FUEL. TRAIN. PERFORM…. With a P.M.A.
CARLSBAD MARATHON
I completed the Carlsbad Marathon today with my husband, clients & friends. I have coached clients for this annual race for more than ten years as it is a fun time of year to get away from Seattle’s winter weather. I usually do the half marathon, but I really wanted to do a full marathon since I haven’t done one since 2010. Running a 50k trail run or doing an Ironman triathlon is different than racing a “stand-alone” marathon.
My 3:12 “PR” is from Boston in 2008 and my other more recent marathons have been under 3:18… today was a test to see where I was in my training and an ideal time to test out a new fueling plan using UCAN drink mix (super slow starch). After starting the race, the 3:20 pacer was running well under 7:30 m/m. When the 3:20 pace leader was right behind the 3:15 pace leader and then I wasn’t feeling ready to “hurt” when I had 26.2 miles to run, I stuck with my usual plan of running my own race. It has been a few years since I could pull off a 3:12-3:18 marathon.
The pace groups are ideal to run with, but if you trust their race plan and you know you can hold an average 7:38 pace. My conclusion is that I haven’t been running enough faster “pace” work, tempo or speed. I am an efficient fat burning engine and lots of base miles after two Ironman’s and a 50k in the past six months.
I held back my pace for the first half after I realized I would not able to hold the 3:20 pace group’s pace then picked up my pace the second half then again at the last turn around at mile 18. I ended up with a 3:24… not my goal so I wasn’t excited until we drove back to the hotel and a friend told me I was first in my age group! A big shocker but made the day more satisfying. Plus my husband and I both qualified for Boston Marathon which we have skipped the past three years. I am ready to head back to Boston in 2014 as I love that course!
PMA… hold a Positive Mental Attitude when running. When you are not having your “ideal” day and setting a new PR, don’t get negative or depressed. We are not going to set a PR at every race…unfortunately.
My experimenting with a new fuel plan worked well. It included no “carbo loading” the day before or eating bread and pasta. The UCAN worked pre-race as well as during the race, plus my hammer pills. I love not eating gels and drinking the other sugary “sport drinks”. We used UCAN protein drink for post-race recovery… I gave away the finish line “fuel bag” of processed foods and sugar!
My lessons learned for my next marathon…
1. Do more “pace” work.
2. Race more 8k-10k-15k races.
3. Work on lowering my half marathon PR.
4. Run my own race with the “Pace leaders” in sight (in between 3:15 and 3:20 groups)
5. Breakfast of UCAN plain, macadamia nuts and “bullet proof coffee” worked great.
I hope to coach more athletes in the future and help them become metabolic efficient athletes. It is challenging to watch runners eating gels at mile three of a marathon… I want to coach athletes how to train, fuel and perform their best! www.fitnessforwardstudio.com . Click on the coaching page for details. Also listen to our new podcast. Host Jon Smith and co-host Debbie Potts discuss metabolic efficiency for athletes. Look for Fuel.Fat.Fast. Metabolic Efficiency for athletes.
Debbie Potts, Fitness Forward Studio
FUEL. TRAIN. PERFORM.
Integrating Nutrition & Exercise for Performance
Personal Training-Metabolic Training-Nutrition-Coaching
118 105th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
(425) 466-3653
