In addition to today being a gorgeous summer/fall day, it was the Adirondack Distance Festival Marathon and I had the pleasure of running it ! I was working on some nutritional experiments while running the 26.2 mile course that has 6600 feet of climbing (can anyone say HILLY ???!!!!). As a coach with a specialty in nutritional coaching, I am constantly first hand experimenting with products and suggestions from elite coaches that I respect. Today I finished 5th in my age group but would have placed much higher if not for calf cramps from mile 19-23 then again at mile 24-25.5 which reduced me to walking in order to avoid face planting when my calves seized. Here is what I am going to play forward to my marathon and half Ironman and IM clients: - never ever drink just water on a course that is over 2 hours to complete (especially if you are a heavy sweater like myself and it is hot/humid). Today I experimented with water as my main hydration substrate and I paid for it with calf cramps. A coach I respect, Jessie Kopelnicki, has said never drink just plain water for years now, and my first hand experience today, reinforces this and has me personally agreeing. I need to use a high electrolyte drink in place of just water with at least 50 calories per 16 ounces. -UCAN is my new recommended liquid fueling product. It does not use mono and disaccharides like fructose or rice syrup but instead uses a moderate chain carbohydrate that avoids the GI cramping while providing sustainable glucose to the muscles. My pace on this hilly course was a solid and sustained 9:50 min/mile till the cramps which resulted in a final min/mile pace of 11:13. My experiment of just water was worth the result however of leaving no reasonable doubt that water alone is NOT the way to go for endurance athletes! Happy Fall Racing Everyone and if you are not familiar with my nutritional coaching, please see my website at judytorel
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 00:41:13 +0000
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