Marine Corps Marathon, 20 Years Later

The Marine Corps Marathon is my hometown race, and yet out of my 40 marathons, I had only run it one time. That was in 2006 and it was my second marathon. My time was 4:24:39. I had intentions of running it again, but instead I always ended up opting for something flatter and/or with historically cooler weather.

MCM 2006

Twenty years later, I decided it was finally time. Earlier this year, I applied for their ambassador program and was selected. This meant sharing my journey to the marathon on social media and essentially raising awareness of the race. I would have done that no matter what, but it was nice to be an "official" ambassador of my hometown race.

What changed over 20 years? A lot, actually. On paper, I got faster. But along that journey, I gained experiences that would shape my perspective on nearly everything in life. Perhaps most importantly: we choose the stories we write. We can write stories that make us feel frustrated, inferior, and vulnerable. Or we can write stories that make us feel enriched, accomplished, and satisfied. 

I love that running provides purely objective metrics by which to gauge progress. A finish time is a finish time, and there's no writing a story to change it. But what we do with that objective metric is much more meaningful than the metric itself. They say "age is just a number" because we can feel young at 65 and old at 35. There is an objective truth, but we decide how to interpret it.

I ran my second Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) today at the age of 47. If you had asked 27-year-old me if 47-year old me would be able to run this marathon faster 20 years later, my response would have been something like, "This was so hard for me that I can't ever imagine running any faster." My mindset at the time was that I was young, fit, and doing everything I could to run my best marathon time. So it would logically follow that I couldn't get any faster. Maybe not ever.

So why did I bother trying? Because I liked the marathon. I enjoyed the challenge and the satisfaction of doing something remarkable. I wanted to run more of them because I liked having a goal, even if I didn't know I could achieve it.

Fast forward 20 years, and I lined up at the start line in my assigned corral 1, prepared to run a time of around 3:11. 

Training Recap
Every training cycle is an experiment. None of them look exactly the same. I am self-coached, and I often use the same workouts that coach Andrew Lemoncello gave me during my seven years with him. As a certified coach myself, I know how to write a training plan. I know when to push hard and when to back off. I coached myself to PRs in all distances, including a 3:14 marathon PR and a 1:29 half marathon PR. 

This training cycle was virtually perfect. With the exception of a mild head cold in mid September, I didn't face any obstacles aside from the humid summer weather. And now that my thyroid issues have been addressed, I am no longer as heat sensitive as I used to be. I started a new executive level job in early August, and my training did not miss a beat. I found the job to be exciting and challenging in all the right ways. It energized me and I think it contributed to my motivation to train hard. I wanted to prove to myself that I could balance a heavy training load and a job that required me to be in-office three days a week instead of working from home every day. 

You can see my weekly mileage and workouts below. 

I was targeting a 3:10-3:12 marathon, which I believe is within my reach. I had workouts and training to back it up, and a 7:15 marathon pace during training felt totally manageable, even in warm, humid weather. The majority of my workouts felt strong, and I nailed about 80% of them, which indicated to me that I was challenging myself appropriately. If I had nailed them all at 100%, then maybe I wasn't pushing myself enough.

I ran most of my workouts in the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4. This shoe feels most like my beloved adidas Adios Pro 2: snappy, firm, and enough cushion to run 26.2 miles. I was confident that this shoe would be an asset rather than a hindrance. I could have continued on with the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 because they worked well for me in Boston, but they didn't feel like they had as much pop as the Puma. 

The one thing that was different about this training cycle was my easy pace. Easy pace tended to be in the 9:05-9:20 range as opposed to my typical 8:40-8:55 range during marathon training. I started noticing this around mid-August. I didn't think too much of it, because "easy" is an effort, not a pace. And you aren't supposed to have a target pace for those runs. I figured it was because my volume was higher than it had been since last fall, so my legs were naturally heavy. The important thing was that I was hitting my workout paces. It shouldn't matter that my easy pace was slower than usual; easy is easy.  (Hint: this is foreshadowing!

In any event, everything pointed toward an average pace of 7:15-7:17 being realistic for me. I had the volume. I had the long runs. The long run workouts. The lactate threshold runs. The track workouts. I was confident.

Before the Race
I slept really well during race week. Fitbit was giving me high daily "readiness" scores, which meant my resting heart rate was low, my HRV was high, and my sleep was of high quality and duration. Everything was falling into place nicely. The weather forecast was looking favorable and I was ready. 

Race morning came and I had a new pre-race breakfast since Wegman's stopped making my almond butter
pretzels. I had a banana with honey, an english muffin, and a few graham crackers. I got ready and we headed out the door. We drove to the nearby metro station, parked, and were on the train by 5:30am. The race would start at 7:20 so there was plenty of time. 

Greg and me on the metro pre-race

I qualified to be a "seeded" runner which put me in the first corral and gave me special access to a different start line area. This meant getting off the metro at a different stop than most runners. When we reached a security checkpoint, I said goodbye to Greg and made my way to the pre-start area. I was searching for the "VIP baggage". I never check a bag. I don't think I have checked one in the last 6-7 years because I typically have a hotel near the finish. But since this was "VIP" I figured I would take advantage of it and check some warm clothes for the finish. 

I met some other seeded runners looking for this tent and we couldn't find it. This involved walking through wet grass in the dark. When we finally found it, we realized it wasn't a tent for us to hang out in. It was just a drop off. After that I had no clue where to go, so I made my way to the porta potty area. I went to the bathroom and then found two other seeded runners who were warming up on a road. I joined them and ran about half a mile, plus some gentle stretching. 

I then made my way to the start. I definitely could have used another trip to the bathroom, but I thought there would be porta potties on the way to the start line and near the start corrals. There weren't. So I just didn't go, but it ended up being ok. 

15 minutes before race start I had a UCAN gel. I like to have a UCAN right before the start because it keeps the blood sugar steady instead of spiking glucose right before running. I removed my top layers and waited for the race to start.

Weather
It was 42 degrees at the start and around 56 by the time I finished. Sunny with no clouds. No wind either. The only potential weather concern was flooding at Hains Point (miles 12-14). It had flooded the day before due to high tide, and the 8K runners had to run in the grass. There was potential for it to flood again, but I think something about the wind (or lack thereof) made it not flood. I give this a 9 out of 10 on my personal weather scale. Very favorable conditions, especially for a marathon that has the potential to be warm and humid. In the past, sunny and anything over 45 impacted my performance noticeably. But as I said above, having my thyroid fixed has made me more heat tolerant. 

Miles 1-4
The first mile was mostly flat until the end when we started going up hill. Even though I started in corral 1, it was still crowded. My plan was to take these early miles very easy because there was no need to tire the legs during a hill in the second mile. Mile 2 had about 100 feet of net elevation gain. I took it slow, but my legs felt it. I ran mile 3 by feel (half up, half down) and then I really cruised down the big hill in mile 4 (net 130 feet elevation loss). I executed according to plan:

Mile 1: 7:32 
Mile 2: 7:51
Mile 3: 7:40
Mile 4: 7:08

Miles 5-10
Now it was time for the rest of the race to be flat. WRONG! I had studied the elevation profile of the course and it looked like pretty much the entire race would be flat until the bridge at mile 20. But there were quite a few ups and downs that weren't noticeable from the elevation profile. And I hadn't run this race in 20 years, so I did not remember. 

During the 5th mile, I noticed that my left calf was tight. It wasn't cramping or anything, but it was definitely tight and I wondered if I had used my calf too much on the early hills instead of firing with my glutes. I had made a conscious effort to use my glutes, but I think my calf probably carried more load than it should have. There was nothing I could do about it so I told myself to ignore it and it would go away. Mile 5 was 7:40 and the plan here was to be in the 7:20-7:25 range. But 7:40 felt more appropriate for that stage in the race. 

Mile 7

I took a Maurten gel 35 minutes into the race, and I carried a bottle of Skratch Labs Hydration + Energy. I sipped from my bottle every 12 minutes and the plan was to take a gel every 35 minutes. 

