Taper Week #2

Thirteen days away from calling myself a Marathoner. I've heard all of the stories about "taper madness", and always wondered how I'd handle it. After one week, I'd say "very well".

Last week didn't start off too well, though. On Monday, I was battling a recurring calf problem after my 22 mile run the day before, and I was starting to worry that it would negatively affect me at MCM. But luckily, thanks to advice I received from all my great contacts on Daily Mile and Twitter, I was able to determine that it wasn't an injury that I had, but rather severe calf cramps due to inadequate electrolyte intake. I was hydrating with water very well, but I wasn't taking in enough salt & electrolytes to balance out what I was sweating away. I also determined, through researching the issue, that a major cause of this could very well have been my not taking a magnesium supplement I had been taking for over 5 years. I stopped taking the supplement about a month ago when I stopped taking my daily multi-vitamin, and coincidentally, my calf problems started shortly thereafter.

Apparently, a magnesium deficiency leads to leg cramps from poor electrolyte absorption, which is exactly what I was suffering. So I started drinking Nuun during the day and on the nights before my runs last week, took a GU right before my runs, and restarted my magnesium supplementation. My Wednesday & Friday 6 milers went off without incident. Friday afternoon, I took in a 60-minute lower body massage, and felt like a champ when I went out yesterday morning for my 14-miler.

In fact, I felt so good that I ignored the prescribed training plan for yesterday (8 miles easy, and the last 6 at marathon pace), and did all 14 at marathon pace. I felt that I needed to do that after a few weeks of scaling back the intensity due to my calf issues, with the promise to myself that the next 2 weeks would be all easy runs.

So I can say with confidence that my calf issues are a thing of the past. I know what I have to do to prevent a recurrence, and I can focus 100% now on having quality runs. I am actually glad for the taper, since the summer has been ridiculously humid, I believe I've worked fairly hard for this, and my body looks forward to the scaling back. All in the name of getting ready for October 28th.

This week, after finishing a 3.5 mile recovery run this morning, I've got easy 5-milers on Wednesday & Friday, and an easy 10-miler on Sunday. Marathon week, though, might be a different story. It may not be so much the taper madness than it would be the excitement and anticipation from being this close to reaching a life milestone.

Trust the taper!!

Fueling Plan

If any of you follow me on Daily Mile, you'd know that my Saturday long runs on July 28th and August 4th did not go very well for me. Those runs were 13 and 14 miles, respectively, and in addition to the oppressive humidity on both days, I also "hit the wall" around mile 10 in both runs. After examining all of my data from those runs, I came to the conclusion that my fueling plan for my long runs was woefully inadequate.

Since I'm part of the Runner's World Challenge for the Marine Corps Marathon, I decided to ask the question on the discussion board about fueling and hydration. The response I got back from the RW nutritionist, Pamela Nisevich, instantly set off the light bulb above my head. The carbo loading can begin the day before my long run at lunch, which would be Friday. High carbs, low fat, low fiber, but not so much food that you're weighed down. Dinner that night would be the same, but the lunch carb load was in case I didn't get the chance to do a nice carb intake at dinner. Lunch on Friday was a baked potato (plain), with some pasta & sauce, some fruits & veggies, and some Chobani. Dinner was pancakes. Lots of pancakes.

On my long run day (Saturday), Pam's advice was to take your weight, and at breakfast:

multiply this number by the hours you have until your run begins.

For example, say you weigh 190 lbs and you roll out of bed an hour before the run (or race) is to begin.  

190lb/2 = 95

95 x 1hr = 95

This means that you need 95 grams of carbs for breakfast.

I'm 207 lbs. right now, and I eat an hour or so before my run, so I need about 103 grams of carbs. OK, that seems like a lot of food, but this is how I divided it out: 1 serving of Trader Joe's steel-cut oats (25 grams), one sesame bagel (46 grams), one banana (20 grams), a glass of orange juice (22 grams), and one cup of black coffee. That's 113 grams of carbs, and I didn't feel weighed down.

Pam also suggested that since I take GU during my runs, to make sure that I took 2 GU's per hour, washed down with water. I was taking only one per hour previously. Pam said that I needed to aim for about 45 grams of carbs per hour.

So, all carbed up, with my Nathan hydration vest filled with lemon-lime Gatorade (the on-course beverage of choice for the Marine Corps Marathon) and 4 GU packets, I set out for my 15 mile run. Luckily, the weather was not as heinous as it had been the previous 2 weeks. I started out more conservatively than I had before, running the first 4 miles in exactly 40 minutes. I try to run by effort, using my Garmin to track my heart rate; this week's run was a combination goal of a heart rate below 75% and a 10-minute/mile pace.

The results were astonishing. I didn't bonk at mile 10, like before. In fact, I actually had enough energy stored to where I ran my fastest mile of the day in mile 14 (9:41 pace). My final totals were 15 miles in 2:29:43 (9:58 pace) and an average heart rate of 143 (73%), both figures right on target.

It's exactly what I was looking for: smart advice about how to properly carb load for a long run to prevent the dreaded "bonk". Combined with a conservative running strategy, it made for a very successful run. I plan to use this going forward through October 28th, in hopes of a very successful first marathon experience.

