2024 DCM Mentored Novices Thread

Isn;t it a great feeling when you repeatedly run your longest run ever?!!

In terms of carrying things - I use a flip belt to carry my gels and jellies. Decathalon and sports shops do running belts. The group that I run with - we plan out our route in advance and arrange for people to stash water along the way to top up our water and take a little breather. I try to hydrate well the day or two before hand and sip at water on my long run. I pop an electrolyte tablet in my water bottle at the start and have another one wrapped in tinfoil in my belt to top up.

Make sure you are properly hydrated during the week and check the colour of your wee - it should be a straw-like colour - any darker and you need to hydrate more.

Did you locate the source of the blood? Toenail? Blister? Chapped skin?

Keep an eye on that knee….

I can understand people's schedules can be busy over the summer months and make it more difficult to get all the runs in - will this still be the case going forward?

Hitting your step goal in the morning is a great (and allowably smug) feeling!

Welcome on board. How has your training gone so far this summer? What distance are you up to on your long run?

How long have you been running? As the mileage increases I would recommend carrying water or scheduling water stops, even just for a sip. Also consider how to fuel your body to cover the distance and start practicing on your longer runs.

Take a bit of time if you can to have a read over this thread - plenty of tips and tricks and also your fellow novices have posted some very good updates.

Your "why" for the marathon is very strong - sorry for your losses and a very worthwhile cause to raise funds for.

GELS  

I probably should have put this post together a few weeks ago but the weeks are really flying by!

Naturally enough there have been a few questions on taking gels in your LSR (long slow run) and on race day so hopefully I can provide you with some information from my limited use of gels. I never used gels before training for the marathon last year so I understand that it can seem a bit daunting and overwhelming.

Basically; when you run your body uses two sources of fuel to feed your muscles: fat and carbohydrates. While fat is widely available it’s slower to break down into usable energy which means it's not particularily effective as a fuel source when running a marathon. And God knows I'm carrying some excess that could be used 😁

So instead, your body relies on carbohydrates as its primary fuel source. As a general rule the faster you run, the more your fuel will come from carbohydrates. But your body can only store a limited amount of carbohydrates in our muscles, known as glycogen; at half marathon pace this is about 90 minutes (1.5 hours) of running and at marathon pace about 120 minutes (2 hours) of running. This means the average runner will be running low on glycogen stores about halfway through their marathon. You are all just over half marathon just on your long runs now in training so this is when you will need to start considering how you are going to fuel your body during your run. Energy gels can replenish your depleted carbohydrate stores when running. An energy gel contain about 25g of carbohydrates per gel, in the form of simple sugars which is an accessible energy source for your body to process. One gel provides about 30/45 minutes of running. 

The perfect time to take an energy gels depends on you and your body. I’m afraid it really is trial and error, it can take a number of long runs or even a number of marathons to perfect this - I don't think I've even cracked it for myself. Every runner absorbs and processes carbohydrates at different rates; some can feel the effect within 3 minutes while for others it might take up to 15 minutes. As your body diverts blood away from your stomach towards your active muscles, your absorption rate slows, or sometimes your stomach shuts down completely; this is most common cause for unwanted toilets stops during a run. Eeekk! Now this doesn't happen to everyone - but if it does happen to you, it just means your body is under a bit of pressure.

The most important rule is to take the gel before you need it, not as you feel yourself starting to crash or hitting that "wall". Practise with energy gels throughout your training to ensure you know when and which energy gels to take. As your digestion process slows during your run, it’s important not to overload your stomach. Wait around 45 minutes / 5 miles between gels to ensure you don’t intake too much simple sugar at once and sip on the gel rather than wolfing it down. Consider alternating between caffeine and non-caffeine energy gels too to ensure you don’t take on too much caffeine. While energy gels are hugely beneficial and convenient for marathon runners - there’s no doubt about it - but they’re not to everyone’s taste. Although usually water-based they vary in consistency from viscous and thick to thinner but with a stronger taste. I'd really recommend trying a few different brands and types to find the right consistency and flavour that works for you. 

Also remember to carry water with you especially when getting used to taking the gels, it will be easier on your stomach. 

I personally take hi5 aqua gels. They are more liquidy, less sticky although they are a bit more bulky, they take up more space in my running belt.  I take one every 7 or 8km - I think that generally works for me.  I also bring fruit pastilles or jelly babies with me – sometimes I want something more solid to have. I did find during the marathon last year that I couldn’t face into my last scheduled gel around 21 miles, I got a small pack of haribo from a spectator but it was a struggle to open the pack in the rain!  So this year I’m going to make sure I bring along something more solid to get me through the last few miles. When my longest races were half marathons I would have used cliff blocs so I might get a pack of those to try out again. I think 3 blocs = 1 gel.

So take the coming weeks to have a go at taking gels to see if they work for you. What ever gels you find work for you in training - make sure that are the ones you use on race day v- nothing new on race day. Don't be tempted to buy gels at the expo the day before - unless they are the type you've been using anyway. Practice carrying them in your pockets or running belt. Lastly - and this comes off the back of a podcast I listened to this morning and also witnessing it last weekend at a race - don't litter with your gel wrappers. Put them in your nearest bin or put it back in your pocket or belt.