10 miles in training then unless you change something the same same will happen in your race. I would suggest carrying around something that you normally eat and take small amounts of it regularly. Ideally this would be a form of quick release carbs. Also make sure that the proportion of carbs in your diet is high over the next couple of days.

Good luck!

Bbrunnin

Hi thanks for all the advice ,great to know your body shouldn t need any gels etc for the half .weather is defo an issue but might just wear less and will stop at all water stations
Hard to know till the day but do feel the buzz will get me to the end ,have joked all week that id crawl to the finish line if i have to,so at least i haven t lost my sense of humour

Cabaal

I'd also agree with the view that in all honesty as long as you are properly hydrated and have eaten properly you shouldn't need gels for a half marathon.

Its very easy to end up using gels when you honestly don't need them, I very foolishly (perhaps second guessing myself) brought like 4-5 gels on the last marathon I did and in the end I only used one myself, another was taken by another runner.

I've never bothered with them on a half, but I've seen people do halfs with upto 5 gels. This is total overkill in every way.

plodder

The best fuel for distance running is the glycogen stored in your leg muscles. You should be able to run 13 miles fueled only by muscle glycogen so long as you eat properly the day or two beforehand, and preserve the energy by resting/taking it easy the day before.

BeepBeep67

What pace are you planning to race the HM at?
This will impact whether to are actually hitting the wall or not, once you go above 90mins if you haven't trained to use other sources of fuel in your body.

ironmonkey

I'd agree with those who gave said you don't need fuel for a half. I would also caution against taking in too much liquid - it can get uncomfortable to have a lot of liquid sloshing around inside. Don't judge it by the temp. If you are sweating a lot -take on more liquid. If not a few sips at each aid station should see you right.

Bbrunnin

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

What pace are you planning to race the HM at?
This will impact whether to are actually hitting the wall or not, once you go above 90mins if you haven't trained to use other sources of fuel in your body.

Hi was going to stick with the 9 min mile pacer so about 2 hrs feel thats achivable so defo over the 90 mins , unless i stick with running group then it will be slower

donglen

Anyone info on parking arrangements for the Half? I don't particularly want to do the park in town, bus to start line. Is it feasible to park in Mahon Point or the Argos car park and take it on foot from there?

ncmc

donglen wrote: »

Anyone info on parking arrangements for the Half? I don't particularly want to do the park in town, bus to start line. Is it feasible to park in Mahon Point or the Argos car park and take it on foot from there?

You could do that. They don’t have a time limit in the MP car park. You could park in the overflow car park. It’s about a 15-20 min walk to the half start from there I think. The problem is though, you are going to finish in town and your car is going to be in MP!

Bbrunnin

Hi you might get away with mahon point but a lot of people might be doing that there 1800 in the half if your early you should get parkin in the area best of luck

corkbride

I also have a question so hope its ok to pop into this thread. I sometimes find that eating before running really does not suit me. When I do long runs in the evening I would normally leave it 5/6 hours between last meal and running. The half is at 1030 so thats not really an option. Would it be ok to eat late the night before and then run on an empty stomach? I would prefer it but dont want to run out of energy.

ncmc

corkbride wrote: »

I also have a question so hope its ok to pop into this thread. I sometimes find that eating before running really does not suit me. When I do long runs in the evening I would normally leave it 5/6 hours between last meal and running. The half is at 1030 so thats not really an option. Would it be ok to eat late the night before and then run on an empty stomach? I would prefer it but dont want to run out of energy.

It’s a tough one Corkbride, everyone is very individual when it comes to this. I know some people who do all their running on an empty stomach, personally I hate running before I’ve eaten, I find I am very sluggish and find the run difficult. The rule of thumb is not to do anything different on race day, so if you normally eat before you run (even hours before) then you should really stick to that. Could you set your alarm for say, 6am, have breakfast and then go back to bed for an hour or two? Or could you just eat something light, like a small bowl of porridge or a banana?

Again, it’s totally individual, but I personally would not dream of racing a half on a totally empty stomach. I would be guaranteed a slow second half of the run if I did that.

Enduro

corkbride wrote: »

I also have a question so hope its ok to pop into this thread. I sometimes find that eating before running really does not suit me. When I do long runs in the evening I would normally leave it 5/6 hours between last meal and running. The half is at 1030 so thats not really an option. Would it be ok to eat late the night before and then run on an empty stomach? I would prefer it but dont want to run out of energy.

given that you have been training and practicing running on empty then you should be fine.

You can go a long long way without needing any food. I ran 130km last weekend (non-stop) and all I ate was a single jaffa cake after about 90km (and the latest big meal before starting the run was about 11 hours beforehand).

corkbride

Thanks guys, I'll give it some thought. Maybe it would be better to get up earlier have something and go back to sleep. I think its a mind thing too that if I do eat I'll be worried the whole run.

ncmc

Enduro wrote: »

given that you have been training and practicing running on empty then you should be fine.

