Hard core marathon training has finally begun. I had been
looking forward to it with equal parts trepidation and excitement. I’m nervous
because I am entering a whole new world of training but at the same time I am
excited because I know that this training is going to help me get stronger
across every event that I run. The greatest motivation comes from knowing that I
am training for such an exciting event – the USA Olympic Team Marathon Trials.
In the past two weeks I have logged over 100 miles per week –
hitting an average of 16 miles a day. Not only have my average runs gotten
longer, but so have the workouts. As my coach Dennis keeps telling me, I have
to train to put more force into the ground for a long time. That will be the
key to running a fast marathon in January.
So far my body is holding up pretty well, not really any ill
effects due to the increased mileage. I am cautious because I am entering new
territory and don’t know 100% how my body will react, but at the same time I
want to push the envelope and test the strength of my spirit. I want to see how far my body can go, because
when I cross the finish line on Jan. 14th, 2012 (13 weeks from now) –
I want to be able to say “I trained my very best, and I did my best today”.
Now that the intense marathon training has started it is
also time for me to figure out what kinds of fluids and supplements I can
tolerate and work best for me to use during the marathon. First, I am going to
need to figure out my sweat rate – this will determine how much fluid I need to
take in and how often it needs to be done during the race. It sounds
complicated, but I have found out that it is relatively easy to determine –weigh
myself before and after a hard hour run. The drop in weight will determine how
much fluid I lost through sweat and therefore how much I need to take in per
hour. I will also test out different kinds of supplements I can take. I don’t
want to take something that is going to upset my stomach and cause any more
discomfort than I am going to feel simply because I am running 26.2 miles. I am going to test out several different kinds: Gu, Hammer Gel, Sport Beans or take a page of out of Kenny Moore's book "Bowerman and the Men of Oregon" and drink flat coke. It will all come down to which will be easiest to take and not cause any adverse effects. I guess we will see.
Cheers to happy running! I am off to do my experiments… adios
and feel free to share any tips that have worked for you!
Bunny ears for Jennifer, one of my Auggie Runners!
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