Getting back to running after a marathon is always tricky business – at least for me. I know a good amount of rest and recovery is necessary both mentally and physically, and I’ve been trying to honor that and manage my FOMO of the bridle path by taking easy runs of whatever distance I feel like whenever I want. It’s funny, but I look forward to that post-marathon break all throughout training, but then during the break all I can think about is getting back into a training cycle. The grass is always greener, I guess!
i think i have enough running shoes, but i’m not sure
I’ve been trying to think of what kind of training “plan” to work with for Chicago (my seventh marathon!) and what I need to work on more this time around. One thing that has been consistent with my last three marathons – none in really ideal conditions either weather-wise or physically – I’ve started out a bit fast or right at goal pace and haven’t been able to hold the pace throughout the race. I don’t know if this is because I actually did start out too fast, or hot weather/tired legs/wonky training had more to do with the wheels falling off at various points before crossing the finish line. In looking back at my training, I’ve done most marathon pace miles in my long runs during the middle of the run and then let myself have a nice cooldown. It always seemed to work out well – I looked forward to that cooldown – but I’m wondering if doing more fast finish long runs with the MP miles focused on the later part of the long run will help me get used to holding a faster pace on tired legs. The race is in 18 weeks (yeesh, how did that happen), and I’m definitely going to include some of those runs into my plan. As far as everything else… I guess that’s still kind of TBD for right now (help?)!
on hydration
It’s been super humid in NYC this week, and it’s one of the first weeks I’ve had of super sweaty, I look like I just jumped in a pool runs this spring/summer. Thankfully, all of the water fountains are working in Central Park and along the West Side Highway, which are lifesavers in this weather. I talked about the importance of hydration during winter running a while back, but hydration on summer runs is, in some ways, a whole different ball game. Here are three of my most important tips for staying on top of hydration during summer runs:
know your sweat rate: Our sweat rate is typically a lot higher in warm weather and we naturally lose more fluids and sodium during our runs. If you calculated your sweat rate in the winter, that’s fantastic. But now is the time to re-calculate it in warmer temperatures to have a more accurate idea of how much fluids you need to drink during sweaty summer runs.
- Weigh yourself naked before running
- Weigh yourself naked after a run
- Estimate how much fluid you took in during the run, if any
Now, subtract the post-run weight from the pre-run weight. For every pound lost, you should be drinking about 16 ounces during the run. Add that 16 ounces to any fluids you consumed while running to get your total fluid needs, and divide the number by hours to get an estimate of how much you should be drinking per hour on the run.
replete sodium: When it comes to sodium, we lose between 500-1500mg per 16 ounces of sweat depending on how much of a “salty sweater” we are. And, contrary to popular belief, those awful muscle cramps that tend to creep up in the late miles of a marathon or hot long run are not from potassium depletion, but sodium depletion. Drinking an electrolyte-containing beverage like Gatorade or Nuun can help replete lost sodium, and if you’re a super salty sweater, salt packets can be lifesavers.
drink early: Sometimes the body can’t tell it’s thirsty until we’ve already lost as much as 1.5 liters of fluid, or 2% of our body weight. That’s enough to affect performance, and by then it can be tough to adequately rehydrate without causing GI distress. The key here is to drink early and often. Make sure you go into your run or race well-hydrated (your pee should be a pale yellow) and that you consciously drink every 15-20 minutes after you start running. Pay attention to how your body feels, though, and take a break from drinking if your stomach feels full or “sloshy” to avoid over-hydrating.
and make sure to re-hydrate post-run with my favorite green power smoothie!
Happy running and racing!