Paris Marathon 2013 - Page 451 - Events

Emmy H

01/02/2013 at 12:57

yer_maj wrote (see)

Has anybody here done the Barcelona marathon before? It's on the maybe list for next year as it would fit in with Easter skiing, budget allowing....

I got the email this morning about Barcelona and I admit... i'm considering it for March. I'm comparing the price of Eco trail de paris and this one (flights/hotels etc).

Running Rodent

01/02/2013 at 13:26

Tommy - the theory on long runs is (apologies to any medics out there for over-simplification): your body stores energy in two forms - fat and glycogen (carbs). When you exercise you use both kinds, but it's easier to access glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles, than fat, which is stored - wherever you store fat. A fit person who hasn't done enough endurance training will probably have enough glycogen to run about 15-20 miles - after that you switch to fat burning only. Fat burns more slowly, and needs more oxygen to do so, therefore you have to slow down, and feel crap - this is 'the wall'. The purpose of long slow runs is to train your body to burn more fat, earlier, conserving glycogen for later in the run, it's not to replicate race pace. It's a combination of endurance, speedwork and adrenaline on the day that will get you round at the right speed. Oh, and you can eat stuff too to top up your glycogen levels

Denis Duret

01/02/2013 at 13:59

RR. Thanks. I am not a medic so I appreciate the simplification. On that basis, should I not bother with gels for my long runs? So far I haven't but I am starting this month 20+ for my long runs and wonder whether I should take a gel with me.

James B 73

01/02/2013 at 14:14

You need to be trying out your gels to make sure they suit you. That is if you not used gels before and dont have a fav.

Denis Duret

01/02/2013 at 14:27

I tend to try gels (Shotz) during the week when I do a run at marathon pace. I know some people include their marathon pace during the long run but I prefer to do my long run at a steady pace.

The Jimbob

01/02/2013 at 14:34

DD - on the long run i'm quoffing a gel at the end of each hour - so 1 or 2 gels depending on distance. If i finish after 2 hours i just come in the house and load up on healthy(ish) carbs straight away!

The Jimbob

01/02/2013 at 14:36

and when i am taking the gel on the hour - i'm not at the point where i feel i need it, so i think it is helping to sustain me. it take b 20-30 mins to take effect.

Tricky Dicky¹

01/02/2013 at 15:13

Tommy Mac 2 wrote (see)

RR - that's interesting about the long run pace. Does your body learn to burn fat when you run slower because your heart rate remains slightly lower? When I trained for my first marathon I was doing my long runs as quick as I could (a go hard or go home approach). That would explain why I blew up at mile 20 on the big day! Thanks for the info. Slow and steady wins (finishes) the race.

Denis Duret wrote (see)

RR. Thanks. I am not a medic so I appreciate the simplification. On that basis, should I not bother with gels for my long runs? So far I haven't but I am starting this month 20+ for my long runs and wonder whether I should take a gel with me.

Denis - it's a balancing act. The idea of long runs is to train your system to cope with less glycogen (quick energy) and become more efficient at using fat stores (slow energy) to provide ATP (ultra-fast energy) directly into the muscle mitochondria.

Soooo... if you put less sugars into your body on a long run (gels are sugars), then your body has to rely more on fat (everyone has plenty of this). BUT, it may be that the lack of glycogen is so severe that people give up and don't complete their long runs, which is worse than if you took a gel and carried on.

Knowing that you are a very experienced and capable runner (don't do the following if you can't describe yourself this way), is to occasionally on a long run, not load up with food/ fuel beforehand. So start with a relatively low supply of glycogen. Then go out for your long run at slow speed, making sure you stay in areas where people are nearby (in case anything horrible happens to your body). You will run out of glycogen much earlier and really stress your fat-energy system.

This is really painful, can lead to dizziness and nausea (feeling sick) and takes a long time to recover. It is a bit extreme. I'd also take a long one or two gels for emergency supplies if you find your body really doesn't cope. For some people, they find this helps. I've only done it twice and hated it both times. But it probably made me stronger.

Mausey _ I hope that you feel very welcome and at home here in the Northern Hemisphere. Hope we get to see you more often.

Denis Duret

01/02/2013 at 15:26

Tricky Dicky¹ wrote (see)

So start with a relatively low supply of glycogen. Then go out for your long run at slow speed, making sure you stay in areas where people are nearby (in case anything horrible happens to your body). You will run out of glycogen much earlier and really stress your fat-energy system.

