I'm continuing my new habit of celebrating enduring another Thursday hill-repeat workout by sharing a running video with you. There's a funny one circulating on YouTube, featuring top masters runner Pete Magill, concerning tips for marathon race day.
A lot of it is just silly, but he does impart some serious info to help. (Example: Wearing easily discarded plastic bags to stay warm before the race.)
In the video, Magill and former elite marathoner David Olds go against conventional wisdom on fueling during races. They kind of snub their noses at eating before the race and don't look too kindly the use of GU during the race. I do both, bythe way. I eat a banana an hour before and take 3 to 4 GUs during the race.
But I can relate to their point that, for decades, marathoners did just fine without sucking down gel packets every five miles. When I ran my first marathon, the 1985 San Francisco Marathon, I somehow managed to log a 3:27 time without taking any GU (the stuff wasn't around) or food on the course. In fact, I think I just drank plain old water at aid stations.
Speaking of which, at about the 7-minute mark in the video, they go over the proper way to grab and drink from cups at aid stations without stopping. The key, as you'll learn in the video, is to pinch the upper sides of the cup and tilt and sip it. They make it look easier than it actually is.
Enjoy!
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