Marathon and Half-Marathon (25 page)

Hitting the Wall

“Hitting the wall” is a common phrase used by marathon runners when referring to a point in a race when they run out of energy. Basically, you have hit the wall when your fuel supply no longer meets your energy demands. The runner who hits the wall has two choices: drop out of the race, or slow down and endure the discomfort of tight and burning muscles until the finish line is reached.

A marathon expert and author, Jeff Galloway, says approximately 40 percent of all non-elite marathon runners have hit the wall. The good news is that this can easily be avoided with good pre-race nutrition and by proper hydration and suitable nutrition throughout the race.

Bonking

The body’s stored carbohydrate supply (glycogen) is limited. Says sport dietitian Dallas Parsons, “It is only able to provide the body with enough fuel for 1 to 2 hours of moderate-intensity exercise.” Once the body uses the carbohydrate or glycogen stores, it begins a process that is commonly referred to in athletic circles as bonking.

One of the first signs of bonking comes when you have difficulty putting one foot in front of the other because the muscles in your legs have run out of glycogen. At this point, you will not have any psychological side effects. You can easily minimize the physical effects by immediately taking in a source of carbohydrates (30 grams, or about an ounce) such as a gel or sport drink and continuing to refuel for the duration of your event. If bonking is left untreated, however, you will continue on a downward slope. In addition to the muscles in your legs running out of fuel, your brain will begin to lack a supply of glucose. At this stage runners experience a myriad of different symptoms ranging from dizziness to confusion to collapse, which can lead to a dangerous condition requiring medical attention.

You can easily avoid any stage of glycogen depletion or bonking by starting out your run properly fueled from a carb-rich meal or snack at least 2 hours prior to running. Consuming a carbohydrate source during runs lasting longer than 90 minutes will also reduce the chances of bonking. If you train after work, be sure to have a substantial snack with 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrate beforehand. If you train early in the morning and don’t have time for a full breakfast, try to have some quick carbs like toast and jelly, a sport drink, or gel with water before you begin your run. If you’re planning to run longer than 60 minutes in the morning, take along a carb snack such as an energy bar. You have fasted overnight and already depleted your carbohydrate stores.

Common Questions

What should I eat the night before my event?

There aren’t any magic meals to guarantee a great race, but here are some suggestions to help plan your pre-race meal.

• Try to eat dinner between 5:00 and 7:00 PM to allow your body time to digest your food before bed.

• During your event you will burn primarily carbohydrates. Try a pasta dish with a tomato-and-meat sauce, or a meat stir-fry with a light dressing. Vegetarians should remember to include some form of protein like tofu or beans.

• Avoid cream sauces and soups. Use fats such as oils, margarine, and dressings sparingly.

• Include some whole grain bread and a salad with a light vinaigrette dressing.

• Keep alcohol to a minimum, and don’t forget your usual 6 to 8 glasses of non-caffeinated drinks such as juice, milk, sport drink, and water the day before the race.

• If you want dessert, fruit, low-fat yogurt, or a home-baked oatmeal cookie are good choices.

What should I have for my race-day breakfast?

• Eat a couple of hours before you begin your warm-up, and keep it simple: granola cereal is a good choice, but stay away from bran.

• Have some whole grain toast with jam or honey. Fruit is good, especially bananas. Clear juices are fine.

• A small amount of coffee or tea shouldn’t be a problem.

What if I get a cold before the race?

• If it happens the week before, with luck you can manage your symptoms and be ready for race day.

• Rest, drink plenty of fluids, coupled with ibuprofen as directed on the bottle and perhaps some extra vitamin C.

• Don’t worry about trying to follow your marathon program. In one week you will not lose any fitness, and you’re better off taking care of yourself and saving your energy for race day.

• Fresh air is always a good idea. A short walk followed by a few stretches is a great way to keep you limber, and, when you’re sick, it’s good for your spirits!

• If you’re very sick, consult your family physician and please make the right decision. You can always find another marathon event in the next few weeks when you’re feeling better. Revisit chapter 9 for a more detailed description of what to do if you find yourself with a cold or flu bug during your training program.

Should I warm up before the race?

• Yes. As during your workouts, you need to warm up before the main event.

• About 30 minutes before the race starts, warm up for 5 or 10 minutes by walking or jogging. One idea is to use your warm-up jog as your mode of travel to the start area from where you’ve parked your car or disembarked from the bus.

• You’ll have to weave your way through the crowds to your start “wave,” but try to stay limber by doing some dynamic active stretches: arm circles, trunk circles, knee lifts, and light jogging on the spot. Try to keep moving until the start gun goes.

What do I need to do the night before the race?

• Organize yourself for race day, anticipating all types of weather. Preparing now will allow you to have a good night’s rest and avoid last-minute organizing in the morning.

• Ensure you have at the ready your race number, timing chip (laced into your shoes—most events these days use a computer chip to keep track of participants and ensure accurate record keeping for everyone), shorts or tights, socks, jacket, hat for rain or sun, sunscreen, and a watch. Take a set of dry clothing and shoes for afterward.

• Review other items including a water bottle and perhaps a water bottle pack, cell phone, and money for a taxi or whatever other need might present itself.

• If you’re driving or taking a run-team bus, it’s easy to take all your gear permutations with you and simply leave the extras behind when you go to the start line. If you’re traveling on public transport, you’ll have to be more selective and manage your gear in a small knapsack if you don’t have an option of leaving it with a support person at the event.

How much should I drink before and during the race?

• Your body should already be well hydrated before your event. To suddenly start drinking a lot of water is not a good idea.