I finally started feeling like I was getting into somewhat of a groove by mile 6. My pace was 7:30, which was still 5-10 seconds slower than plan, but again, it felt appropriately hard. I told myself I was easing into the race. It would flatten out and then I would start executing. 

I also overhead the funniest conversation at this point. One of the runners was talking to his friend and said, "That guy has every piece of gear you can imagine. He's got sunglasses, arm sleeves. . . and he's way behind us!" Did I secretly hope that the guy with sunglasses and arm sleeves passed this guy later in the race? I did. 

Miles 8-10 through Rock Creek Park were my best miles. I saw Greg twice during this timeframe and I finally felt like I could execute my plan. The race had felt strained up until that point and finally it felt good. I was cruising through right on target and feeling great.

Mile 7: 7:25
Mile 8: 7:19
Mile 9: 7:17
Mile 10: 7:15

Miles 11-13
I was optimistic going into mile 11, but it started to feel harder than it should have. I had plenty of energy, but my legs were already feeling tired. There was some sun glare and bumpy road, so I slowed down to ensure I didn't trip, and once I passed that part, I had trouble speeding back up again. The pace slipped to 7:22, which was still ok, but ideally I would have been maintaining 7:15-7:17 easily at that point. I didn't worry too much about it, I just kept on going. 

When we got to mile 12, one of my biggest marathon pet peeves happened: I found myself in the middle of a large pace group. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I find it so demoralizing to be passed by a pace group with a target slower than my goal time. This time it was the 3:15 pace group. I told myself I would NOT be passed by them. I was going to PR this race! I sped up and tried to get a substantial lead so that I wouldn't have to worry about them for a while. But that did not last long, unfortunately. I think they over took me just two miles later. 

Mile 13 is the "Blue Mile" on Hains point. It's the most incredible mile of the race. There were posters featuring photographs and names of American service members who had died in the line of duty. It was very emotional. 

Mile 11: 7:22
Mile 12: 7:22
Mile 13: 7:22

Official half marathon split: 1:38:14 (on pace for 3:16:28).

My target half marathon split had been 1:35:45, so I was about two and a half minutes off of where I had hoped to be. 

Miles 14-20
Well, the wheels quickly fell off. There was no more maintaining that steady 7:22. My legs felt super heavy and despite my high energy level, they wouldn't go at the speed I wanted them to. They didn't hurt and they weren't seizing up like they did in Houston and Indianapolis. They were simply dead feeling. Over cooked. Heavy. 

You could call it bonking or hitting the wall, but I've done that in the past and this didn't feel like that. When I've "bonked" I have felt sudden fatigue, lack of energy, and a feeling of simply not being able to run another step. This, by contrast, was like my legs just wouldn't go fast. They were fine to run a slower pace and I had all the energy in the world to do so. 

I knew it would be a very hard second half, but I quickly pushed that thought out of my mind. On the plus side, my stomach was tolerating the fuel extremely well. I had a caffeinated Maurten gel during the 14th mile and I hoped it would help get the legs going. 

Swinging my arms like 2006!

Fun side note. For Greg's birthday, he wanted me to learn Pink Floyd's "Nobody Home" on the piano. I learned it, but that required me playing it like 100 times. One of the lines in that song is "I've got electric light!" which is more spoken with passion than sung. At around this point in the race, one of the volunteers yelled "I've got electrolytes!". And all I could hear was "I've got electric light!" I laughed and that was a real pick-me-up. 

Soon it would be time to see Greg, followed by my friend Megan. I stayed positive, kept a smile on my face, and was determined to do the best I could with the cards I had been dealt. Thankfully this portion of the course was mostly flat. My legs wanted nothing to do with hills. I really enjoying running around the national mall. When I knew the Capitol was behind me, I tried to swing my arms in such a way to replicate a photo from 2006. Another way I amused myself in the midst of a difficult race!

Mile 14: 7:45
Mile 15: 7:45

Mile 16: 8:09
Mile 17: 8:09
Mile 18: 8:02
Mile 19: 8:14

Mile 20: 8:05

Miles 21-Finish
I knew by this point that I would not be running under 3:20, but I was okay with that. I knew I was still on track to run a strong BQ and a time I would have never dreamt of in 2006. What mattered most was that I was out there running the MCM again. 

The bridge was far longer and more challenging than I expected. It seemed to go on forever and ever. It was hilly but also mentally taxing. There were a number of runners walking at this point. And no surprise, the 3:20 pace group passed me. Miles 21-22 were my slowest of the race and no matter how hard I tried, I simply could not get those legs moving. My splits were 8:31 and 8:44, and my heart rate fell back into Zone 2. I don't display my HR on my watch face, but I am able to see it post race.

From a cardiovascular perspective, this was easy for me. But it didn't matter because my legs weren't playing ball.

I was relieved to be off of the bridge and into Crystal City, where I saw Greg twice. I was able to get my pace back down significantly here because it was flat. Crystal City was also one huge party and one of the most enjoyable sections of the course. Mile 24 was 8:02 which was trending in the right direction. 

Final hill! 

Finally it was time to finish this thing off. I was super motivated to give it everything I had and I really fought for it.  When my watch beeped at 26 miles the finish line still seemed so far away. I knew that my watch distance would exceed 26.2 but this felt enormous to me at the time. The goal was to get to the finish in under 3:27. 

That final hill up Iwo Jima was excruciating - it's a steep grade! But I made it and then booked it as hard as I could to the finish.  And what do you know, a guy with "all the gear you can imagine" (aka sunglasses and arm sleeves) is right behind me! 

Mile 21: 8:31
Mile 22: 8:44
Mile 23: 8:11

Mile 24: 8:02

Mile 25: 8:18

Mile 26: 8:08

Last 0.5 on my watch: 8:20 (Iwo Jima hill)

My official time was 3:26:51, and I was elated to have made it in under 3:27.

After the Race
I did not vomit post race, which is rare for me. Although I think my digestive issues come from pushing myself to max effort, which I was unable to do today. A Marine placed a medal around my neck and I proceeded to exit. I was in search of my gear check bag, but I didn't see any signs indicating there was gear check. 

After walking about a quarter of a mile towards the finish line festival, my right foot cramped up somewhat painfully. I sat on the ground, removed my shoe, and manipulated my foot to stop the cramping. During this episode, someone from social media approached me and asked to take a selfie with me. "Sure," I replied, "if you come down here!" She did, snapped the selfie, and then left, seemingly unaware that I was having issues! Eventually the foot stopped cramping, I put my shoe back on and proceeded on my way to find Greg. I walked another quarter of a mile and then he spotted me leaving the finish line area. 

We went to retrieve my gear check bag but alas, the VIP gear check was apparently all the way back at the finish line! There were swarms of people walking towards the finish line festival, and there was no walking in the opposite direction back to where the gear check might be. So I sacrificed a half zip. Not ideal, but there really was no going back to get it with so many people walking through a narrow path in the opposite direction. 

We didn't stick around the festival area. We boarded the Metro and returned home where I took a two-hour-long bath.

Stats

• I placed 12 out of 698 women in my age group
• This was my 14th fastest marathon out of 41
• My time was 58 minutes faster than my 2006 time
• This was a BQ by 18 minutes and 9 seconds. 

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
So, what happened? Objectively all of my training runs pointed to a PR being completely within my reach. I started even more conservatively than planned, and the race only felt good for three miles. My heart rate remained low, which indicates that aerobically I had the ability to run a faster race. 

I showed up to the race with dead legs, plain and simple. My last long run 8 days ago was 11 miles at an easy pace, and during that run, I noticed my legs were tired for the final four miles. By that point in training, the taper should have started to kick in and my legs should have felt nice and springy. 

My easy pace during the last two months of training was noticeably slower than usual, despite hitting my target workout paces. 

