This week I decided to try a new kind of Gu, based on the comments from my last experience.
My friend joined me at the running group today as well. It was nice to run with him. He's also doing the Chicago Marathon, but doing a different training plan. My running group today was small - only 8 people started and by the end we were down to 4. Originally, I was going to run 17 miles, given the plan I'm following. However, my friend only did 14 and I really wanted to run with people today. The others were doing 18 or 19, so I decided to join them. I was feeling great and thought 1 mile wouldn't be too big of a difference.
The miles went by quickly and fairly effortlessly. Before I knew it, the run was over.
Run start time: 6:40 a.m.
Time: 2 hours, 32 minutes, 34 seconds
Pace: 8:22/mile
Distance: 18.24 miles
I took my Gu at mile 12.5, which was a little late. I should have taken it earlier - perhaps at mile 7 or 8. Good thing training is all about learning. I had to mentally prepare myself for it. The people in my group found it funny, since they all take Gu regularly. My friend was laughing at me. I decided that the faster it could go down, the better it would be. I finished almost the entire pack and then had a heaping amount of water to wash it down. I hope to be able to eat them without too much pain in time for the marathon. I'm going to stick with this kind of Gu since it is the kind that is offered at the marathon.
I'm so happy with my run today. It makes me excited for next weeks long run. Next week I decided I'll be taking 2 Gus on the run. I can honestly say that I thought it helped me and gave me more energy to complete the run. I know I'll definitely need that energy for the marathon.
Happy Sunday!
Good for you on finding Gu you like! Yes - if you take Gu when you think you need it, you waited a bit too long.
ReplyDeleteDiabetics can actually get away w/ Gu more often because our body won't react and produce more insulin, as would a non-diabetic. In that manner, we can run off the fuel (Gu) for a longer time than a non-diabetic. The trick is having your stomach get used to it. If you read Missy Foy's blog entries about her long runs, you can see what I'm talking about.
I'm at the point now where I take Gu (actually Hammer Gel) every 35-40 minutes, max.
Another great trick: When people talk about hitting the wall off the marathon, that's because their body is going through the painful process of switching to getting energy from fat. In addition to it being painful, it's less efficient than running on fuel. Solution: you will NOT want a Gu at the 21 mile mark. Take it anyway, the fuel can satisfy your body enough to NOT try to switch to fat.
M