• Continually sipping small amounts of water throughout the day and every day is the best plan, so if that’s not your usual habit, it’s okay to start in the week before the race.

• Try to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, and if you are used to carrying a water bottle when you train, then carry one during the event.

• There will be water stations set up along the course, and if you were to stop and take water at each one you would be adequately hydrated throughout the event.

What last-minute checks should I make?

• At the marathon or half-marathon event, when the start gun is moments away, make sure your laces are double-knotted, your number is pinned on com- fortably, and your stopwatch timer is set to zero. Take a little sip of water. Wish yourself and those around you good luck, and keep moving in whatever space you have until you hear the gun and you’re able to make a start.

• If this is your first marathon or half-marathon event, it isn’t important that you start at the front. You might even want to start toward the back of the pack. Regardless of where you are at the start, your time will be properly recorded because your timing chip is activated only when you cross the start line.

How do I relax the night before and at the start line?

• It’s hard to relax when you’re really excited about something, but you can seek comfort in the fact that the night before the event, the work is done, and there’s really nothing more you can do other than put your feet up and do something you enjoy.

• Have your optimal pre-event dinner, organize your gear, and kick back and relax with family and/or friends.

• Watching movies or reading are pleasant distractions, as are any other mellow, easygoing activities.

Can I set time goals for the marathon or half
marathon?

• Some of you will already have a specific, realistic goal in mind for your event finish time. Some of you will be less specific, more intrinsic, with a goal focused more on participation and safely and comfortably completing the distance.

• If you want to set a time goal, refer to the Event-Day Pace Chart on page 83 to estimate your finishing time. By timing how long it takes you to run a mile, you can calculate your approximate race-day finish time. Many beginners add 10 or 15 minutes to this time just to be safe. If nothing else, your approximate goal time gives your family and friends an estimation of when they should meet you at the finish line!

11
After the Finish Line

YOU DID IT! THIS IS A TRULY AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT. You persevered and achieved a goal most people wouldn’t even dare to dream about. Congratulations—you are now an official member of the marathoners’ club. No doubt you are feeling pretty good.

Whether you’re an elite athlete or a first-time marathoner, the moment your foot touches the finish line the feelings of euphoria are the same. The marathon is a race of champions. It is a race that demands great physical endurance, as well as mental and emotional strength. From the initial feelings of joy and jubilation to stiff muscles and overall fatigue to finding your next fitness goal, this chapter answers most of the commonly asked post-race questions.

Crossing the Finish Line

You will feel tremendous excitement and exhilaration as you run across the finish line. Drink in these feelings, and take the time to enjoy your accomplishment. You earned it. Don’t downplay your achievement; you are amazing. Enjoy the limelight, and have fun sharing your experience with friends, family, and colleagues. For most people, completing a half or full marathon is one of their biggest lifetime feats.

It’s important to know that you’re also going to feel pretty exhausted. You can anticipate a few aches and pains, but most of your physical discomfort will be minimized by your overwhelming mental high. A proper post-event plan like the one below will help to make your initial recovery a little easier:

• Within 45 minutes of finishing, eat or drink a snack of 200 to 500 calories. It’s a good idea to walk for at least 10 minutes while you drink and eat, to cool down. Finish off with some light stretching.

• If it’s been raining or is a cold day, immediately change into warm and dry clothing.

• If it’s been a hot day, consume a fluid-replacement drink that contains sodium.

• Take care of any blisters that developed during your event.

• If you can, immerse your legs in a cold bath as soon as possible following your finish.

• Later in the day, try to go for a short walk, and continue to drink fluids every hour.

• Pay close attention to your hydration in the 24 to 48 hours after your event. If your urine is dark or tea-colored, check with your physician to make sure everything is okay.

• In the day following the race, walk for 30 to 60 minutes at a leisurely pace to help stretch your muscles.

A need for rest

After first-timers complete a half or full marathon, they experience a great deal of personal satisfaction and commonly want to resume training immediately. Although completing this type of distance event is very motivating, it’s important to be extremely cautious in the following days and weeks.

Training for and completing distance races puts major strain on the body and results in small tears in the muscular tissue. This is normal. These small tears require a significant amount of time to heal and regenerate. It would be dangerous and potentially harmful to resume any kind of intense training immediately following your event.

“Runners who complete a half or full marathon need to take a commonsense approach in their return to running,” says Louisiana sport medicine physician Dr. Bryan Barootes. By doing so, they drastically reduce the likelihood of incurring an injury.

After the Marathon

In the hours following the marathon, you will likely have trouble getting up from a chair or walking down stairs, and you will feel a general sense of fatigue and soreness in the hips and joints. “There are numerous variables affecting how people will feel post-marathon, in terms of what they’ve eaten during the marathon and how much they drank,” says Dr. Barootes. “Weather conditions are also an influencing factor. If, for example, temperatures were high and you were on the course for 6 hours, you may have experienced slight heat exhaustion or dehydration that would require extra recovery time.”

How to recover

Dr. Barootes uses a “10 percent rule” to gauge marathon and half-marathon recovery. “Every day following the marathon, runners should feel a 10 percent improvement in how they feel. A week after, your stiffness should be gone, and at the end of the second week most people will feel like they’re back to normal.” This is not an exact science, so setting concrete parameters is not wise. For example, runners who complete a half marathon will not necessarily feel half as tired or be half as sore as full-marathoners. In most cases, half-marathoners will have walked/run at a speed faster than they would maintain over 26.2 miles (42 kilometers). This means they worked at a higher intensity over 13.1 miles (21 kilometers) than full-marathoners did over 26.2, which is why the recovery time for the two events is similar.