Fueling 1h30-1h40 1/2M's

[carm]

Hi guys,

A friend of mine is doing his first 1/2M at Army Run. He's done a bunch of 5K's at sub-20 or 20-ish minutes and has been running 4-5x/week for a couple of years now. I don't know much else about his training plan other than he's running 20K LSD's every week! He asked me to inquire with the experts (i.e you guys) what you do for fueling half marathons in the 1h30-1h40 range. Any advice on training plans would also be appreciated and I'll pass them along to him.

Carm

[Peter Pao-Pao]

Hi Carm,

I did a 20-min 5 k last month, and have done a few halves in the 1h, 30-40 range. I followed Impact Magazine's half training/ taper plan in the run-up to my most recent half in May. I followed a loading plan from "perfomance nutrition for runners". I'll paste here the relevant part from my race report (http://atouchoftheruns.blogspot.com/201 ... -2011.html)

"Having followed the training plan and its taper, the day before was all about the "loading plan" mentioned above. First of all, the workout. 2 1/2 minutes at one mile race pace followed by a 30 second sprint. I didn't exactly sprint those last 30 seconds, but close enough. I call it the "3 minute murder". Doing this the day before a race after having tapered, according to Australian research, leads to "supercompensation". The body in a way panics and stocks the muscles with even more glycogen than usual as more strenuous demands on it are anticipated.
The workout is done first thing in the morning. The rest of the day is spent taking on board lots of carbs. Post workout I drank 2 bottles of gatorade with a little whey protein mixed in. Breakfast itself was a bowl of cereal and orange juice. Then the mid-morning snack of a banana and a bottle of ensure, a meal replacement drink. Lunch: nutella sandwich, garden salad and apple juice. Mid-afternoon snack: an apple and another ensure. Pre-dinner snack was another bottle of gatorade. Dinner: noodles with assorted vegetables and an apple juice. Finally the evening snack of a power bar and an ensure. Notice no meat? Too many calories."

On race morning: One slice of bread with nutella, 2 bananas, 2 ensure and a cup of coffee. On the way to the race I drank gatorade the same as I would take sips of water. 1 hour to 10 minutes before the horn I drank nothing, then a couple of gulps of gatorade again in the last 10 minutes. During the race, a small sip every 10-15 minutes keeps the tank more or less topped off.

[MichaelMc]

I don't load or fuel for a Half. I might grab a cup of gatorade in the final 1/3 of the race, but I'm not set on it.

You aren't likely to run low on glycogen in a Half, so fueling isn't critical. There is an argument that bodies react to a high fuel burn rate even if you aren't actually running low yet, so there might be some small benefit to a "hit" but it isn't like a marathon in that way.

[dgrant]

For my three fastest halfs (1:28-1:33 range) I took little more than a swig of Gatorade 4 or 5 times during each race. I don't think fueling is a factor in half marathons, and definitely not worth carrying anything.

[Jwolf]

On race morning: One slice of bread with nutella, 2 bananas, 2 ensure and a cup of coffee.

Wow... if it works for you great, but I'm really surprised. That sounds like a LOT of calories to be taking in before a half-- almost 1000 calories! I'd be in the porta-potty for sure. The comment about meat had me a bit puzzled since Ensure is very high in calories already.

Nice blog, by the way.


As for the fueling question, I'm a bit slower (fastest half so far is 1:47) but I do the same as MichealMc and dgrant. I don't carry anything and just take a bit of gatorade on the course. Sometimes I do take a gel, not because it helps my performance but because I've found it does help my recovery.

[ian]

Here's another voice for little-to-no fuel during the race. At 21K effort, I'd be more worried about stitching up from having to process calories than I'd be worried about running out of fuel before the finish.

[carm]

Thanks guys! I don't do anything too complicated fuel-wise for my own 1/2's around 2 hr (other than taking a gel at the half-way mark and drinking water) but I thought that I'd ask the speedy folks. You've been a huge help!

