Forums >Running 101>Marathon fueling
Consistently Slow
How much fluid do you consume in a marathon?The numbers I am getting are 20- 30 oz / 591-887 mil per hour. 75 -112 oz / 2216 -3303mi for 3:45:00 run. 2L hydration pack / 67.6 oz should be empty before mile 20( 22 oz per hour /3 hours). I doubt I have ever come close to those numbers.
Will run 17 tomorrow with hydration pack and attempt to empty it before the finish line.
Run until the trail runs out.
SCHEDULE 2016--
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
http://bkclay.blogspot.com/
Good Bad & The Monkey
Depends on the weather.
I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.
Poor baby
Feeling the growl again
+1. If it's in the 50s or below, not a ton. If it's above 70, there's no way to get enough in.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Although I only ran 14 today in 2 hrs. 5 min in 60 degree weather, I consumed approx. 15 oz.
What Trent and Spaniel said.
Did an 18 miler the other day at 74 degrees. Drank 32 oz on the run plus came back 5 lbs lighter.
Did two 20 miles last year where I did not drink anything on the run. But the temperature was 60 degrees at the start and dropping. Also, I was well hydrated at the start.
Thing is, the question was about *fueling*. Yeah, hydration is a function of weather, but fueling, not so much.
To me your numbers look reasonable for fueling, assuming you are drinking Gatorade. At Boston they serve Gatorade Endurance every mile (now starting at mile 2). I tend to drink it at about 2/3 of the aid stations, just for fueling. That adds up to maybe 80 oz.
At most other courses you will get an energy drink maybe every 2 miles at best, often less. And increasingly, races are serving carb-free "electrolyte" drinks instead -- which seems the height of insanity to me. For such races (e.g., Portland, CIM), there's no choice but to carry a lot of gels. Or do what I do, boycott them.
15 Marathons/ ultras. I get the weather thing. How do you think a lack of fueling has affected your performances? I general hit each water stop up to mile 15. I seldom catch back up to the original pack. The goal is not to lose sight of the pacer. The reason I plan to carry the hydration pack. I have only raced 2 of the 15.
Personally, humping a hydration pack would hold me back more than water stops. Ultra yes, depending on the circumstances, marathon never.
4 GUs always did the trick for me: 1 in the corral about 15 minutes before the start then 1 each at ~7mi, ~14mi, ~21mi.
As for hydration, I have no idea. It's hard to tell how much is in those little cups anyway. I just grabbed a cup if Iwas thirsty, or if I needed to wash down a gu.
Runners run
Thing is, the question was about *fueling*.
Title was about fueling, but the post was about hydration. If the post was about fueling (i.e., calories), then volume means nothing unless you know the calorie concentration. But the words in the post were all about volume, not calories (e.g., "fluid", "hydration", "oz").
Title, yes. But then he turned around and asked:
How much fluid do you consume in a marathon?The numbers I am getting are 20- 30 oz / 591-887 mil per hour. 75 -112 oz / 2216 -3303mi for 3:45:00 run. 2L hydration pack / 67.6 oz should be empty before mile 20( 22 oz per hour /3 hours). I doubt I have ever come close to those numbers. Will run 17 tomorrow with hydration pack and attempt to empty it before the finish line.
Either way, I think far too many people over-think this waaaaaaay too much. In fact, Clay, for a 4-hour marathon in a cool autumn day, I would not worry too much about hydration at all. The purpose of hudration, mainly but not exclusively, is to cool your body. You can do a far better job by dumping water over your body.
I don't think there's any set formula or answer. My wife doesn't like heat. She has suffered from it before; so she takes sips along the way. I don't. I hardly take ANY water stop during my long runs (granted, it's "only" 2~3 hours). I don't think my lack of taking fluid during the run/marathon hurt me much--when I get hit, it's usually with other reasons.
I would ask YOU a question; if you don't take as much fluid, what would happen? Would you suffer from it? If not, why bother?
Now, fueling is another matter. I would munch on peanut butter and honey sandwitch the day before my long run if I felt my shape is not up to par (I like to add peanut butter because it seems to settle meartburn from honey alone)...or extra honey in my tea or something. I never take GU or anything during the run and I don't think it hurt me any at all. Again, during the race is another matter. I might take some sort of energy "fuel" during the long races for assurance more than anything. It seems to have helped but, if training had gone well, usually I wouldn't bother. It seems, to me, the more ready I am, the less I'd worry about it.
The bottom line; it is the training part that'll get you to the finish line better. If the training part is inadequate, no amount of fluid or fuel will get you to the finish line the way you'd want it.
Title, yes. But then he turned around and asked: Either way, I think far too many people over-think this waaaaaaay too much. In fact, Clay, for a 4-hour marathon in a cool autumn day, I would not worry too much about hydration at all. The purpose of hudration, mainly but not exclusively, is to cool your body. You can do a far better job by dumping water over your body.
I'll have to respond with a note of caution. On a warmish day in 4 hours there are a lot of people that will get into real serious trouble if they don't drink a lot. I don't know how Nobby is able to predict months in advance that the autumn day is going to be cool: weather is variable and you can get unlucky. Even 70F at race effort will dehydrate most people down to where they will be in real physical trouble if they don't drink.
So if there is a possibility that you may have to drink a fair amount on race day, IMO you're foolish if you don't practice how to be fairly good at it.
As far as fuelling is concerned, I've always said that the first 10-15 miles of a marathon should be held down to a comfortable pace. And if you're hanging out at that moderate effort, you might as well eat.
I said don't over-think; I didn't say not to think at all. To me, worrying about how many ounces of fluid you should take per hour is over-thinking. Not to take any water because some on-line stranger suggested even if the weather condition is 85 degrees, that's simply not thinking.
Actually, you nailed my point exactly. Why worry about how much to drink when you have no idea what the weather is going to be like months in advance. Spend that effort into preparing you better than worrying about how much hydration is a perfect formula.
Thanks for responses. Did 17 miles today. Easy run. Garmin keep beeping for me to slow down.
3- 8 miles 9:04 -10:07 9-16 miles 8:07 - 9:50. Feeling good. Decide to do hilly course the last 5 miles.
Mile 4 was 10:50 because some ahole hit me with a cup of soda. Did not get a tag number.
Run with the hydration pack. Will not use it for the race. It was more annoying than the benefits it would give.Will carry a hand held.
Tent is correct. I should have posted marathon fueling / hydration.
St Charles ,IL 45 miles west of Chicago. Average weather 48 -72. Last year 53 -66. Sept 18.
Run with the hydration pack. Will not use it for the race. It was more annoying than the benefits it would give.
That was my experience when I tried it too.