Runner's Dilemma #30 — How Many Energy Gels for a Full Marathon?
Runner's Log | Runner's Dilemma #30 How Many Energy Gels for a Full Marathon? In three days, I'm going for a sub-4 full marathon. If I were far faster than that, I probably wouldn't be worrying about any of this. But since I honestly don't know whether sub-4 is possible, I end up worrying about everything. How many energy gels should I carry? When should I take them? When should I use CrampFix, the shot that's supposed to help when a cramp hits? Should I drink water at every aid station? What should I eat starting three days before the race, and what should dinner the night before be? And what about breakfast on race morning? So many questions. So I looked into them one by one. A Marathon Is Fuel Tank Management Your body has a fuel tank that stores carbohydrates. It's called glycogen. But the tank has a fixed size, so over a full marathon you start to see the bottom. That leaves three jobs. 1. Fill the tank to the top befor...