You can go a long long way without needing any food. I ran 130km last weekend (non-stop) and all I ate was a single jaffa cake after about 90km (and the latest big meal before starting the run was about 11 hours beforehand).

Wow! That is incredible! You'd want to see the state of my belt for the marathon on Monday, it's jammed with gels, jellies and electrolyte tablets, I'm such a wuss really!

Corkbride, I always take a couple of pre-emptive Immodium on race day to avoid tummy issues as you say, it's more a mental thing than anything.

corkbride

Haha I didnt want to mention it but I am so planning on doing that! Thanks guys.

Enduro

ncmc wrote: »

You'd want to see the state of my belt for the marathon on Monday, it's jammed with gels, jellies and electrolyte tablets, I'm such a wuss really!

If you train without all that stuff then you should race without it. It's just unnecessary awkward weight that your dragging around (and making yourself slower as a result). If you're using that stuff in training then cut it out completely and teach your body not to need it. Then you'll be able to confidently race without it (I'm not going to advocate changing immediately before your race though!).

blockic

Enduro wrote: »

If you train without all that stuff then you should race without it. It's just unnecessary awkward weight that your dragging around (and making yourself slower as a result). If you're using that stuff in training then cut it out completely and teach your body not to need it. Then you'll be able to confidently race without it (I'm not going to advocate changing immediately before your race though!).

Interesting advise Enduro, I do all my training without gels but I would still take some during a marathon for the moment. However over the summer now I'm going to slowly convert to running on empty for some runs.

It will take a few weeks to adjust fully no doubt but come next marathon, having ran some of my LSR's on empty I would hope that my endurance benefits as a result with a greater use of fat as an energy source.

Gavlor

blockic wrote: »

Interesting advise Enduro, I do all my training without gels but I would still take some during a marathon for the moment. However over the summer now I'm going to slowly convert to running on empty for some runs.

It will take a few weeks to adjust fully no doubt but come next marathon, having ran some of my LSR's on empty I would hope that my endurance benefits as a result with a greater use of fat as an energy source.

Eh what fat?! I think I used one gel during my training for limerick, I just found I didn't need them and training on empty wasn't a problem. However when I took my usual gels during the marathon it turned my stomach so now I don't know what to do next time around!

donglen

This will be my first half-marathon. The furthest I've raced has been 10k, but I have run a few 10 miles in training for this. The last 3 miles will be somewhat of a mystery.
My predicament is my target time - I believe I'll come in between 2:06 / 2:09 judging by my training. This puts me in the middle ground of the pacing groups so I don't know which ones to pick!
Should I just put on the man-suit and stick with the 2hr pacers for as long as possible and see where that takes me? Or play it safe and stick with the 2:15 pacers to maybe 8/9 miles and then push on if possible.

As stated, I have no previous experience, so play it safe as it's my first one or drive on and risk crawling over the finish line (or ultimate inner glory!)?

ncmc

Hmm, that's a tough one Donglen, in marathons, the perceived wisdom is to go with the slower pacer and push on if feeling strong, but you have less time to do that on a half. If you push on at mile 10, realistically the most you're going to gain is 90 seconds - 2 minutes. I think you would be doing yourself a disservice to start with the 2:15's if you're hoping for a 2:06. Do you have a GPS watch or iphone? My inclination would just be to forget about the pacers and run your own race. There will be loads of people round you, so it's not like you'll get lonely!

donglen

ncmc wrote: »

Hmm, that's a tough one Donglen, in marathons, the perceived wisdom is to go with the slower pacer and push on if feeling strong, but you have less time to do that on a half. If you push on at mile 10, realistically the most you're going to gain is 90 seconds - 2 minutes. I think you would be doing yourself a disservice to start with the 2:15's if you're hoping for a 2:06. Do you have a GPS watch or iphone? My inclination would just be to forget about the pacers and run your own race. There will be loads of people round you, so it's not like you'll get lonely!

You know what? You're 100% correct. I've been mulling it over all day, I think my guestimated time is too far away from the 2hr and too far ahead of the 2:15 to get a benefit from the pacers, so as you suggest I might just do my own thing and go for a 2:05 - I see there's another half-M in Charleville in September, I'll aim to break the mythical 2hr's in that!
It's good to talk!
Best of luck all.

ncmc

I might do charleville myself, I think it's one of the flattest half's out there so a good one to aim for a PB. The two half's I've done I've been in between pacers and have just run on my own and it's been fine. Just be careful not to get too caught up in the excitement of race day and go out too fast! Best of luck.

Sara2002

Been following the nutrition debate on this thread-Very insightful! I am starting my plan for DCM this week and hope to do most of training runs on empty this time round (I have been converting slowly-I'm up to 10milea on empty now) Definitely the way forward for me.
Anyway just wanted to say good luck to you all. Sounds like you've put in the work so try your best to enjoy it!