DCM 2014: Mentored Novices Thread

Joleigh

Just wondering are people fitting a toilet break into their race day strategy? I know I wont last over 4 hours, especially with all the drinking involved! The Phoenix park might have to be a pitstop.

Also wondering, if you're taking 4 or 5 gels during a marathon, should you avoid energy drinks at drink stations and just stick with water?

This is the gel I took during my run yesterday, someone kindly posted a pic on the raheny 5 mile page.
http://www.fitnessdigital.ie/maxifuel-viper-active-gel-24-x-70gr-lemon-lime/p/10003448/

KillianByrne

rainbow kirby wrote: »

You did the Olympic distance? The long run I did 6 days after London Triathlon was awful, did 16km at around 6:30/km pace and my legs felt absolutely awful - and that's after shorter efforts during the week feeling absolutely fine. I wouldn't call that too unexpected tbh.

Yep, thats good to hear, will keep the runs medium distance and slowish this week and work towards a decent LSR this weekend. Lots of stretching & rolling on the plans.

Firedance

Joleigh wrote: »

Just wondering are people fitting a toilet break into their race day strategy? I know I wont last over 4 hours, especially with all the drinking involved! The Phoenix park might have to be a pitstop.

Also wondering, if you're taking 4 or 5 gels during a marathon, should you avoid energy drinks at drink stations and just stick with water?

This is the gel I took during my run yesterday, someone kindly posted a pic on the raheny 5 mile page.
http://www.fitnessdigital.ie/maxifuel-viper-active-gel-24-x-70gr-lemon-lime/p/10003448/

+1 to these questions, I was wondering exactly the same on Saturday, especially the part about the energy drinks & gels, if you're drinking an energy drink along the way, or water with a nunn tablet, should you take only water with the gels?

frash

Seeing as there's gel / drink strategies being discussed is there any advantage to taking a gel as you start the race?

Ososlo

Firedance wrote: »

+1 to these questions, I was wondering exactly the same on Saturday, especially the part about the energy drinks & gels, if you're drinking an energy drink along the way, or water with a nunn tablet, should you take only water with the gels?

All I can do is tell you what I did and it worked for me and I didn't suffer any energy lows.
I brought a bottle with me with half Lucozade Sport and half water with a nuun. I was handed a fresh bottle of that mixture at three different points in the course by my supporters. I also took a gel at 45 mins and every 40 or so after that. I carried those myself.
It's going to be different for everyone so what suits me might not suit the next person.

Ososlo

frash wrote: »

Seeing as there's gel / drink strategies being discussed is there any advantage to taking a gel as you start the race?

I've heard of people doing that. If you have a good breakfast I don't see the need. The less gels you have to take the better!

Ososlo

I think it'd be great if some of the more experienced boardsies could tell the novices how in their experiences they have managed the fuelling for their marathons. How many gels they carry, how much sports drink if any, how much water etc on the big day.
Relay your experiences folks!

Firedance

Ososlo wrote: »

All I can do is tell you what I did and it worked for me and I didn't suffer any energy lows.
I brought a bottle with me with half Lucozade Sport and half water with a nuun. I was handed a fresh bottle of that mixture at three different points in the course by my supporters. I also took a gel at 45 mins and every 40 or so after that. I carried those myself.
It's going to be different for everyone so what suits me might not suit the next person.

Thanks ososlo, I guess my concern was taking the different types of electrolyte/carb combinations at the same time i.e. washing a gel down with lucozade sport but I guess its fine to take any combination of those along with water.

neilthefunkeone

On the topic of water/lucozade or any drink.. How do people carry them? I hate carrying a bottle in my hand.. even small ones..
I've seen a few with the 'utility belts' that hold a bottle or two but i cant see myself wearing one of them! Will i just have to wait for the water stops along the route!

Ososlo

Firedance wrote: »

Thanks ososlo, sorry for the utterly thick question that's about to follow, you had lucozade sport, water and a nunn tablet in one bottle? I guess my concern is can you take on too many types of electrolyte/carb combinations at the same time i.e. washing a gel down with lucozade sport. You read about too much water washing away your electrolytes so I'm wondering if it can happen in the reverse! I should probably just stop reading stuff and not worry so much :-)

I'm really not knowledgeable with the science stuff re electrodes etc. To be honest with you, I just did what I was told. It worked for me but I had practiced it in training a lot. That mixture might be a disaster for someone else though.

Ososlo

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

On the topic of water/lucozade or any drink.. How do people carry them? I hate carrying a bottle in my hand.. even small ones..
I've seen a few with the 'utility belts' that hold a bottle or two but i cant see myself wearing one of them! Will i just have to wait for the water stops along the route!

A bottle carrier with a strap so you can have your hand relaxed. I'll post a link to one later. They're the business!

Joleigh

When I did the (one and only) marathon, I was only running 11 months at the time and fairly clueless! I took water and sports drinks at all the stations. I got fruit pastilles from a friend around the half way mark and brought 1 gel with me but was already feeling rough by the time I started to take it. I think my problem was I was dehydrated before the race due to an upset stomach (race nerves) which most people seemed to have. I was drinking but was too worried about toilet breaks so probably should have drank more. Mile 21-25 are a bit of a blur.

