When training for any distance or race, it\u2019s always important to research what you need to do for your mileage schedule and build-up, including long runs and speedwork. It\u2019s also important to plan out your nutrition and gear. You need to research these (I primarily talk with other runners), experiment to see what works best for you, and then go with that. In some ways, experimenting with energy drinks and food and gear can be almost or equally as important as the mileage because you want to maximize what they can do for you. Also, you want to wake up on race morning with your pre-race and in-race fueling and gear plans set in stone. If you show up not being completely sure of your plans or having done something new that morning, or even the night before, it can throw you off.
Learning to take in fluids while running takes a little getting used to but you\u2019ve done it, it comes very naturally. You may goof up every now and then, such as taking in a little too much or little, but you can compensate. It\u2019s why you train so that on race day, your body and brain are acclimated to what you need and you\u2019re not thinking of it for the first time.
There have been a couple of times when I thought that I could go rogue on what I ate before a long or intense training run and that just wasn\u2019t true. While I can get away with doing so for shorter runs, there are some things that just don\u2019t work well for long runs or speed work. For example (and this list is not all-inclusive), spicy green chili the night before, fried eggs the morning of, or going too soon after drinking coffee. Fortunately, I did only try them (again) before a training run and not a race. Lesson reinforced. (My race and long-run breakfasts are two pieces of bread with peanut butter, a banana, and one cup of coffee. This, taken in an appropriate amount of time before the race or long training run, has worked well.)
It\u2019s also important to test gear. I nearly screwed up one of my favorite runs around Furnace Creek, California, a few years ago, because of an equipment choice. I had planned to carry a bottle of Gatorade but at the last second, grabbed a small drawstring-bag to wear. I\u2019d never done this before and the first quarter-mile was terrible, as the bag with the bottle in it banged around on my back. I stopped and cinched the straps tightly enough that it stayed in place but it was lucky that it worked.
I have a Camelbak water bottle belt that I wear on long runs and it is excellent. Besides the bottle holder, it has a small, zippered pouch. I decided it would be wise to carry a spare cloth mask and some cash in case I needed to make a stop along the way for a Gatorade purchase, etc. I didn\u2019t need to stop and when I got back to my house, I learned that the pouch on the Camelbak, at least mine, is not waterproof. The mask and cash were soaked with sweat, which was pretty gross. For the next runs I\u2019ll make sure to put extra items in a plastic baggie. Maybe a store clerk wouldn\u2019t care about a sweaty runner in a foul mask handing them a soaked $5 bill, but\u2026
You never can be entirely sure how your body will react to various drinks, food, or gear. While it\u2019s frustrating to have even a training run, even a short one, interrupted by a poor choice, that\u2019s preferable to having something go wrong on race morning, or even dealing with anxiety of trying to figure it out. There will be enough surprises and adjustments on race day. Pre-race preparation, what you wear, and how you refuel during the race (if applicable), don\u2019t have to be among them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When training for any distance or race, it\u2019s always important to research what you need to do for your mileage schedule and build-up, including long runs and speedwork. It\u2019s also important to plan out your nutrition and gear. You need to research these (I primarily talk with other runners), experiment to see what works best … <\/p>\n