2010, My year to smash all of my PR's

NICE miles and pace especially after that killer speed work the other day! GOOD JOB!

Can you run my race for me next month?

Thanks Smooth! =) I needed a good medium long run. My mileage is low so far this year...

Joe - lol, I'm sure you are gonna smash your race. You won't need my help.

I have never really taken any gels or water for most of my 12 milers or less..I have experimented a few times tho..I will be taking some water this summer on runs to practice drinking a good amount of fluid..I always get dehydrated in a Marathon. Nice RUN btw! :)

Missy - Thanks =) Same here, I usually cramp up in my marathons.

Great job Vinh. I am the same way. Except if I go over 12 miles I hydrate and gu up. The rest I might if its speed work have water during the RI. Awesome run.

Great run! I get the advantage of not taking gels but what do you gain from not taking liquids?

I'm experimenting with the clifbloks....electrolyte chews...Got some Prolytes drops to try, without the sugar that clifbloks has. I have had calf cramps at every marathon I have done..My first/best marathon I felt them coming on but was lucky they held off..The other two marathons the "charly horses" were so bad that my calves were concave. I couldn't even walk. Those start at lucky mile 18 or so. So anyhow. I will be taking something for my marathon, I am not sure what yet..might find some chewable electrolytes. That would work best. Calorie wise, I have always felt my glycogen stores were huge, but not so much anymore, my diet is much more "clean" than it used to be. And I have carbphobia thanks to the people I rub shoulders with...haha...We will know when My mileage picks up how my energy is doing. Last night, I knew there was no way I would be able to complete my 3800yd swim, so I purposefully ate a snickers bar and skittles to "trick" my body into explosive energy..haha..worked.

There is a good article on running times talking about depletion runs. http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=18880

Keys to help avoid cramping include hydrating and carbing early in the race as you can never catch up once you go over the edge.

Another product to try in the "blok" category is PowerBar GelBlasts, really good and easier to get down.

Great stuff Jeff, I have read that one before, I did those runs in my last two marathon training plans, alhtough this time I have a complete different outlook, I run my easy runs low basically no food for 4-5 hours before, just water, this in turn by the end of the week I am low and have bonked on a mile run! but I do fuel appropiatley for the sessions so I get quality and then when I fuel for the long run I run really well.... well so far I have done fingers crossed it keeps working well :-)

NICE JOB!!! I never take any of that gel stuff aside from in a marathon, and even then I try to wait until mile 14-16 or so. And I do not require drinks unless it is super hot! I figure as long as I drink a ton before and after, all is well, right. Anyway, just my 2 cents that it can be done!

Awesome run, super speedy at the end, that is hard!

I ran a half last week with no water or food and it seemed to go fine. Water sloshes around in my stomach during marathons and the less I can drink the better. But it is a game of diminishing returns and I haven't really worked it out yet. Heat is a whole different animal than running in the winter, it makes everything more complicated.

Thanks for the info jtshad. :) I am continuing to explore the fueling..it really is finetuning. I am used to running low carb actually, all last fall I ran with almost no glycogen stores, got to be careful tho, you can lose a lot of muscle that way, tho it seems runners don't care...

Mark, Lyman - Thanks! I'm just trying not to be so dependent on fluids/gu on runs under 2 hours. Before...I always had to run with a fuel/water belt all the time. Now that I'm not, I'm feeling stronger on my runs and don't even think about water/fluids.

Missy - I think I like the clif shots better than gu, though I haven't tried the ones you were mentioning. Let me know how that works for you. As for cramping, I think the reason I used to cramp (in my calves) before waslack of training. Now that I've bumped up my mileage, I don't cramp any more in my legs. The only cramps I get now are heat cramps on race day. Most likely from going out too fast.

jtshad - Awesome article. Thanks for the advice!

Sam, Kelli - See! I'm just trying to be hard core like you. =)

flatlander - Yea, I feel you on the heat issue. Luckily now, the weather is nice enough to run w/o any water. I don't like running with a fuel belt unless I really need to.

Missy - You and me both! Still trying to figure out the best ways to fuel.

You are HARD CORE beyond me!!!

Vinh!!! I

Missy! Great article. You've heard of Accelerade right? It's a 4:1 carb/protein ratio drink. I've been using that for a couple of years. It works great but the thing is that it is good for training but on race day they only give you water and gatorade.

I have never tried Accelarade before, but we have some that we were given at a race. Guess we should try it.

Crystal Light now makes a hydration drink with electrolytes so I am in heaven....wish they had that at races!

Vinh..you are SO ahead of the game! Right on!!! :D I need to order some and try it out. What is the best flavor?

Kelli, have you tried the Crystal Light yet? That sounds like a good replacement for gatorade. I've been drinking too much of that lately. Too much sugar!

Missy, I've only tried the orange drink mix. It taste okay. I'm not sure about the other flavors. I've tried Endurox and Cytomax too! Those seem to help as well.

Indeed I have, I have been drinking about 3 a day!! I really like the lemon, the grape is okay, and there is a strawberry kiwi (I think) but I do not usually like that so I have not tried it.

I can not handle sports drinks, the sugar makes me ill. Crystal Light is my favorite so I was glad to see the hydration ones, although peach green tea will always be my favorite!

I think I Have tried cytomax years ago..like in my first year of running. Never even finished the container..haha. I Have some stuff I Have tried in the bodybuilding realm that I actually can't stand because it makes me retain water..it's Scivation's Xtend. It's a recovery drink..With Branched Chain Aminos, Glutamine, B-6 and some other junk. I am probably water retention paranoid tho. I should take it, I Have noticed when I take my supplements. I virutally have no soreness..All last summer I was never sore. ... .It's a completely diff thing than the endurance and hydrating drinks we have been talking about...Just thought I would throw this in too..eventually we will all just drink..never chew anything..haha.