Every training cycle is an experiment, and this high mileage approach didn't work as well for me as it has in the past. It has been several years since I have run so much volume in a single cycle and even though I used to be able to taper my way out of heavy legs, I couldn't do that this time. Yes, the high volume made me very aerobically fit, but at the expense of overcooking my legs. 

The ability to run high mileage isn't simply about not getting injured - it's about being able to recover from it by the time race day rolls around. I ran a faster time in Boston this past spring running 50-60 mile weeks as opposed to 60-70 mile weeks. And Boston is a harder course. 

One other theory could be my low ferritin at 32 and low iron saturation (14%). I successfully raised my ferritin from 22 to 32 over the course of two months, but I know that 32 is still low for an endurance athlete. Combined with low iron saturation, this can impact recovery and cause legs to feel heavy, according to Google Gemini! My ferritin has been low for years, but the low iron saturation result is new. I am going to see if I can can an iron infusion because the oral supplements aren't doing much for me.

I also underestimated how hard this course would be. In my mind, it was one hill at the beginning, a little hilly on the bridge, and a hill at the end. Everything else flat. Even if I had known in advance, it wouldn't have changed anything. But I just wasn't mentally prepared. 

I learn something new with each marathon, and this one was no exception.

What's most important is that I never gave up. I never stopped and walked. I ran the entire race to the best of my ability and I did it with a smile on my face. I focused on the experience of the race and proving to myself that when things got hard, I wouldn't back down. 

Plus, 27-year-old me would be absolutely shocked. I blew up and still managed to qualify for Boston by 18 minutes. I'm thankful for my health and fitness and for the opportunity to run such an amazing marathon in my backyard.

I'm also thankful for Greg and his ability to see me in SIX different locations. Every time I saw him was a huge highlight! 

If you made it all the way through this blog, thank you for taking the time. In a world where content is consumed in 1-minute chunks, blogging feels like a dying medium. I'll continue to do it though, and write my own story.

My Instagram Followers Wrote This Blog Post

I asked my Instagram followers to name one thing they've learned from me. The answers spanned a wide range of topics but mostly fell into the following themes:

• Consistency/dedication
• Running form
• Mindset
• Faster with age
• Fueling
• Wardrobe/dressing for runs

I've highlighted my favorite ones! 

1. Relax while running 

2. Gained some confidence 

3. Beets and beet juice as a performance enhancer

4. Fueling is important! Have a fueling plan and stick to it. Also not to try new fuels for a race.

5. Enjoy the process of making gradual progress

6. How to run!

7. Zebras are awesome!

8. How to fuel for runs an races

9. To listen to your body when there’s pain

10. No matter your experience level, you’re always learning with running.

11. Only one? Goals and mindset. Thought process. And a lot from post race recaps.

12. I need more than 1 pair of shoes each year (running over 1000km a year)

13. Running is running no matter age, speed, weight, form.

14. The body can recover.

15. So much is yet to come.

16. Tips for running form!

17. You’re a musician

18. Take chews with you just in case gels don’t go down. Genuis!

19. What to wear and how to fuel for marathon

20. Resilience and consistency always prevail in leading to accomplishing goals.

21. Consistency and hard work pays off!

22. Your post about mindset going into Richmond, having a great day, etc.

23. Women can be strong and sensitive at the same time.

24. Discipline. 

25. Dedication.

26. Smile at the finish line, stop your watch after.

27. Marathon nutrition

28. How important it is to FUEL during long runs and races!

29. How vital it is to run easy!

30. Smiling

31. Proper form!

32. Train easy to run fast on marathon day.

33. Have a strong mindset.

34. Slow down and find my pace that works for me.

35. Setting my Garmin watch. Very helpful. 

36. To listen to my body.

37. Socks as sleeves and sweater to donate at the beginning of your race!!!

38. Can still have marathon success if the cycle doesn’t go as planned.

39. You are a medical miracle and that your injuries never see to sideline you (outside of the bike accident)

40. How to dress for the weather!

41. You can be fitter in your 40s- you are amazing!

42. Hard work pays off!!

43. Helpful fueling tips!

44. Your face with happiness

45. Way more than one!! Watch setting, dressing for weather, being smart about injuries.

46. Fuel!

47. You can get fitter and faster in your 40s

48. Running pace

49. That the heel bump has an actual medical diagnosis/name

50. Endless motivation!

51. Smile when you run!

52. Consistency is key

53. Not everything goes as planned and that’s ok.

54. Managing race expectations keeping about the fun.

55. To run slower on my easy runs which I hope will translate to more speed down the road.

56. That I have hope of being fast like you one day.

57. No lazy upper body, I kept that in my mind all through my half on Nov. 5th.

58. Zebras are amazing!

59. How to dress as someone that gets overheated easily as well

60. First Place shorts have pockets in the front (have one since a year and never saw these)

61. To relax when I run!

62. That I can continue to get faster as I age

63. Smile to the camera at finish line before stopping the Garmin

64. Don’t let illness or injury stop you, take the break you need and always come back!

65. To listen to your body

66. Never give up on anything and marathons keep you looking 21

67. You can be very fast in your 40s!

68. That age is just a number

69. Don’t wear thongs while running

70. You gave me motivation for my next marathon: Paris 2024

71. Courage

72. Train at a slower pace to run a faster race

73. To fuel during runs

74. Be patient

75. Don’t get discouraged when injury sidelines you. Adjust the training and trust the process.

76. How to dress in different temperatures

77. Retired dancers can run marathons!

78. How to (hopefully) treat and solve the Achilles tendinitis!!

79. Fueling strategy

80. Patience

81. To listen to my body

82. Fast foot turnover

83. That it is possible! 45 to BQ!

84. Zebra Lover

85. Excellent music taste, and your ladder speed day. It’s a favorite of mine now.

86. A lot.

87. Not to give up on your dreams. Keep working, and you can achieve them!

88. That I’m not the only one that hates running in the heat

89. Speeding up the end of some long runs, game changer.

90. Socks as sleeves. That’s an inspired idea.

91. Wait until after the finish line to hit stop on my Garmin. LOL!

92. Slow down on easy runs

93. Strength training pays off

94. Some people really love zebras!

95. Running form!

96. Good running form can look different on different people

97. Variety 

98. Success is not linear and you can still run crazy fast as a master marathoner! 

99. Sooooo so much. One thing that stands out proper fueling. Bonus: smart training = results.

100. Perseverance

101. I have early signs of Haglunds syndrome

102. Slow runs are just as important as speed work

103. Persistence

104. How to dress for cold runs

105. How to smile and run even when you are suffering lol

106. It’s ok to run slowly in training

107. Taking easy runs easy. I love your videos, the way you listen to your body, your singing.

108. Age is just a number

109. Know your boundaries! I’ve learned to listen to my body and let it lead!

110. Preparation

111. Importance of strength training

112. How to use my arms properly

113. I’m not running out of time to be a runner!

114. It’s okay for you to have a running form that isn’t “perfect” according to sites

115. That I can get better as I get older !!

116. Excellent nutrition tips

117. Strength training exercises

118. Tenacity is sexy

119. How to be good at chess

120. That your 20s can be just the beginning of many years of running PRs!

121. It’s doable

122. Running underwear is the bomb

123. This smile more while running

124. How to stay motivated when you don’t want to run any longer!

125. How to keep my arms actively involved while I run.

126. That my Achilles can be fixed. Maybe.

127. Never give up!!

128. You can keep running even with Haglund’s deformity. I have it too!

129. Hip drop

130. Never quit

131. Age doesn’t matter!!! You become stronger because you work hard for it

132. That running form is not the same for everyone, everyone has their own unique style!

133. It’s okay to not hit your goal right away. And not the only one drastically affected by heat.

134. Consistency is key.

135. You can be a badass runner in your 40’s!

136. How to stay positive and not overthink bad workouts/races.

137. Your zebra passion

138. You’re amazing!

139. You have to relax to run fast

140. It’s ok to take a break

141. You keep going. . . after a injury or illness or vacation. You get back out there! Great job!

142. Consistency

143. Fueling strategy

144. Attitude is everything

145. There many things can get better with after, especially our bodies and their abilities

146. To visualize myself while running

147. Running form- time by time during my runs I just remind myself, are you running like Elizabeth? 148. You are amazing. “Everything”.