Carm

[SteveF]

Whatever he's doing for his 20k training runs is what he should stick to and probably even less if he plans on running it hard. More isn't better. I've recently experienced what too much food before racing does to ones system

[Peter Pao-Pao]

On race morning: One slice of bread with nutella, 2 bananas, 2 ensure and a cup of coffee.

Wow... if it works for you great, but I'm really surprised. That sounds like a LOT of calories to be taking in before a half-- almost 1000 calories! I'd be in the porta-potty for sure. The comment about meat had me a bit puzzled since Ensure is very high in calories already.

Nice blog, by the way.

I guess what I do compared to every one else does as you say go to show that different things work for different people. I have always sweated a lot, and feel myself fading if I don't take on board any electrolytes after 20 minutes unless either going very slowly or in very cold weather. Most of my training has gone a lot better since taking a sports drink along rather than just water.
Regarding pre-race food: That race started at 7am, and all that stuff on race morning was eaten before 4:30. Ensure has no fat in it I believe, whereas meat weighs you down more (I think).

[rungeek]

On race morning: One slice of bread with nutella, 2 bananas, 2 ensure and a cup of coffee.

Wow... if it works for you great, but I'm really surprised. That sounds like a LOT of calories to be taking in before a half-- almost 1000 calories! I'd be in the porta-potty for sure. The comment about meat had me a bit puzzled since Ensure is very high in calories already.

Nice blog, by the way.

I guess what I do compared to every one else does as you say go to show that different things work for different people. I have always sweated a lot, and feel myself fading if I don't take on board any electrolytes after 20 minutes unless either going very slowly or in very cold weather. Most of my training has gone a lot better since taking a sports drink along rather than just water.
Regarding pre-race food: That race started at 7am, and all that stuff on race morning was eaten before 4:30. Ensure has no fat in it I believe, whereas meat weighs you down more (I think).

If it works for you; thats what counts. But.. ..each serving of Ensure has 6g fat and 9g of protein so the two you had was more fat and almost as much protein as a 3-4 oz serving of steak. The Nutella adds 11g of fat for each serving as well plus oodles of sugar. I'm not saying I would have steak as a pre-race meal just defending it a bit.

[Pat Menzies]

On race morning: One slice of bread with nutella, 2 bananas, 2 ensure and a cup of coffee.

Wow... if it works for you great, but I'm really surprised. That sounds like a LOT of calories to be taking in before a half-- almost 1000 calories! I'd be in the porta-potty for sure. The comment about meat had me a bit puzzled since Ensure is very high in calories already.

Nice blog, by the way.

I guess what I do compared to every one else does as you say go to show that different things work for different people. I have always sweated a lot, and feel myself fading if I don't take on board any electrolytes after 20 minutes unless either going very slowly or in very cold weather. Most of my training has gone a lot better since taking a sports drink along rather than just water.
Regarding pre-race food: That race started at 7am, and all that stuff on race morning was eaten before 4:30. Ensure has no fat in it I believe, whereas meat weighs you down more (I think).

It sounds like the emphasis on eating enough to fuel a 50k is perhaps taking away your ability to translate a 20 minute 5km into a comparable hafl.
If you feel that a sports drink makes a difference it doesn't follow that an all you can eat buffet is even better.

[Peter Pao-Pao]

It sounds like the emphasis on eating enough to fuel a 50k is perhaps taking away your ability to translate a 20 minute 5km into a comparable hafl.
If you feel that a sports drink makes a difference it doesn't follow that an all you can eat buffet is even better.

I stand by my assessment that it works for me personally. The half I did this for got me home in 1:28:56. Could you let me know what preparations you do?

[Pat Menzies]

It sounds like the emphasis on eating enough to fuel a 50k is perhaps taking away your ability to translate a 20 minute 5km into a comparable hafl.
If you feel that a sports drink makes a difference it doesn't follow that an all you can eat buffet is even better.