I think I will stock up on viper gels for my 18 miler this weekend and skip my regular garage stop for a sports drink and just take water instead. I always carry a water bottle, the one with the hole in the middle which is easy enough to carry. I suppose a belt would be better, especially if I need to carry gels. I'll feel like a bit of a tool wearing a belt though! Just as well my lsr is early sunday morning when theres no one around to laugh at me.

wowzer

Ososlo wrote: »

I think it'd be great if some of the more experienced boardsies could tell the novices how in their experiences they have managed the fuelling for their marathons. How many gels they carry, how much sports drink if any, how much water etc on the big day.
Relay your experiences folks!

There is no "one size fits all" type of strategy here, it really is a case of experimenting to see what suits you best.

Personally I can't stomach sports drinks and just drink water. I took water at every station and took small sips whether I wanted it not, if you wait until you feel thirsty it's too late. Hydration the week leading up to marathon is probably just as important as hydration on the day.

I have a high5 belt for gels, I used high5 orange flavour with caffeine at 5 mile intervals during both my marathons. The belt is great, you don't notice it at all.

The most important things is to try all this out over the coming weeks.

Duanington

Just to add my twopence worth on the nutrition\hydration questions.

The key ( for me) arriving at the start of the marathon well hydrated is drinking plenty of water in the days leading up to the big day - not necessarily on the morning itself.
In fact, I find it counterproductive to take on too much fluid the morning of a race because I find the urge to "water the plants" very distracting during a race!

For me, no more than a cup of tea with my breakfast ( very early in the morning) and a few sips of water in the couple of hours afterwards is plenty.
I took a drink at every station that I came across during the race, even if I didn't feel the need for it, I didn't carry any water.
Arrive at the race hydrated and you'll be fine in that regard

Regarding gels etc, I don't think I've ever taken one at the start of the race but last year I took one every 45 minutes to 1 hour during the race. Its already been mentioned in previous posts but it is always best to try out gels during your training runs to make sure they don't upset your stomach.
Take them at water stations too, or just after - sometimes they need a bit of a rinse to get them down the throat.

Re taking gels and sports drinks together - I wouldn't personally but that's only because I wouldn't do that in training either. If it isn't good enough for training, then it ain't good enough for the race itself !

Hydrate your system in the days before the race, don't go over the top with water beforehand, make sure you've tried your gel of choice in training ( you don't HAVE to use gels though - just to point that out) and if you're going with sports drinks, make sure you've tried it all in training along the way - that way there's nothing new to add into the equation and stand in your way of a great day out

Ososlo

Someone asked about peeing. Lots of toilets at the start. Phoenix park is a great place for a pee too. Ladies, if you have inhibitions, get practicing on the lsr under a tree or bush! There are portaloos on the course but they always seemed to have queues. Not a great idea stopping to queue unless you really have to.

adrian522

I wouldn't think it would be a good idea to wash down a gel with Lucozade sport. Essentially it's sugar on top of sugar, I'd take the gels with water.

Sports drinks and gels essentially do the same job so you could take a gel with water at one point and maybe take lucozade sport where they are being handed out (e.g take the lucozade sport instead of one of the gels) but I wouldn't see much point in taking them both at the same time.

My intention would be to only carry gels and to make use of the water stations out on the course.

From looking at the course map I came up with the following for the various aid stops on the course.

Mile|Water|Sports Drink|Gel
2.5|Y|N|N
4.5|Y|N|N
7|Y|N|N
9.5|Y|Y|N
11.5|Y|N|N
13|Y|Y|N
16|Y|N|Y
18.5|Y|Y|N
21|Y|N|Y
22|N|Y|N
24|Y|N|N

rainbow kirby

It's 3 years since I've done one... Usually took 4 gels, took one at 6, 12, 18 miles and the last at around 22-23 miles. Barcelona gave orange segments and nuts at around 30km which I loved, orange segments not quite as ganky as a gel. I don't like sports drinks at all, mostly because I hate the feeling that my teeth are coated in sugar and that's pretty inescapable if you're on the Lucozade. At least water will rinse out the ends of a gel! I also don't like caffeinated gels because I find they make me a bit jittery and that's counterproductive.

I actually find Nuun tablets quite good too, I stick them in my water bottles on the bike. No sugar but they add electrolytes (important for a heavy sweater) and a little bit of flavour. Bit more awkward to take while running though unless you're stopping to buy a bottle of water along the way or carrying a water belt.

npresto

Training for my 3rd marathon (ran DCM-12 & DCM-13) & I'm planning to go for sub 3:50 this year.

Does anyone know if the Sub 3:50 pacers will be at the back of the first wave or at the front of the 2nd wave?

PeterParker100

npresto wrote: »

Does anyone know if the Sub 3:50 pacers will be at the back of the first wave or at the front of the 2nd wave?

