A marathon for little ol me?

That's what the long runs in training are for - you get to try various options and see what works and what doesn't. I tried Honey Stingers and felt like I had grit stuck in my throat. Some people love them.

FWIW - I take my thyroid meds at night. I also don't think it would hurt to take your meds when you get up on race day and then eat. They may be less effective with food (especially if you eat food with minerals that interfere with the medicine) but it won't make you sick.

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

That's what the long runs in training are for - you get to try various options and see what works and what doesn't. I tried Honey Stingers and felt like I had grit stuck in my throat. Some people love them.

FWIW - I take my thyroid meds at night. I also don't think it would hurt to take your meds when you get up on race day and then eat. They may be less effective with food (especially if you eat food with minerals that interfere with the medicine) but it won't make you sick.

I only space my Synthroid out 30 minutes from eating so tomorrow morning before my half I will get up between 5-5:30 and eat around 6 AM - 1 or 2 slices of toast with peanut butter and a cup of coffee. I'll be bringing some Clif Blocks with me on the run. I tried using honey stinger gel on a run once and it made me gag.

I should probably go to sleep now...

FL_Hiker wrote: »

As far as electrolytes go would it be okay if I just took some salt packets (like you get at fast food places)? I love salt, so no problem eating it straight up. How many of those would be necessary ? Or is it better to carry some sort of electrolyte gels or something?

You lose other electrolytes than salt, you can make your own for cheaper options if you feel that you need an electrolyte supplement. When I was running in FL heat I used ultima, I now use Nuun if I need it (although that’s super rare since I am in a much cooler climate and have gotten more experienced-ie runnign is easier).

But basically if you DO need a supp, salt isn’t going to be all you need to keep balanced.

FL_Hiker wrote: »

WickAndArtoo wrote: »

FL_Hiker wrote: »

As far as electrolytes go would it be okay if I just took some salt packets (like you get at fast food places)? I love salt, so no problem eating it straight up. How many of those would be necessary ? Or is it better to carry some sort of electrolyte gels or something?

You lose other electrolytes than salt, you can make your own for cheaper options if you feel that you need an electrolyte supplement. When I was running in FL heat I used ultima, I now use Nuun if I need it (although that’s super rare since I am in a much cooler climate and have gotten more experienced-ie runnign is easier).

But basically if you DO need a supp, salt isn’t going to be all you need to keep balanced.

Ah that makes sense. I'm looking a the Nuun... do you mix them in a drink? If the race provides gatoraide or similar would that be sufficient instead? This is so much more complicated than I thought lol.

Nuun is mixed into a drink, I drink mine before the run so I don't have to mess with it or put it into my water I carry. I’m not sure how Gatorade works since I have never drank that. But also depending on your fuel/body/temp of race day you my not need to worry about the electrolytes as much as you are. Do you already know the specific race you will be running? Sometimes they will say what they use at the hydration stations on the websites.

Edit: for a marathon I would be using my hydration vest with plain water then bring smaller flasks with the Nuun premixed in if my other fuel didn’t satisfy my electrolyte needs. Sorry I forgot you were doing a full not half. In my opinion it is NOT smart to rely on the hydration stations for this situation because you should be prepared to fill your body’s needs when you body needs it, otherwise you could risk heat exhaustion etc. IMO find something that works for you and a way to carry it. Ultima is nice bc it’s a powder and can be mixed on the go, Nuun tablets take a long time to dissolve.

FL_Hiker wrote: »

WickAndArtoo wrote: »

FL_Hiker wrote: »

As far as electrolytes go would it be okay if I just took some salt packets (like you get at fast food places)? I love salt, so no problem eating it straight up. How many of those would be necessary ? Or is it better to carry some sort of electrolyte gels or something?

You lose other electrolytes than salt, you can make your own for cheaper options if you feel that you need an electrolyte supplement. When I was running in FL heat I used ultima, I now use Nuun if I need it (although that’s super rare since I am in a much cooler climate and have gotten more experienced-ie runnign is easier).

But basically if you DO need a supp, salt isn’t going to be all you need to keep balanced.

Ah that makes sense. I'm looking a the Nuun... do you mix them in a drink? If the race provides gatoraide or similar would that be sufficient instead? This is so much more complicated than I thought lol.

Its okay to use what the race provides, but trybitbout and train with it ahead of time. Race day is a terrible time to find out that tropical punch Gatorade gives you runner's trots. Also, as a previous poster says, you will want to carry your own regardless so you can drink on your own schedule.

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

I think you're overthinking it at the moment. Just go and train, all the nutrition questions are eight weeks away from needing to be thought about.

This. You only need to worry about building your conditioning for now. You have months of long runs ahead of you to figure everything else out.

Electrolytes - most people are fine with the liquid provided by the organizers. Really elite racers use custom blends, but that's probably overkill for the 99.9% of us that don't run 150 minute marathons. That said, if you already have experience with a different product in the Florida heat then go for it.

Nutrition - this one you'll have to play with since everybody is different. I just started using GUs and seem to be doing OK with them but I'm lucky in that I don't usually have a sensitive stomach. I know many people who prefer to carry bananas or dried fruit instead though over long distances I prefer the convenience of a pre-packaged gel/chew.

Yes, it might sound silly to some to learn how to 'not drink' during a run but this preference is more a matter of convenience than anything else. Not having to worry about carrying water on anything but your weekly long runs is really nice and it also means that you'll generally be fine to use only with the water provided by the organizers on race day. Basically, it's one less thing to worry about (if you want proof that some people do find this to be a complication, do a quick search on threads that ask about the best strategies to manage water during a run).