Nathan HPL-020 Hydration Vest Review

I realized 2 Saturday's ago, while running in the searing heat & humidity, that my normal 4-bottle fuel belt wasn't going to cut it for marathon training runs in the later parts of the summer. With a recommendation from one of my Distance Training Program coaches, I researched and purchased the Nathan HPL-020 Hydration Vest ($90 at Potomac River Running Store, Reston, VA).

The vest is marketed towards trail and ultra runners as lightweight (14 oz. empty) and comfortable, and I can assure you that after my first run, it is both. Putting the vest on with an almost-full bladder (2 liter capacity), it was indeed comfortable. The body of the vest is made of a breathable mesh, the same material as my Nathan Quick-Draw Elite handheld, so I was familiar with the material. The bladder didn't add that much extra weight to the back, and after sucking out the air in the bladder after I filled it with my Nuun mixture, there was very little sloshing around during my run.

The vest has two main pockets on each side. The left side had a zippered compartment where my iPhone fit perfectly, as opposed to my fuel belt, where it didn't fit at all. That compartment also has an elastic pouch in front, perfect for GU packs. On the right side, there is a drawstring pocket which will also work well for holding sustenance for long runs.

The sternum strap provided a nice firm fit across my chest, and it has a handy tube clip for holding the bladder tube during your run. Four side straps (two on each side) give you the ability to cinch the vest as tight as you want to your body. Also, each side of the vest has a guide hold through which you can put the bladder tube, whichever side you prefer.

The pouch holds the 2-liter bladder, which has a top closure that seals using a Slideseal (TM) closure. This makes pouring your beverage into the bladder simple and mess-free. The hose also has a bite valve for easy access with minimal spillage during your run.

There is a back pocket on the outer portion of the pouch which can hold small items like gloves, keys, wallet, etc., and also a small harness at the bottom which can hold a folded jacket. I'm obviously not going to need that during the hot summer months, but a few reviews I read on previous models said that the harness didn't hold items in that well.

One of my main complaints about this would be the difficulty in cleaning the bladder and tube. Apparently, you're able to turn the bladder inside out after rinsing it out, but I assume that's if you can remove the tube, which I couldn't. I had to hand-dry the inside of the bladder to prevent mildew from forming. The tube, on the other hand, still had a bit of moisture inside it Sunday morning; I'm hoping that it can stay mildew-free.


All in all, the vest performed as expected on Saturday's 8-miler. It takes a litle getting used to the extra weight on your back, but on the positive side, it helps keep you more upright, with shoulders back. I had a very consistent run, with good form, because of this. I just need to hydrate more - 25 ounces in 80 minutes just isn't enough. Lucky for me it wasn't that hot on Saturday.


So, to sum it up, if you're in the market for a hydration vest for summer marathon training or ultra running, you will be very pleased with the Nathan HPL-020.

Electrolyte Company

With the oncoming heat and humidity, my long runs are going to become more of a chore.

2 weekends ago, I attempted a 10 mile long run on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail headed towards Leesburg, and on my return trip, I was assaulted with a wall of humidity as I exited the tree cover around mile 31. I was humming along at about a 9:35 clip until that point. I struggled for the final 4 or so miles, sweating profusely and plodding along to the finish. My 4-bottle fuel belt was filled with water when I began, and was delpleted by the time I finished. So hydration surely wasn't the problem.

Or was it?

After reading a blog posting last week by Team McGraw's running coach, Kevin Leathers, I found out that I may not have been properly hydrated. According to Kevin, in humidity, you need to replace electrolytes (among other things), and water just doesn't do that for you. Sugary sports drinks (i.e., Gatorade) also aren't the best for you in that regard.

So I took a trek to Potomac River Running last Monday and after consulting with the sales rep there, purchased HEED, by Hammer Nutrition. HEED (for High Energy Electrolyte Drink) is promoted as a healthier alternative to the sports drinks that are primarily artificially colored high-fructose corn syrup. HEED is sweetened naturally, and has no artificial colors. When I mixed up a batch on Saturday, it had a faint orange smell, and resembled cloudy water. Not bad tasting, either.

The proof, though, was in my performance. I ran a double 5-mile loop through my very hilly neighborhood. Generally, a 5 miler through my neighborhood leaves my quads close to burning at the end of a run, and here I'm going to go twice. I sipped my HEED every 15 minutes (about 4 oz per sip) and supplemented with a GU energy gel halfway through. I also purposely ignored my running watch, so as to not worry about time - just run easy.

My usual long run, done at a moderate pace, ends up being about a 9:45-9:50 pace. With slight humidity, I could expect it to be on the higher end. But this past Saturday, I clocked in at a 9:35 pace, and that was without pushing myself. So maybe it was a hydration issue after all. I did better on a hilly 10-mile loop this week than on a flat "out & back" last week drinking only water.

So I learned something this week - electrolyte replacement is essential when running in the heat & humidity. I have Coach Kevin to thank for that, and for also suggesting getting away from stuff like Gatorade. Perhaps this will really help me as I gear up for September, when the training really ramps up in July and August.