149. Running is not always easy but keep going!

150. You don’t have to be in your 20’s to improve your pace

151. That running underwear is a controversial topic

152. So many things!! How about fueling strategies

153. Your posture during running and adding strength training in my running schedule

154. Getting older means you have more time to practice to improve your running!! You get BETTER with time

155. Run relaxed! And thumbs up

156. To listen to my body and rest when it’s ill or hurting

157. To smile a lot more when I run! 

158. Your rabbit shorts! Got some and love them!

If this were a market research project, and I was re-branding myself it would be something along the lines of: "Runner who got faster in her 40s with a positive mindset who listens to her body, fuels and dresses appropriately, loves zebras, and works hard."  I agree with that. 

Feel free to add some more!

UCAN vs. Maurten for Marathon Fueling

In my long quest to find the optimal fueling solution for my needs, I have found Maurten and UCAN to be the products that work best. How are they different? Can they be used together? Let's discuss. 

Disclaimer: These products work well for me, but each runner has unique needs. This review is based on my personal experience.

Maurten Products
I have tried all of the Maurten fueling products. They have 2 types of gels and 3 drink mixes. There are no flavors:

• Gel 100
• Gel 100 Caf 100
• Drink Mix 160
• Drink Mix 320
• Drink Mix 320 Caf 100

UCAN Products

I have tried most of the UCAN products, but the ones I will discuss are:

• UCAN Energy Powder
• UCAN Hydrate
• UCAN Edge

Hydration
Above we have 3 different gels and 5 liquids. Even though there are 5 liquids, the only product above that provides hydration with electrolytes is the UCAN Hydrate. The Maurten Drink Mix does NOT provide electrolytes. Therefore, if I am looking to carry an electrolyte drink during a training run or a marathon, I opt for UCAN Hydrate. However, if it's cold (below 45) I find that I do not need an electrolyte drink as long as I have pre-hydrated the day before.

I therefore recommend UCAN Hydrate during runs that are above 45 degrees and in the days leading up to the race. I also drink it on a daily basis just to keep my electrolytes in check in the summer months. My favorite flavors are Berry and Watermelon. 

Fueling: Differences between UCAN and Maurten
While both of these fuels are easier to digest than many other products on the market, they are very different from each other. UCAN Energy Powder uses SuperStarch, its proprietary formula for slow-release energy. The advantage to using UCAN over Maurten is that the energy is released slowly, over a long period of time and prevents spikes and crashes in blood sugar.

Maurten uses a hydrogel technology that makes the fuel super easy to digest and quickly accessible as you run. The advantage of Maurten is that it allows you to take in more calories and carbohydrates over the course of your run, which has shown to enhance performance. The more you can take in and use, the better off you will be.

Fueling for Training
For my long runs, I sometimes use Maurten and I sometimes use UCAN. One of the main training benefits of a long run is training the body to use fat for fuel and not carbs. With UCAN Energy Powder, the slow release energy doesn't overwhelm your system with carbs, so your body still gets the benefit of learning how to burn fat. Some runners do their long runs with no fuel so that they can get this fat-burning benefit. I think training with UCAN provides the same benefit. There was a direct correlation with my long runs feeling stronger and better with UCAN than before when I used Honey Stinger gels. 

I use Maurten in long runs when I want to "practice" my race fueling. I don't use UCAN Energy Powder on race day; I use Maurten gels. So it's important to train my body to digest those gels. 

When I use UCAN, I drink a full serving of the Energy Powder 30 minutes before I start. If the run is longer than 2 hours, I carry a Maurten gel with me and I take that when I have 5 miles left to go. Usually my long runs last a maximum of 2:45. If your long runs last longer, I would recommend two gels on top of the initial UCAN serving. My favorite flavor is Lemon and I have tried them all.

Now, there's also the UCAN Edge gel. I think this is probably a good product (I tried it once) but the orange flavor contains erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol that upsets my stomach. The strawberry banana flavor does not contain erythritol and I plan to experiment with that one in my next training cycle. 

Fueling: Before a Race
The Maurten Drink Mixes are excellent for drinking the evening before a race or the morning of a race. Make sure you mix it with the correct amount of water: 500ml. I don't like drinking a ton of liquid right before bed (for obvious reasons) so for a half marathon or full marathon I drink half a serving of the Drink Mix 160 the night before. The 320 might also be a good choice, but I have never done it. The difference between the two is that the 320 has 320 calories and the 160 has 160 calories. The taste is similar with the 320 being more thick. They have a light taste and they are as easy to drink as water.

No matter what the distance (5K-Marathon) I drink the Maurten Drink Mix 160 starting 3 hours before the race. For half and full marathons I end up drinking the entire serving during the 3 hours leading up to the race. I can see how the 360 or even the 360 CAF would be a good choice, but since my stomach is sensitive, I prefer to stick to the 160. I also eat an English muffin with almond butter to go along with my Maurten Drink mix.

Before discovering Maurten, I always had the UCAN Energy Powder 30 minutes before the race. This worked well until one time when it was just too much for my stomach during the Harrisburg Marathon in 2020. 

Fueling: During a Race
I once tried fueling with the Maurten Drink Mix 360 during a marathon so I wouldn't have to take as many gels. It had worked well during training and it's a good way to get in the calories easily. However, I didn't find myself to be all that energized during that marathon so I decided to abandon it for racing. It was only one time though, so I may decide in the future to go back to it. If you have problems with gels, carrying the Drink Mix 360 during your marathon would be a great solution. With 360 calories and the option to have a caffeinated version, it's solid fuel.  Here is how I fuel during races, given that I already drank my Drink Mix 160 starting 3 hours before the start.

5K and 10K: 1 Maurten Caffeinated gel about 20 minutes before the start

10 Miler: 1 Maurten Caffeinated gel about 20 minutes before the start, 1 regular Maurten gel at mile 7

Half marathon: 1 Maurten Caffeinated gel about 20 minutes after the start, 1 regular Maurten gel at mile 8

Marathon: Starting with the Caffeinated gel, alternate the two types of Maurten gels every 40 minutes. Supplement with Honey Stinger Energy chews. 

Remember, this is the fueling approach that works for me and every runner is different. Consult the official Maurten Fueling guide to see their recommendations. 

Conclusion
Both Maurten and UCAN have their place in my fueling and hydration. I use:

• UCAN Hydrate for my hydration needs
• UCAN Energy Powder for my long training runs so that my body burns fat for fuel
• The Maurten Drink Mix 160 to top of my energy stores before a race
• The Maurten gels (both Caffeinated and regular) to fuel immediately before and during a race

UCAN is a slow-release fuel with the benefit of not having to fuel as often and avoiding blood sugar spikes and crashes. Maurten is a fast-acting energy source that allows you to easily digest and use a large amount of carbs which has shown to enhance performance.

Save 10% on all UCAN products by using this link.  Or, click here for a free sample pack of UCAN and use code ECSAMPLE.

Spontaneous Marathon: Marshall University

I did something crazy and ran my marathon a week earlier than planned. Instead of running the Richmond Marathon, I ran the Marshall University Marathon in WV. Why?

As I posted about in my training recap, I have felt crappy during most of my training runs mostly due to the unseasonably warm and humid weather. Each run felt harder than it should have for the paces I was running, and I didn't have any "breakthrough" workouts. Usually in every marathon cycle I have a workout where I PR something.  Maybe it's an 800 on the track. Maybe it's my fastest 20 miler. Maybe it's my highest mileage week. Maybe it's the most reps for mile repeats. But this cycle, while my workouts were pretty good, they weren't particularly remarkable. None of them inspired confidence that I could PR.