The 3:50 pacers will be at front of the 2nd wave (thanks to the Dublin Marathon mobile phone app!)

Ososlo

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

On the topic of water/lucozade or any drink.. How do people carry them? I hate carrying a bottle in my hand.. even small ones..
I've seen a few with the 'utility belts' that hold a bottle or two but i cant see myself wearing one of them! Will i just have to wait for the water stops along the route!

Here you go. I can't recommend it highly enough. It also fits the 500ml bottles of water and Lucozade Sport that are available on the course. You might be able to get similar in a shop here. You just slip your hand in through the strappy bit, pull the strap tightly around your hand, and just forget about it and take your sips as needed. It has a little pocket too for a key etc.

npresto

PeterParker100 wrote: »

The 3:50 pacers will be at front of the 2nd wave (thanks to the Dublin Marathon mobile phone app!)

The app also states Orange Wave (1st wave) is SUB 3:50. It doesn't make any sense to me putting the sub 3:50 pacers in the Green Wave (2nd wave) when it's for 3:50 to 4:15.

menoscemo

npresto wrote: »

The app also states Orange Wave (1st wave) is SUB 3:50. It doesn't make any sense to me putting the sub 3:50 pacers in the Green Wave (2nd wave) when it's for 3:50 to 4:15.

Yes that's correct, but the 3:50 will start from the front of wave 2 despite this. Just as the 1:40 pacers start from the front of wave 2 in the half even though wave 1 in the half is sub 1:40. The 3:50 pacers will come in just under 3:50 so they are a good marker to separate the two waves (no-one in wave 1 should be going slower than them and no-one in wave 2 should be going faster).
The idea is to spread out the runners in the various waves.

BTW if you have registered in wave 1 and want to follow pacers in wave 2, there is never a problem moving back a wave on the morning.

Regards who is pacing what; this has all been decided provisionally on the pacers forum and most of the pacers are boardsies (may with logs on here) but there is no point giving out a list of pacers for each band just yet. Things are bound to change between now and the race (they always do) with different pacers swapping up and down waves, some dropping out, reserves coming in etc. A week or so before the race we can post a definitive list on here I am sure...

denis160

Just a quick question, heading away at weekend so was hoping to get lsr in on Thursday. Got 8 miles in today, 4 tomorrow, rest Wednesday & do the 20 on Thursday. Last long run was saturday, 19 miles. That sound ok or too soon after other lsr.

Ososlo

denis160 wrote: »

Just a quick question, heading away at weekend so was hoping to get lsr in on Thursday. Got 8 miles in today, 4 tomorrow, rest Wednesday & do the 20 on Thursday. Last long run was saturday, 19 miles. That sound ok or too soon after other lsr.

Sounds fine. I'd keep everything between now and Thursday very easy. Listen to your body and if it just feels too much, don't be afraid to cut it a bit short and make one of the next few lsrs a bit longer.

denis160

Cool, thanks ososlo, will do.

AuldManKing

AuldManKing wrote: »

Not sure - I haven't even seen my own name confirmed yet! :eek:

Seen the list - I'm confirmed.
Someone was asking about 4:10 - theres a good 'un in that group.

Ososlo

AuldManKing wrote: »

Seen the list - I'm confirmed.
Someone was asking about 4:10 - theres a good 'un in that group.

Give us a clue?

AuldManKing

Ososlo wrote: »

Give us a clue?

Cant - I'll be sacked!

Kurt Godel

Ososlo wrote: »

not sure if the official lists are up yet? Amk might know. Kurt usually posts them before the big day.

Sneak preview for Ososlo because she's doing a great job mentoring this thread;)

provisional pacers draft for DM 2014.

Boards Nickname/Pace Band
Abhainn 3:00
Marty R 3:00
Frank Q 3:00

TFBubendorfer 3:10
jfh 3:10
WoundedKnee 3:10

NoGutsNoGlory 3:20
john guiry 3:20
brianokelly 3:20

Robert W 3:30
jackyback 3:30
Caprica 3:30

Menoscemo 3:40
Gavlor 3:40
AuldManKing 3:40

rolandoe0823 3:50
ankers99 3:50
Oliver K 3:50

Marthastew 4:00
Ferris B 4:00
Gijima 4:00

ger664 4:10
FBOT01 4:10
mathso 4:10

Oisin11178 4:20
David G 4:20
runningcoach 4:20

charlie933 4:30
ultraman1 4:30
izoard 4:30

Aimman 4:40
Moneystealer1 4:40
EPT 4:40

Breffni Blue 4:50
Phelim7 4:50
dwayneshintzy 4:50

jonny99 5:00
Sadiebob 5:00
Murph_D 5:00

Gavlor

Ososlo wrote: »

Someone asked about peeing. Lots of toilets at the start. Phoenix park is a great place for a pee too. Ladies, if you have inhibitions, get practicing on the lsr under a tree or bush! There are portaloos on the course but they always seemed to have queues. Not a great idea stopping to queue unless you really have to.

Just mind out for tang1 :eek: