The Sub 3:15 Marathon Thread
336 watchers
Nov 2023
9:21am, 3 Nov 2023
3,028 posts
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Big_G
Oscar, yeah, Chair is a great runner. Several sub 3s, done London 18 times I think. He’s done many different type of events but I remember him telling me that there was nothing like turning the corner onto The Mall at London and knowing he was on for a PB, and for him London is still the best. For his 100th he did it at Dartmoor Discovery, where he was also Race Director. Can’t imagine the extra pressure of that. Entries open for DD, by the way 
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Nov 2023
10:06am, 3 Nov 2023
22,508 posts
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larkim
larkim there was a study that showed there was benefit from rinsing and spitting so I presume that's the immediate benefit people are feeling. Yes, that's been measured several times - though more I think in terms of actual output performance than "feeling". That's the sensitivity that I lack; it may well be that either in the mouth-swill or actual ingestion I am really, positively gaining benefit from feeding, but I just don't directly notice / experience it. I drink very strong coffee as my only really daily liquid too (beyond wine in the evenings!) so I also don't notice caffiene "kicks" from caffienated gels. |
Nov 2023
10:31am, 3 Nov 2023
48,323 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Not sure what you mean by "notice" larks. I couldn't tell you within mins after taking a gel (caffeinated usually for me) that I "feel" any benefit from it, in a race (or in training, which is rare, as described). But I have done enough with adequate fuelling, vs inadequate to know what it feels like when I have NOT taken it! The bonk is real! So, just to be clear, if you asked me at the time "Do you now feel significantly better, having taken that gel 5 mins ago?" I would probably answer, "What, hunh, who are you, I feel terrible, my legs are heavy, I hate marathons, I am grinding to a halt... " etc. but my watch would tell you at the time that I am maintaining or even slightly improving my pace, and race analysis afterwards would show the same. For me it's not a "beneficial feeling". It's the absence of a marked drop off in performance, is the only benefit, and I only realise that on analysis afterward and in planning for the next one take that into account. Does that make sense? G
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Nov 2023
10:49am, 3 Nov 2023
20,824 posts
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Chrisull
I'll be at the Cornish on Sunday... not in a running capacity of course, but helping out. Say hello if anyone on this thread is doing it. If you ask where Chris is, I'm sure someone will know! (Like me even)
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Nov 2023
11:40am, 3 Nov 2023
22,509 posts
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larkim
HG - if you read a few post-race blogs of contributers here there are often references to "was feeling rough around mile 19, took a gel and that made the difference" etc etc. I'll try to track down some quotes!
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Nov 2023
11:48am, 3 Nov 2023
139 posts
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Charlesvdw
I drink only one cup of strong coffee per day and I never feel a kick from caffeinated gels. Caffeine tolerance I guess. I with HappyG on this one, I never feel better after ingesting sport drink or forcing down gels, but I know that I need them. |
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Nov 2023
12:00pm, 3 Nov 2023
48,325 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
My blog from 2009 Abingdon, when at mile 23 I nearly passed out, then got a Lucozade Sport and felt better. Yes, but that was an example of doing it wrongly - bonking and just managing to recover the situation. You should *never* be in that situation if you've got your fuelling right. If you've got it right, I'd say it's like a car (I know you like your F1 larks!) - insufficient fuel in tank, run out of it on the straight and you are stuffed, grind to a halt. Top up the fuel (back when they used to do refuelling in the pits, in the old days!) once, twice, however many times so that the fuel stays just right - you notice nothing, you don't go faster or better, you just keep going. But you sure notice if you run out! Maybe not a great analogy. But you see what I'm getting at? :-)G |
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Nov 2023
12:08pm, 3 Nov 2023
22,510 posts
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larkim
Oh, absolutely - that's my position to a tee. And I've strongly advocated for that "topping up" approach a lot since I did my first marathon. It seemed in contrast at the time to a lot of people whose plans were to defer gel 1 until about half way, and then try to get more down as the miles went on, which always seemed to me a recipe for disaster.
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Nov 2023
12:18pm, 3 Nov 2023
6,094 posts
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Windsor Wool
Let me make life slightly easier for you larkim! From my 2:56 at Abingdon, I thought I had some decent examples of what caffeine can do to a non-coffee drinker. I can definitely feel the hit of a caffeine gel, particularly later in a race. At 21 the caffeine has just hit......I get a massive runners high and tell Lee that it’s time to push, I see 6:20 on the mile split. Let’s ‘ave it!! then, just 2 miles later! <I>Turn the corner on to the trail section towards 23 miles and I realise I’m in a spot of bother so I take the last gel, it’s caffeinated again. The hit is too much though and I’m quite disorientated through the muddy leaves and losing significant time for the 1st time today. </I> I had this once before when I took a caffeine gel (prob for the 1st time ever actually, doh) running down embankment and I was so spaced out that Big Ben was wobbling around in my eyes!! You know, I used to take less gels in marathons than I do (would) now and I tend to take them earlier in the race than I did in my earlier attempts. Defo carry 6, and tend to take them all, drink water. Basically consume everything I can out on the course! from my 2017 blog (2:57): I take my 1st gel at 4 miles. That’s earlier than I would normally but I was quite persuaded by the discussion between G and Larkim that it’s better to get it in early so I do.</I>
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Nov 2023
12:19pm, 3 Nov 2023
25,845 posts
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Bazoaxe
The 'get em in early' approach is an issue for me as I tend to feel nauseous at some point as a result whether they are early or late. Its a find balance but I know I need some fuel during a marathon
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