By my calendar, which I assume is probably the same as yours, there are a little more than five weeks left before the Chicago marathon. For me that means two more 20 milers and a couple more track workouts. One of my running partners is doing the New York. His first 20 miler will overlap with my last. In any case, fall marathons are nearly upon us. So I thought I'd check in with Coach Bill Leach for some tips.
Coach Leach is the former coach of the Depaul University track team, and now trains runners, does gait analysis, and coaching. A good deal of his training focus is on core strength conditioning. You can find out much more about that on his website: www.coachleach.com. But I called him to ask what he thought runners should be thinking about at this point in marathon training. He said now is the ideal time to experiment with your fluid and food intake for before, during, and after the marathon.
He's involved in some pretty advanced stuff with the Olympic training center using special formulas and research. I don't pretend to understand all of it. But I can pass along the basic idea from what he tells me. The basic goal is to take in the fluid of your choice on a 30/15/30 basis. That's 30 minutes before the run, take a substantial amount of fluid in (4-8 ounces). During the marathon try to take in smaller amounts every 15 minutes. After the run, make sure to replentish with another substantial amount within 30 minutes after.
As for gels or whatever other type of carbohydrate component you may want to use, he says you should definitely be trying those out to see what works best during your long runs right now. That choice includes brands, flavors, and methods for carrying it and accessing it during the run.
As for fluids, there are lots of different brands out there. But you may want to think about what's actually available during the marathon. In Chicago, that comes down to a choice of water and gatorade. I did a story at the gatorade lab in Barrington a few years ago, and they sold me on their research. So I feel pretty comfortable with that. Bill Leach has a different formula his runners plan to use. That means setting up their own aid stations along the marathon route. That's an idea of just how seriously you can take it. Of course the professionals have their own tables with their own individual formul
I ran the Paris marathon a couple years ago, and they were passing out red wine at one of the aid stations. My wife says she took some and enjoyed it. I passed. But that ended up being my slowest marathon, so in retrospect, I probably should have just downed a couple.
The late, legendary Runner's World columnist Dr. George Sheehan once spoke at a clinic I attended in Des Moines. He talked about his tradition of always drinking a beer late in the course of the marathons he ran. That stuck with me as being the right attitude to have. Since I'm never going to make a living from running fast, I may as well have a good time. Besides they say beer has alot of carbs right?
I've never actually had a beer during a marathon. I'm too busy trying to reach my modest goals. But what I took away from that talk was the idea that the marathon should be fun. Sheehan certainly understood and tried to share that. I agree. You can take these things so seriously, you forget what it's supposed to be all about.
The marathon is a huge accomplishment for many people. It requires diligence, physical and mental preparation, and discipline. That's why you want to read all the advice you can, and take it seriously. But don't forget to have fun!
I plan to have more tips from Coach Jenny Hadfield for you in the next couple days. Til then see you on the roads.
John, you are mistaken.
I did not taste the wine. Two guys were passing it out from jugs off the back of a pick-up truck..
I did enjoy eating at McDonalds after my first marathon!
Posted by: Christine | September 14, 2006 at 04:50 PM