But last week, when the weather cooled down dramatically. I noticed a change. It dropped from the mid 50s and humid to the low 40s and then into the 30s. And I felt like a whole new runner. My legs felt fresh and peppy. The extended forecast for Richmond was looking to be like most of my training runs - high 50s to low 60s and humid. Not a recipe for feeling good.

And so I decided that better weather might be more advantageous than a full taper. So, my choice was to cut a week off of my taper and get ideal weather, or have a full taper and get potentially the same weather I've had for most of my training. The weather for the Marshall University Marathon looked to be perfect and it was within driving distance (six hours) so I decided to go for it on Thursday of last week. Here is what my taper (or lack thereof) looked like:

Saturday, Oct. 30: 17.6 miles with the middle 10 at marathon pace, averaging 7:30 for the MP miles

Sunday: Oct. 31: 7 miles at 8:52 average, legs felt surprisingly peppy post long run

Monday, Nov. 1: Rest Day

Tuesday, Nov. 2: 5 x 1000m with 200m recovery jogs, 4 x 200m with 200m recovery jogs the 1000s averaged 6:30 pace, the 200s averaged 5:40 pace. Legs felt energized and fast.

Wednesday, Nov. 3: 7.3 miles easy at 8:54 average

Thursday, Nov. 4: 4 miles easy at 9:01 average. This is the day I decided I would probably do the Marshall Marathon instead of Richmond. I was originally scheduled for 9-10 miles. 

Friday, Nov. 5: Rest Day

Saturday. Nov. 6: 2.62 miles shakeout run with strides

Aside from the Saturday long run of 17.6 miles with 10 at marathon pace, this week is almost like a normal pre-marathon taper week. I had a rest day planned for Monday originally. If I had known I would be doing the marathon I probably would have backed off the Tuesday workout, but of course I didn't know that.

As I said above, I think that the benefit I would have gotten from a full taper would have been countered by warmish weather. Of course, you cannot trust a forecast 10 days out, but I didn't want to risk it. I knew that perfect weather was a sure thing for Marshall, so I went with it.

The day before the race
After my short shakeout run on Saturday morning, Greg and I left for WV. We left the house at 8:30 and the drive was projected to take 5 hours and 50 minutes. But we would be stopping for gas, lunch, and to stretch our legs. 

WV Route 48

The drive through West Virginia was gorgeous. A bit nauseating at time with lots of hills and curves and windy roads, but with the fall foliage at its peak, the reds, yellows, and oranges were stunning. There was nowhere we trusted along the way for lunch, so we packed sandwiches in a cooler and ate them in a gas station parking lot. I snacked on almond butter pretzels and drank water combined with Liquid IV. My plan was to get in as many electrolytes as possible on Friday and Saturday so I wouldn't need any electrolytes during the race. If its cool enough, I don't need electrolytes while running; pre-loading works just fine.

We arrived at packet pickup shortly after 3:00. Online registration had closed but the website said runners could register on site. I filled out a registration form and handed it to a woman behind a computer. And as she was processing it, she got an error message "application failed."  Oh great! Turns out our credit card was charged twice, but that can be easily disputed. I'm just thankful the registration went through. On the way to our hotel, we passed a hospital with workers on strike outside of it. There were about 25 workers with signs. I don't think I have ever seen workers on strike, so now I can say I have.

For dinner, we went to Rocco's Ristorante, which had been recommended to me by my friend Chad, who

had run the race three years ago. I had spaghetti with marinara sauce and chicken. Very bland. Also bread and a plain salad that consisted of iceberg lettuce, a tomato and an onion. 

After dinner, it was time for a course preview. We drove a good portion of the course, but we were not able to preview the gravel section by car, obviously. I knew that miles 7, 8, 9 and 21, 22, and 23 were on a gravel section. It was a two-loop course so at least I would know what to expect in the second loop. The course looked to be flat (particularly for WV) with a several short but steep hills. It would start at the Marshall University Stadium and then go two loops, finishing on the football field.

When we got back to our hotel, I had about half a serving of the Maurten Drink Mix 160. I didn't want to drink the full serving because that's a lot of liquid before bed! But the drink mix has easily digestible carbs and was a good way to top off carb stores as opposed to overloading on spaghetti.

Race Morning
I slept about as well as I normally do in a hotel the night before the race. I went to bed at 8:40 and woke up about 3 hours later. I was up for half an hour, and then slept for maybe 3 more hours. And then I was up for good, despite my best efforts to fall back asleep. 

The race started at 7:00 which meant I wanted to be done with breakfast by 5:00. Thankfully, it was daylight savings time, so I had an extra hour. I had an English muffin (un-toasted because there was no toaster) with almond butter. It wasn't at all satisfying and I wasn't hungry for it, but I ate it anyway. I also made another full serving of the Maurten Drink Mix 160 and drank that throughout the morning, finishing at 6:45. I could have opted for the Maurten Drink Mix 360 (which would have been more calories and carbs) but I didn't want to press my luck with my sensitive stomach.

I got dressed in my outfit which matched the Marshall University colors: green and white. And my shoes, the Adios Pro 2, were also a perfect match! I wrapped my water bottle in KT tape, and then zebra print duck tape. Why? My hands go numb in the cold and even with a gloved hand, that water bottle gets too cold to hold quickly. So the KT tape created a barrier between the cold bottle and my hand. The zebra duck tape ensured that everything stayed in place - I wasn't sure if the KT tape would start to fall off without something that had a stronger seal. Credit goes to Greg for the KT tape idea and to my coach Angela for the zebra duck tape idea. 

I also used my vibrating Hyperice massage ball on my glutes to get them activated. Doing this before the run helps bring awareness to the area and gets those muscles ready to work. 

It was a 10-minute drive to the race and parking was super easy. We parked in the stadium parking lot and the start line was about a quarter mile from where we parked. Greg waited in the car while I found a porta potty line to wait in. I waited for about 15 minutes, which is on the longer side, but thankfully I had the time to spare. It was only 30 degrees at this point, but I had pants and a jacket over my shorts and tank.

Pre-race warm up

After the porta potty, I went back to the car, ditched my pants (but kept the jacket) and told Greg I was ready for him to get out of the car. I ran around the start line area for about 7 minutes to keep warm and get the legs moving. Then I lined up at the start line and handed Greg my jacket. I was now wearing shorts, a tank, and arm sleeves. Zebra socks to match my zebra water bottle!

The weather gets a 10/10 on my race weather scale. 30 degrees at the start line, warming to 45 by the finish. Clear with fog, winds at 1-2 mph. 

Goals and Strategy
My main goal was to have a race in which I paced it well, didn't bonk and felt good. My past three marathons have had major slow downs at the end and I wanted to break that cycle. I thought a PR would be possible if I had a good day (Sub 3:15) but certainly wasn't a given.

I was at my lifetime fittest last spring as evidenced by some of the workouts I did and my tune-up race. I was confident I was in shape for 3:10 or faster but I ended up with 3:19:30 at the Two Rivers Marathon. I think it was a combination of the fact that I actually injured my adductor during that race, I was slightly overtrained with an extra-long training cycle, and I had an off day. So my goal here, if I didn't PR, was to beat that 3:19:30 and have a faster time to submit for Boston. Not that I was worried about getting in with a cushion of over 20 minutes, but I wanted a low bib number!

So the plan was to start in the 7:30s and see how I felt. I thought it was possible for my average pace to be as fast as 7:20, and I would have been disappointed if it was slower than 7:38, meaning I didn't beat my spring marathon.

Fueling
Fueling was a big focus for me with this marathon, probably more so than any other marathon. Even though I didn't have digestive distress during my spring marathon, I felt like I didn't have enough energy at the end. My stomach rejected the gels I tried to give it later in the race. Here is the plan I came up with:

Maurten 160 Drink mix gradually throughout the 2 hours leading up to the race
Sipping from my water bottle every 20 minutes (no electrolytes, just water)
Alternating between a Maurten Gel and 2 honey stinger chews every 20 minutes:
0:20 2 chews
0:40 Maurten caffeinated gel
1:00 2 chews
1:20 Maurten regular gel
1:40 2 chews
2:00 Maurten caffeinated gel
2:20 2 chews 
2:40 Maurten regular gel

Miles 1-6
The race started and WOW did I feel amazing! I was so happy with how easy it felt. It felt like my easy pace but I was in the 7:40s to start! That cold, crisp weather was exactly what I needed. We started by going around the outside of the stadium. At the back end of the stadium was a steep downhill made of uneven bricks. I definitely had to work to stabilize here and I had to watch my footing. For the second loop, we would go around the stadium in the other direction, meaning this brick portion would be uphill. I made a mental note of that.

Mile 2.5: zebra socks & water bottle

I saw Greg at mile 2.5, which was close to the start line (we had made an extended loop around the stadium). He snapped photos and wished me well. I was feeling amazing and I kept having to reel myself in. I couldn't believe how easy these 7:20s felt! I knew that I had absolutely made the right choice with this marathon. I felt so much better than my previous three marathons: 

• CIM had been ridiculously humid. 
• At Harrisburg I had been nauseous from the very start.
• Two Rivers had felt stale. 

I just needed a "good day" and this was my good day! Or at least I hoped it would be and all signs were pointing to that during the first 6 miles. As we got further away from the stadium, starting at about mile 4, we encountered a very thick fog. I liked it, because I would prefer that to sunshine. But I could only see about 20 feet in front of me. It was surreal. Thankfully there was another runner that I could follow otherwise I would just be running into a cloud of nothing and uncertain if I was on the right course!

My first Maurten gel went down easy. The biggest challenge was using my numb hands to get the gel out of my fuel belt and open it with my teeth. Even though I had already pre-cut it, it was still hard to open with numb hands. And then it took me forever to get the fuel belt to sit properly around my waist again. It kept riding up.

Mile 1: 7:41
Mile 2: 7:31
Mile 3: 7:24
Mile 4: 7:20
Mile 5: 7:20

Mile 6: 7:27

Miles 7-13
I knew to expect gravel here, but I didn't expect the section to be as challenging as it was. My PR of 3:15 was set on a course that is 70% gravel, so I figured it would be like that. Plus, it was only 3 miles of gravel with each loop, which was much less than my PR marathon. What made this section hard was:

• The gravel miles were net uphill
  
• There were fallen leaves in places which were extra slippery
  
• I couldn't run straight because I had to weave around super leafy sections
  
• The course goes off the gravel, onto the road for very short bits, and then back onto the gravel, which stole momentum. This was a "tease" and happened about 3 times.
  
• It was a twisty and curvy in places and was hard to get into a good momentum with good rhythm

I could see the 3:15 pace group about 30-45 seconds ahead but now wasn't the time to try and catch them. Instead there was one other runner who was holding steady at an effort level that felt appropriate for me, so I let him lead the way. It was also helpful to follow his foot path through the trail as he was also avoiding the slippery parts.

I saw my paces slow on my Garmin but I didn't let it discourage me. I vowed to speed up once we were off the gravel. And yes, I felt so much better once we were off the gravel. I had my momentum and my rhythm back, but it wasn't as amazingly easy the first 6 miles. The 3 net up hill gravel miles had taken a toll on my legs so I had to work harder to hit my paces. 

After my 1:20 water sip, I tossed my bottle. It was still half full and I hadn't drunk much from it, but continuing to carry it felt like an effort and I needed the boost of not having to hold anything. I figured I could use water stops for the rest of my hydration. Also, based on experience, I know that when it's in the 30s and I have pre-hydrated, I don't need much water during a full marathon.

Mile 7: 7:25
Mile 8: 7:32
Mile 9: 7:43

Mile 10: 7:23

Mile 11: 7:17
Mile 12: 7:30
Mile 13: 7:26

Miles 14-19
I crossed the halfway point at 1:38:xx. This is from memory as the results do not yet include our split times. So I was on track for a 3:16-3:17. I felt decent but not good enough to be confident in a negative split, which is what would have been required for a PR. So I adjusted to my "B" time goal of beating my Two Rivers Marathon time for the spring. 

I saw Greg shortly after the halfway point. I wanted to throw my annoying fuel belt off to him because by this point I had taken both gels from it and it was empty. After trying to unclip it with numb hands, I realized I could just remove it by sliding it off over my head. I was still hanging with the guy from the gravel section. We were leap frogging a bit, and it was nice to not be alone. The half marathoners had turned off and I was happy that this guy was in the full.

Mile 15.2

Then it was time for the bumpy brick road again. It was a short section but it was a steep uphill. I repeated over and over again "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" until I made it up to the top. Once I did, I knew it would be smooth sailing until the gravel portion again. 

And it was. It was nice to know what to expect for the second loop and even though I had to really work for my paces, I felt like I could sustain it for a while more. I saw Greg again at about mile 15.2. I threw my arm warmers off to him because the temperature was starting to rise. It was still only about 39 at this point, and I would have been happy to have my arm warmers for another mile or two, but this would be my last chance to throw them off before the finish.

At this point, I could see runners in the other direction who were in their 11th mile. These runners cheered for me so loudly and I was very appreciative. 

My third gel at 2:00 didn't go down so well. I ate it in small "bites". The first two bites went down okay. I had to hold the gel in my mouth until I was confident in my ability to keep it down. But as soon as I put the third bite into my mouth, I spit it right back out. So I am guessing I had about 2/3 of that gel, as the last bit made the packet nearly empty. I am not sure why I slowed down so much during the 19th mile. There was one of those short but steep uphills but it was still on the road surface. I think I went up the hill pretty slowly and then failed to speed up post-hill to compensate for it.

Mile 14: 7:26
Mile 15: 7:32
Mile 16: 7:32
Mile 17: 7:35
Mile 18: 7:29
Mile 19: 7:51

Miles 20-23
I had no idea how well I'd be able to keep it together on gravel section part 2. I told myself to stay positive no matter what and not to get annoyed with the gravel. I told myself to not use it as an excuse to stop pushing and that I would fight my way through that gravel. Thankfully, my original gravel buddy was still with me! 

I had passed about 2 runners shortly before the gravel section and nobody had passed me. I had no idea what place I was with regards to other women. I hadn't seen any other women since around mile 4. I think the race only had 79 females, so this makes sense. I figured that no matter what happened, I would probably at least maintain my place in the female field.

The gravel started again and posed all the same challenges as the first time only I wasn't as fresh. My hamstrings started to hurt at around mile 21 and they became the limiting factor. Usually it's not my hamstrings that hurt in marathons-- it's my quads or hips. So I am guessing the hamstring thing is from using extra effort to toe-off the gravel. 

Unfortunately, my gravel pal stopped to chat with some spectators early on during the gravel portion, so I was now alone. I was hoping he would catch up to me but he never did. I'm pretty sure I passed 1-2 runners during the gravel section but it's hard to remember.

Mentally I was doing okay. I wish I had told myself to give more on the gravel. I think I was physically capable of pushing harder through the gravel but the "you're doing fine just keep going at this effort" mindset was much stronger. I was still on track to be well under my 3:19:30 so I wasn't super motivated to go any harder on the gravel than I was. My hamstrings hurt and I felt like I was doing good just making it through in the 7:40s.

I decided to take my 2:40 gel at around 2:35. Because I had spit up the last portion of the 2:00 gel, I was doubtful that this gel would go down. My strategy was to gradully "sip" it over the course of 5 minutes. Amazingly, this approach worked and I was able to get the entire gel down. Since my legs were hurting, I wasn't pushing the pace as hard as I had been at 2:00, so my body was more able to digest the gel. 

Mile 20: 7:42
Mile 21: 7:48
Mile 22: 8:05

Mile 23: 7:55

Miles 24- Finish
Now that I was done with the slowest portion of the course, I gave it everything I had to get to the finish. I told myself I only had 20 minutes to go and that I could tolerate 20 minutes of pushing hard. I sped back up to a pace of 7:24 for mile 24 (of course, this makes me think I really could have gone faster in the gravel). During the 25th mile, a man flew past me at lightening speed. He must have been going 7:00 or faster. He had so much pep! I knew I wouldn't be able to stick with him, but I made it a goal to keep him in my line of sight. Mile 25 was 7:33, which I was super happy about. Usually mile 25 is my slowest mile of the marathon. I'm really glad I was able to get that final gel down because I had a really good amount of energy.

