Marathon Tune-UP
This past Sunday was the Marathon Tune-Up, an 18 mile run through
Central Park. My goal was to run it maintaining roughly a 7:30/mile
pace. I had set a range of 135 to 140 minutes for myself. I would have
been satisfied with any finish time in that five minute span.
At the 10 mile mark, I was averaging 7:27/mile. During that 11th mile, I
decided to use a Gu energy gel. I was still feeling pretty good at that
pace and I was hoping to time the gel right so as to not "hit the wall"
at mile 14 or 15.
Instead, the gel started giving me stomach cramps. At mile 12 I was
still well under an 8 minute pace and at the half-marathon mark, I was a
minute off my best official half. I was clearly slowing down as the
stomach pain increased.
I struggled through miles 14 and 15, alternating running and walking
every quarter mile. By mile 16, I could not run. The pain was almost
unbearable. I ended up walking the last two miles, in the rain, with all
my blood concentrated in my core, dealing with the Gu in my stomach. By
time I crossed the finish line, I was a half over my 135 minute goal and
had almost no feeling in my hands or feet.
I went to the medical tent and told the volunteer that I had severe
stomach cramps and I was so cold that I couldn't feel my hands. He
responded, "We don't got no blankets or nuthin' so we can't do nuthin'
for ya." So I walked away.
I went to the tables where volunteers were handing out gatorade and
pretzels. I stood there, shaking, until another runner came up to me
and asked if I was okay. Before I knew it, another runner was keeping me
from falling over while the first runner was coming back with two NYRR
volunteers. One of them wrapped me in a plastic bag to keep the rain off
while the other went for help. I explained what happened at the medical
tent.
Two more people from medial came back and put me on a gurney and took me
back to the tent. I told them what had happened at the tent and
explained what I was feeling. At the tent I removed my soaked shirts and
was wrapped in a mylar sheet and two blankets. I pointed out the guy who
told me they couldn't do anything for me.
I managed to get in touch with my fellow Giraffe who ran back to our car
to get my dry clothes. After about a half hour or so, I was feeling much
better and feeling had returned to my extremities. I got in my dry
clothes and my teammate and I walked back to the car.
So taking a Gu ended up with me being treated for hypothermia. I had had
mild stomach irritation when using Gu in training, but never this bad.
I'm glad I found out now instead of next month in Philadelphia.
during my 22 mile training run at the Tourne, I used prepared bottles of
GuBrew and Gu2O. These liquids never caused the irritation that the gel
did, so I should be okay using them during the race.
I've purchased a bottle that gets strapped to your hand for the purpose
of carrying the GuBrew with me. I filled it with water and ran with it
on the treadmill last night. It seems a little awkward, but it
shouldn't be too bad. I'll use it to carry the GuBrew with me during the
Staten Island Half Marathon on the 11th and see how that works out.
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