This week: The countdown to next weekend’s Vermont 50 continues with a comprehensive fueling plan, plus gratitude for everyone who helped get me to the starting line.
Holy hell, I was told there'd be no math. This is the main reason I don't run super far -- not the actual act of, you know, running super far. The math.
Anyway, one quick issue to take up with you:
"Take two slices of bread, cover one side with peanut butter, the other with jelly..."
A little goes a long way, yes, but you need peanut butter on both pieces of bread, with jelly in the middle. Otherwise the jelly soaks through the bread and makes it soggy which leads to an inferior sandwich.
I understand you have other concerns here, but some things are sacrosanct. I mean, we live in a SOCIETY here Flan.
Sep 16, 2022·edited Sep 16, 2022Liked by Paul Flannery
Shout out to Lena. Its not easy to be a partner to someone who has so much of their "free" time dedicated to a solitary activity. My husband gets to experience much of the same with me and I know he is the only partner, teammate and crew that I would ever want or need. Lena, if you're reading, you have my whole gratitude.
Regarding fuel, I have a lot of the same issues with gels. I used Gu the first few marathons I ran and it wreaked havoc on my guts. I tried mixing it up with gummies and other things but the sweetness of it all just makes me sick to my stomach. On a rec from a friend who is also a distance runner, I tried Maurten on a training run once and it make me throw up. HA..too jello-like, YUUUCCCKKKK. I fell in love with the Muir "gels" after you talked about them last year. They're much more like a nut-butter than a gel and I like that. All this being said, I ran Chicago in 2015 and I decided I need to finish with guts that weren't in revolt. This was my first go training cycle and race with my new favorite: peanut butter pretzel bites. My husband and mom usually chase me around marathon courses with my my goodies and I'll say that the saltiness plus the crunch was exactly what I was looking for. They would hand off a small baggie of them that would fit in the pouch of my nathan handheld along with my phone and I was off. Peanut butter is a lifesaver.
On longer training runs I've used Gu and used it for my half marathon last year. Thus far it's been OK, but curious to see how it'll go with a full marathon. Of course, TBD still on that. Went to the doctor and do indeed have IT band syndrome. The doctor gave me some exercises and I'm gonna go to PT next Tuesday. Plan is to take this week and next week off from running to hopefully heal it so I can still run the marathon. I'm doing swimming and exercise bike for cardio during this time off. We'll see how it goes.
Glad to hear you're taking smart steps and listening to the right people. Also, real, glad you're staying active with non-impact cross training. Your IT Band will thank you for your diligence and patience.
Thanks, Tracey. Can confirm that Lena read your note and was touched. Appreciate ya!
Glad you're digging the Muirs. They are excellent as a spread on toasted bagels or pancakes, BTW. I love the visual of your crew chasing you around the course with PB pretzels. Classic.
HA! You know how a good crew works! They've got you covered with everything you need, pretzels included. Like Lena, my husband has it on lock. Socks? Snacks? Body Glide? Kitchen sink? He's got in in a bag for me and ready to hand off.
Holy hell, I was told there'd be no math. This is the main reason I don't run super far -- not the actual act of, you know, running super far. The math.
Anyway, one quick issue to take up with you:
"Take two slices of bread, cover one side with peanut butter, the other with jelly..."
A little goes a long way, yes, but you need peanut butter on both pieces of bread, with jelly in the middle. Otherwise the jelly soaks through the bread and makes it soggy which leads to an inferior sandwich.
I understand you have other concerns here, but some things are sacrosanct. I mean, we live in a SOCIETY here Flan.
Lena agrees with you, which just makes me think I'm right.
Shout out to Lena. Its not easy to be a partner to someone who has so much of their "free" time dedicated to a solitary activity. My husband gets to experience much of the same with me and I know he is the only partner, teammate and crew that I would ever want or need. Lena, if you're reading, you have my whole gratitude.
Regarding fuel, I have a lot of the same issues with gels. I used Gu the first few marathons I ran and it wreaked havoc on my guts. I tried mixing it up with gummies and other things but the sweetness of it all just makes me sick to my stomach. On a rec from a friend who is also a distance runner, I tried Maurten on a training run once and it make me throw up. HA..too jello-like, YUUUCCCKKKK. I fell in love with the Muir "gels" after you talked about them last year. They're much more like a nut-butter than a gel and I like that. All this being said, I ran Chicago in 2015 and I decided I need to finish with guts that weren't in revolt. This was my first go training cycle and race with my new favorite: peanut butter pretzel bites. My husband and mom usually chase me around marathon courses with my my goodies and I'll say that the saltiness plus the crunch was exactly what I was looking for. They would hand off a small baggie of them that would fit in the pouch of my nathan handheld along with my phone and I was off. Peanut butter is a lifesaver.
On longer training runs I've used Gu and used it for my half marathon last year. Thus far it's been OK, but curious to see how it'll go with a full marathon. Of course, TBD still on that. Went to the doctor and do indeed have IT band syndrome. The doctor gave me some exercises and I'm gonna go to PT next Tuesday. Plan is to take this week and next week off from running to hopefully heal it so I can still run the marathon. I'm doing swimming and exercise bike for cardio during this time off. We'll see how it goes.
Glad to hear you're taking smart steps and listening to the right people. Also, real, glad you're staying active with non-impact cross training. Your IT Band will thank you for your diligence and patience.
I echo Paul on this!
Thanks, Tracey. Can confirm that Lena read your note and was touched. Appreciate ya!
Glad you're digging the Muirs. They are excellent as a spread on toasted bagels or pancakes, BTW. I love the visual of your crew chasing you around the course with PB pretzels. Classic.
HA! You know how a good crew works! They've got you covered with everything you need, pretzels included. Like Lena, my husband has it on lock. Socks? Snacks? Body Glide? Kitchen sink? He's got in in a bag for me and ready to hand off.