Thanks. I will give it a go but not this weekend. I am planning 22M but I have to drop the kids with Grandma & Grandad first and then I will start my run. It isn't near home so I don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere without anybody to come and rescue me.

The Jimbob

01/02/2013 at 15:59

Tricky Dicky¹ wrote (see)

This is really painful, can lead to dizziness and nausea (feeling sick) and takes a long time to recover. It is a bit extreme. I'd also take a long one or two gels for emergency supplies if you find your body really doesn't cope. For some people, they find this helps. I've only done it twice and hated it both times. But it probably made me stronger.

Rich, how long does that extra strength stay wuth you? Were you able to run a faster marathon off the back it. I've heard other quick marathon runners talking of training runs with little or no fuel and not understood why so this explains, but it does seem too extreme for your average Joe.

Eggyh73

01/02/2013 at 16:48

Uuurrrrggghhhhh.

Woke up yesterday loaded with the flu. None of that man flu stuff either. Not eaten since Wednesday evening. Now off to try and force a bowl of soup down.

yer_maj - I'm certain that Audrey has ran Barcelona.

yer_maj

01/02/2013 at 16:53

Eggy you poor love, you're having a pure shite time of it just now. I hope you're lying on the sofa doing absolutely nothing.

The amount of illness and injury on this thread this year has been astonishing. We need to bleach it, I think....

Eggyh73

01/02/2013 at 17:06

To be honest all I've been able to do is crash on the sofa. I must have slept for 20 hours yesterday.

I think we might need some I survived Paris 2013 t-shirts!

yer_maj

01/02/2013 at 17:09

"I got to the start line" pretty much covers it...

Dark Vader pirate

pirate

01/02/2013 at 17:53

I have now switched to a low carb diet in the build up to long runs... high protein, low carb.. the runs are thus fuelled by fat burn... I find this to be a very efficient way of fuelling... and runs are now mostly liquid...

This is the total opposite of what I used to do... and I have learned this from experimentation...

So.. no 'carb loading' for me...

Audrey Brown

01/02/2013 at 18:34

Hey Yer I ran Barcelona it was fab! It is a lovely course with only one bit you run back on other runners who are ahead of you at 'the parallel' (I didn't like that) - look at the route, its fairly flat, and I remember seeing people outside at the beach taking a spin class, how cool is that!!! The route is also cool cause it takes you past all the big landmarks and the people are really quirky/funny/friendly - they kept shouting 'animal' - i don't know what they meant but it always made me laugh. I had a great time and got me hooked on marathons as a tourist activity. I would recommend this race - oh, and some libation after

Well remembered Eggy - look forward to coffee and a run later this month with ATM and your good self

Hey MM, it would be great to run with you again - go the pink pen people!!!

Audrey Brown

01/02/2013 at 18:39

Poor Eggy, oh, and if you don't have one, go out and get a hot water bottle - I swear by mine, what about eggy soldiers (that wasn't supposed to be a joke). No running for you for a while (will give me a chance to catch up

01/02/2013 at 18:55

Eggy I hope you feel better soon. But still, I'm so jealous about 20 hrs sleep. I don't remember sleeping for more than 5hrs straight since February 2011

Being on this thread since 2009 I've learnt more about runnign than from any book I've read.

ATM

01/02/2013 at 19:13

Poor Eggy. +1 for the hot-water bottle. And chicken soup.

Me, too, wi.And I gave your 'arms' thing a go , today. 'Not sure I was doing it right but concentrating on it made the miles pass pretty quickly.The cycle path, eastwards, from the centre of Glasgow is a fantastic, traffic-free, track....but solo running through the East End still has its moments. What Is it wi' wee men and their big dugs? There's loads of building going on for the 'Games.

Can anyone suggest...well, I don't know what you'd call them...running leggings that are thornproof or, at least, more suitable to trails? Yesterday's run, involving contact with gorse, was fantastic....but I'm covered in punctures and scratches.And I'm not a brave soldier..What do off-road people wear?

yer_maj

01/02/2013 at 19:38

Yay Audrey - thank you. That's my mind made up then...Barcelona and either Berlin or the 'Dam next year. Nothing like planning ahead....