Hopes & Fears
Tomorrow I am running the 2014 Dubai Marathon.
To put it lightly, running out here kind of sucks. There’s no where to go so my ‘routes’ get repetitive, it’s hot even when it’s ‘cold’ and the constant air-con is dehydrating. Training for the marathon has consisted of pounding round the same 3.5 mile loop of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard or 2.2 mile loop of Al Safa Park. Endlessly.
Adjusting to my body’s different needs during training has been tough and, to be honest, it hasn’t really been working out for me. I’ve never been able to take on much food or drink while running but it’s never been that much of an issue at home - I don’t sweat that much and have always found my own energy stores (mainly in my thighs I think) have seen me through tough times without too many gels. Out here it’s different - I am constantly dehydrated and so running in the heat is a disaster. I try and take on water and my whole body sloshes and swills with it, but if I don’t I get so dehydrated my tongue swells and I get delusional with fantasies about cans of coke and water slides. I also physically can’t get gels or nougats down and so usually bonk out between 16 and 18 miles. On several occasions I’ve had to bail on my long runs, unable to finish because I’ve hit the wall, got a migraine or come just that bit too close to shitting my pants.
So, tomorrow I am running a marathon with no tested nutrition strategy, no way of knowing if I’ll be able to take on any water but, most significantly, no passion. So, here are my hopes and fears for the marathon tomorrow…
Hopes
- I don’t shit my pants
- I somehow manage to take on some sugar of some kind and don’t bonk
- I don’t let Chloe down as a marathon pal
- Chloe and I hit home in under 5 hours
- It miraculously isn’t that hot
Fears
- I shit my pants
- I try and drink water and it sloshes and makes me sick
- I try and take a gel and it sloshes and makes me sick
- I have another weird episode of hyponatremia
- I don’ t finish
Wish me luck pals!
FWIW, (you may well have tried this) - when it comes to gels, try taking it down in halves or 3rds. I can’t deal with them very well in one go, so when it comes to gel time I’ll normally have half just before water station, have a little sip of water, another bit of gel, some more water. Makes it easier if this is bottles, cups are a pain in the arse.
As for the pants shitting thing, Nathaniel tells me Immodium is good after your morning clearout but I’ve not tried it myself.
Looking forward to hearing about how you SMASHED IT though
You won’t shit your pants but if you do just carry it off like you intended to do it - like some protest against the heat! Good luck though and I know you’ll be amazeballs
Good luck!!
To help prevent dehydration, look to your breathing method. If you use your nose in-and-out and minimize use of your mouth for exhalation during your runs, you will stay better hydrated. Read this study abstract showing 42% more moisture loss when nasal breathers switch to mouth exhalation at rest:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16550955
So breathe through you nose if you have no physical obstructions in it.
Find out if they’ll let you wear a camel back, or water bladder system enabling you to sip gradually throughout your run.
Eat lots of fruit the day before. Eat bananas as snacks the day of.
Fruit provides slower release fluids with electrolytes and other nutrients. This helps avert water intoxication.
If these approaches help you improve tomorrow, please let me know by responding to this comment, and I’ll highlight it at my training blog.
Best, Mike
Good luck, will be waiting to read of your experience afterwards. You definitely need to drink water during a marathon, especially in that kind of weather.