Mile 26 was annoying. We ran through campus and this meant varying types of sidewalk surfaces, on and off curbs, around around little circles. Think of it as a pedestrian traffic circle where you can't go straight, you have to go around to go straight. There were 3 of these and they were momentum killing. I had a good amount of energy and I just wanted to cruise but kept having to pump the breaks. I was still able to run a split of 7:30. 

My heart sunk a little when I reached mile marker 26, but my Garmin had beeped for 26 a while back. I had failed to run good tangents. And this meant I wouldn't be running a 3:17 and would have to fight for a 3:18.

At mile marker 26, we entered the stadium and ran down a very steep hill. I had to slow down on this hill to avoid falling. At the bottom, they handed me a football, which I knew to expect. I hated having to slow down to grab it because I was fighting for precious seconds here, but it made me happy to have it. At first, I had no idea what to do with the football. I held it in both hands but quickly realized that wasn't going to work. I had to run down the field one way, turn around, and back up the field to the finish line with it. This series of photos says it all:

So I finally figured out how to best carry the football after trying a few different positions. I ended up running 26.34 miles according to my Garmin and that final 0.34 had an average pace of 7:10. Pretty good considering I had to slow on the steep downhill, get a football, and figure out how to carry the football. All after running 26 miles. 

The Finish
I crossed the finish line and the clock read 3:19:01, and I was happy because I knew I had started a few seconds after the gun went off. I stopped my Garmin and it read 3:19:00. And of course, this was not an immediate stop of the Garmin as I had a football in one hand. Why does this matter? Because the race does not yet have our chip times published. My gun time is published as 3:19:03, and I definitely stopped my Garmin at least 2-3 seconds after crossing due to the football.  

Edited to add: My official chip time is 3:18:57.

3:19:02 on clock, hoping for 3:18:xx chip!

Even if getting that football did cost me a few seconds, it was worth it for the experience. Also, Strava has my
26.2 time as 3:18:04, so I am pretty bummed about my inability to run good tangents. I tried my best, but on the gravel, I had to go where it was the least slippery and was not running straight. 

After crossing the finish line, I got my medal, and walked to a section on the football field where I could sit down. But before sitting down I dry heaved a few times. Some spit came out, but it wasn't a significant vomit. It felt amazing to lie down on the football field and be done. This was my 30th marathon!

I found out that I won the female master's race and placed 5th out of 79 women. My first top 5 marathon finish! My award was a football made out of glass by a local glass artist. Pretty cool!

Later in the day Greg and I had lunch in Ohio and dinner in Kentucky. We had to take advantage of being in the WV/OH/KY intersection!  I had never been to Kentucky, so I was able to cross another "state I've visited" off my list. And this WV race adds another state to my resume as well.

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
Overall I'm happy with how this race went. Part of me wonders if I will ever beat my marathon PR of 3:15:34. Now that I am 42 (turning 43 on Thursday) will I continue to slow down and have to deal with more injuries? I definitely need a flat course and very cool temps to PR, and there are only a few years left to do it, with 2 marathons per year, at most. So I might have to be content with 3:15:34 being my lifetime fastest, but I'll keep trying regardless.

My overall feeling about this race is that it was a huge success in terms of nailing my fueling and feeling energized throughout. I was not fully tapered but yet I still ran faster than I did in the spring when I was in much better shape. This gives me a faster time to use for my Boston registration with a buffer of 21 minutes or more. 

I think I wasn't as fit for this marathon as I was for my previous 3-4 marathons because I didn't incorporate enough speed. I am going to talk to my coach about having a few more VO2 max workouts. Shorter, faster intervals.  I am naturally strong with endurance, but I am not gifted when it comes to speed. And I think that in my 40s, I need the really fast stuff to stay sharp. Every training cycle is a learning "experiment" so I don't regret this, and I had specifically asked my coach for more marathon pace work. 

I'm thankful that my Achilles behaved and that my groin injury was not an issue. And today both of those feel decent. 

My coach asked me what I learned and what would I have done differently:

What I learned

• I now have a fueling strategy that works. The combination of gels and chews and the timing was great. In warmer weather, I would likely need to have an electrolyte strategy, but this was great for cold weather.
• I would rather have cold weather and a shortened taper than warm weather and a proper taper
• Just because you have a few slower miles in the middle of a marathon doesn't mean your race is over; you can speed back up to where you were before.
• Even though I had run 17.6 miles with 10 at marathon pace just 8 days before the race, I was still able to run a really strong marathon

What I would have done differently

• I needed to be bolder and more aggressive during the second gravel section. My hamstrings were hurting and my mental state was "just hang onto this effort" and I think I could have had a mindset of "be bold, show some grit, give it everything you have." Without a PR on the line, I lacked the motivation I needed to give more. The fact that I sped up so much on the road afterwards shows I had more in the tank than what I was giving.
• Tangents. On the one hand, I didn't have much of a choice when it came to the gravel section as I didn't want to slip, but on the other hand 26.34 miles on the Garmin for a course that wasn't crowded and didn't have a ton of turns was not ideal.
• Hills. There weren't that many of them, but I allowed myself to slow down substantially on them. If I had it to do over again, I would have worked harder there. 

I'm definitely glad I ran the Marshall University Marathon instead of waiting an extra week for Richmond. I seized the opportunity to have great weather, and I really enjoyed the experience. It was my second fastest marathon out of 30 even though I wasn't as fit as I have been for previous marathons. Finishing with the football in the stadium was fun, and it was a memorable experience.

Let's Talk About Food

On Instagram, my followers frequently ask me about my eating habits and nutrition. I have answered this question so many times that I figured I should write a blog post with all the details.

Why I rarely post about food
While I often write about my race nutrition strategy, I almost never talk about my typical "diet" or eating habits. This is somewhat intentional and somewhat not. It's not intentional because the topic of food is not all that interesting to me and I'd rather talk about my training. It is intentional because I don't really have a plan or guidelines I follow that I think are worthy of being shared.

In my early 20's, I developed anorexia. I restricted my calories down to about 800-1200 per day and then I also burned about 600 of those at the gym. It had nothing to do with being thin or my physical appearance. I was simply trying to eat more healthfully and all the articles I read in SHAPE and other magazines told me that the fewer calories the better. I received a free body fat assessment at my gym and even though I was at a healthy weight, I was told that my body fat was too high.

I could write many, many blog posts on eating disorders, but that is in my past and I have little interest in it now. I gradually recovered in my mid to late 20s as I got into long-distance running. This shifted my focus away from food and weight and towards training for a goal. Much of the anorexia was driven by perfectionism and the desire to achieve, and I'd be lying if I said that I didn't bring that same mentality towards my running initially.

It wasn't until my mid 30s when I started working with a sports psychologist (which I have blogged about extensively and written a book about) that I truly freed myself from perfectionism and addressed the other issues that were fueling the eating disorder. The two therapists I saw when I was in the depths of my anorexia were not at all helpful and likely did more harm than good.

Because I was obsessed with food, nutrition, calories, and weight for many years, I no longer have an interest in it and so it's not something I talk about on my Instagram or in this blog. 

My mindset regarding food
It's pretty simple: I eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm full. I try to eat healthy foods by having them around the house, but not everything needs to be healthy. I obey my cravings, especially for sweets, so I am by no means the model of perfect nutrition. I snack frequently. I have breakfast, lunch and dinner. I sometimes eat out. I don't track/monitor/record my food intake like I did in my early 20s. I rarely weigh myself (maybe once a month). I don't try to gain weight or lose weight. I don't follow any specific diet or plan. 