I stand by my assessment that it works for me personally. The half I did this for got me home in 1:28:56. Could you let me know what preparations you do?

I double knot my shoelaces and make sure my number is centred on my singlet.

[QuickChick]

I think your friend really has to figure it out for himself, as clearly different things work for different people (and sometimes it can depend on the day!). I've had success only taking gatorade in the half, but the day I ran my pb (1:39) I also took a few powerbar gel blast candies. I don't know if it helped physiologically, but it gave me a boost at any rate. It was also a bit of a warmish day, though, and on a cold day I may not have felt the need for food at all. I guess I would suggest bringing something in case he feels the need for a boost, but not to absolutely plan on taking it. He may also want to experiment with different pre-run food and different gels, etc so he will know what works with his stomach.

[Doonst]

The faster I got the less I ate! True story.

[MichaelMc]

Electrolytes after 20 minutes... Ok, I won't mess with your placebo.

[jes]

Electrolytes after 20 minutes... Ok, I won't mess with your placebo.

Nothing wrong with a good placebo

[Spirit Unleashed]

My use double espresso clif shots MAINLY FOR THE CAFFEINE.

[Jogger Barbie]

Add me to the minimalist group: a few sips of sports drink OR a couple of GU Chomps OR (maybe) one gel. A bagel and peanut butter about 2.5 hours before, along with a small bit of chocolate (e.g.: a Hallowe'en size bar). The last one is mostly superstition! I have run half marathons while consuming nothing but water, but have discovered that taking in just a little bit of fuel along the way helps with a stronger finish.

[10not42]

Even with all the people saying they race with no carb intake, isn't it true that muscle/liver carb stores deplete after around 90-120 minutes? So, for Half Marathons around 90 minutes or longer, I have to wonder if there's at least *some* loss of performance as carbs deplete. You might be able to finish, but is it your "true" PR?

Things are less flexible for me, since I'm a Type 1 Diabetic, and whenever my blood sugar gets low, my legs just go dead and it's very hard to run even at LSD pace, so I carry sports drink for training and racing.

[daddy_runner]

I eat a Clif bar for breakfast, then go for broke.

[MichaelMc]

Even with all the people saying they race with no carb intake, isn't it true that muscle/liver carb stores deplete after around 90-120 minutes? So, for Half Marathons around 90 minutes or longer, I have to wonder if there's at least *some* loss of performance as carbs deplete. You might be able to finish, but is it your "true" PR?

Things are less flexible for me, since I'm a Type 1 Diabetic, and whenever my blood sugar gets low, my legs just go dead and it's very hard to run even at LSD pace, so I carry sports drink for training and racing.

You burn extra calories running by DISTANCE, not time, although your normal metabolism carries on. It takes roughly the same number of calories to run 10 miles at 8 minute/mile as 7 minute/mile. How many of those calories will be fat, how many glycogen depends... .

Keeping even blood sugar is certainly a different matter for diabetics.

[Mark.AU]

I double knot my shoelaces and make sure my number is centred on my singlet.

Electrolytes after 20 minutes... Ok, I won't mess with your placebo.

Two reasons why I don't post here any more; what a pair of arrogant a**holes you two are.

Banned from RM in: 5, 4, 3... lol.

[MichaelMc]

I double knot my shoelaces and make sure my number is centred on my singlet.

Electrolytes after 20 minutes... Ok, I won't mess with your placebo.

Two reasons why I don't post here any more; what a pair of arrogant a**holes you two are.

Banned from RM in: 5, 4, 3... lol.

I thought Pat's comment was concise and witty.

You can not like the presentation, fair enough, but the fact is you cannot sweat your electrolytes out of balance in 20 minuntes under any circumstances. I could have written a four paragraph explanation but decided you were not likely to be convinced.

And I have nothing to do with the moderation, so they'll have to decide whether name calling is an issue: for my part I won't participate but it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

[jes]

You guys sound like your blood sugar is low