Overall, I grade nutrition a "B". Some days a B+ and other days a B-.  It's pretty good but it definitely could be better. I could eat more fruits and vegetables. I could limit my sugar intake. But I'd rather have a healthy mindset about food instead of being super rigid. 

Dietary restrictions
While I don't have a ton of rules around food, there are plenty of foods I avoid for various reasons:

• Beef and Pork. I eliminated these at the onset of my eating disorder and never added them back in because they simply don't appeal to me. 
• "Impossible" meat. I once had one of those synthetic burgers and it tasted way too much like a normal burger, which grosses me out. And it did not sit well in my stomach for the following 3 hours.
• Heavy cream sauces. I am slightly lactose intolerant and Alfredo sauces or mac 'n cheese cause me major digestive distress. I once had a whole milk latte by mistake and that was very painful. I eat ice cream in small portions and I'm generally ok, but not always.
• Spicy foods + pepper. Yes, even table pepper burns my mouth. I have been trying to work on this. I can do horseradish but crushed red pepper makes me cough and I'm super sensitive to Asian spices. If a restaurant coats my fish in pepper (but I didn't ask them not to) I have to eat around the pepper. 
• Hazelnut. Makes me nauseous just thinking about it. I must be the only person in the world who will not go near Nutella.

My eating schedule
I wakeup at around 5:00-5:30 and I am not hungry. I start running between 6:30-7:15 depending on the season, and I do not eat before I run. If I am running a workout that has 5 or more miles of speed, then I have half a scoop of UCAN energy powder. This usually only happens during marathon training. For long runs, the same holds true, although now I am experimenting with Maurten as opposed to UCAN. 

They say that you are supposed to have protein shortly after a hard workout but I typically am not hungry. Running suppresses my appetite and I usually don't want anything to eat until about an hour after I finish my run, which is about 9:00. If I run an extraordinarily hard workout and put a major strain on my body, I have some cottage cheese immediately afterward for a quick dose of protein to help in recovery.

I usually have a small snack between my 9:00 breakfast and my 12:00 lunch. Then I will snack once or twice after lunch before having dinner at around 6:30. I usually have some form of dessert at 7:30 and then I am done eating. 

I recently realized that this means I do not eat for about 14 hours, between 7:30pm and 9:00am, and this is what they tell you do in intermittent fasting. It's supposed to be good for you, but I don't know how much I believe that. My dinner is usually pretty big, I don't wake up hungry, and then running suppresses my appetite, so it's just a matter of not wanting food during that 14-hour stretch. I never get hungry while running, and I can't imagine wanting food while running. 

Rarely, I have to use the bathroom mid-run and I hate it when that happens. I won't need to go to the bathroom before the run, but suddenly my stomach will hurt and if I don't find a bathroom within 15 minutes I am in big trouble. Thankfully I know where they are around my most common routes. Thankfully this hasn't happened recently but it can happen as often as twice per month. Our track has porta-potties which I have definitely taken advantage of.

Breakfast
My most common breakfasts are:

• Bagel with cream cheese or butter
• Cottage cheese with nuts (Friendship brand lowfat cottage cheese)
• Steel cut oats
• Cream of wheat
• Grits
• Smoothie made with frozen fruit, soy milk and yogurt (in the summer)
• Yogurt and granola (Siggi's brand of yogurt)
• Yogurt and fruit
• Hard boiled eggs
• Kodiak Cakes pancakes (usually on the weekends)

Lunch
My most common lunches are:

• Turkey and cheese sandwich with tomato and avocado on whole wheat bread
• Tuna melt on whole wheat bread
• Pizza, usually topped with chicken and veggies
• "Bowl" from Cava (mediterranean) or Moe's (Mexican)
• Poke Bowl
• Soup with a side of crackers or bread - I like chicken noodle and minestrone
• Salad with some kind of protein (tofu, chicken, egg and/or turkey)
• Leftovers from last night's dinner

Dinner

Greg cooks dinner in our house and there are a few meals that we eat regularly, like 2-3 times per month. Typically we aim for a protein, a vegetable, and a carb. We love getting freshly baked bread and having that as an appetizer with a gourmet cheese. Here are the meals we eat frequently:

• Turkey burgers with tomato and avocado

  

  Greg making eggplant parm

• Chicken thighs: either baked or on the grill with a side of veggies
• Baked fish: salmon, halibut, and rockfish are most common with a side of veggies
• Scallops with a side of spinach and/or fennel
• Chicken parm or eggplant parm
• Pasta with ground turkey meat balls
• Shrimp scampi
• Mushroom risotto
• Oven-baked turkey or chicken, usually with a side of butternut squash
• Chicken stir fry with mushrooms, peppers, onions, and broccoli
• Chili made with ground turkey, topped with light sour cream and cheese
• Homemade chicken noodle soup with veggies
• Pasta with chicken, spinach, sun-dried tomato in pesto sauce (common before long runs)
• Pasta with ground turkey and tomato basil sauce
• Crab cakes or crab legs

Common vegetables accompanying our dinners are Cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, peppers, squash, fennel, leeks

Cottage cheese, mango, dolmas

Dessert
I often have dessert after dinner which is typically something we bought from the grocery store like a pie or cake. Cookies and ice cream are also common.

Snacks
As I mentioned above, I snack a lot. Common snacks that I keep in the house, or that I used to bring to work when I went into the office:

• Trail mix
• Mixed nuts
• Cottage cheese
• Pretzels, chips or crackers, sometimes with a dip
• Granola
• Fruit (apples, grapefruit, mangos, strawberries, grapes)
• Olives
• Cheese
• Cookies
• Dark chocolate bar (not the whole thing, just a few pieces) 

Beverages
I mostly drink water because it's easily available and I need to stay hydrated for my runs. Here are some other things I drink:

• Decaf latte made with soy milk or coconut milk, usually flavored. I probably have 3-4 of these per week with my breakfast. There is a Peet's and a Starbucks very close to my house and I alternate. I

  

  Lemon martini at a fancy restaurant

  don't want to become caffeine dependent so I make it decaf always. 
• Caffeine-free tea, during the workday or at night before bed. I love lavender and camomile.
• Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice: I've really gotten into this over the past six months. I get it from the grocery store and it's a good way to replenish calories in a healthy and refreshing way.
• Soda. I usually have 1 soda per week. I love a Pepsi or a Dr. Pepper after my long run! When I worked in an office and soda was free, I had one almost every day. I'm glad I cut back.
• Alcoholic beverages. If we go out to a nice dinner I typically order a mixed drink. One of the sugary ones! I rarely drink wine because I don't like the way it makes me feel. I drink beer more than any other alcoholic beverage. I like craft beers and I have one with dinner several times per week. Usually I have about 3/4 of the beer which is enough to satisfy me without making me tipsy.

Dining out & ordering in
Greg and I do not eat out nearly as much as we used to, but we still do on occasion. In an average week, we cook 5 meals, and the other two are takeout/delivery or going out. We have sushi a few times per month and have Thai food delivered about once a month. 

When we go out to eat, we usually order an appetizer and/or dessert, plus the main course. I typically order fish, seafood, or chicken. I absolutely love French fries, so I treat myself when we go out! I'm a picky dessert eater in that I do not like tiramisu, anything hazelnut, whipped cream, or cheesecake. Nor do I like the chocolate/peanut butter combo. I go for ice cream, cakes, and pies. Greg and I always share the dessert. 

Post-race and post long-run
As I said above, I usually do not want to eat anything until at least an hour after I am done running. Sometimes as long as two hours. I always follow my cravings, and my most common cravings for after the run are:

• Tacos
• Pizza
• Pepsi or Dr. Pepper
• Chicken fingers/fried chicken sandwich

So. . . that's it! Nothing too complicated or fancy. I tend to think that I'm a generally healthy eater who enjoys her daily (or twice daily) dose of sweets. I will say that being married to Greg has helped a lot. I don't know how to cook most things, and when I was single I lived on boca burgers, veggie nuggets, and cereal.