<p class="quote" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #993366;">“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed…Every morning a lion wakes up, it knows it must outrun than the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter if you are a lion or a gazelle… When the sun comes up you’d better be running”</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TJXLDlAkIQw" height="315" width="420" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>

<h2><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>My method has three defined stages;</strong></span></h2>
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[button text="1. The Free Falling Running Method" link="/phase1/"]
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	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">3 unique sessions</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Running form analysis</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Education for improved running economy</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Re-program your technique</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Practice with drills &amp; skills</span></li>
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[button text="<strong>2. Intensity</strong>" link="/phase2/"]
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	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Assess current conditioning</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Calculate efficient training intensity</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Education on Zone training</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Define goals</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Test progress regularly</span></li>
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[button text="<strong>3. Personally Designed Plan</strong>" link="/phase3/"]
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	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Consider lifestyle, history &amp; interests</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Armed with objective test results</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Periodised monthly programs</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Defined order of development</span></li>
	<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Training mind &amp; body</span></li>
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<div><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1194" alt="stage1img" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/stage1img.png" width="220" height="258" /></div>
<div><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1195" alt="stage2img" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/stage2img.png" width="220" height="258" /></div>
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&nbsp;
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<h1><span style="color: #000080;"><b>PAMPY’S POST </b><b>25.14</b></span><b> </b><b>– <span style="color: #3366ff;">THE MARATHON</span> </b></h1>
Morning Team,

On July 6th I will be supporting 14 of BP team members who will be running the Gold Coast Marathon – of which 9 will be covering the distance for the first time!  Given their commitment to their preparation, I believe they will ALL meet their goals – and beyond.  So today’s post is a guide for “Race Day”.

But first...

In 490 BC a Greek Soldier ‘Pheidippides’ ran from the battle town of Marathon, to the city<a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/phid.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1516 alignright" alt="phid" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/phid.jpg" width="209" height="197" /></a> of Athens, to inform the town folk of a Greek victory.  The distance was 24.85 miles (40km).  After he shouted, “niki!” (victory) for a third time he keeled over and died!

The first modern Olympics in Greece (1896) the marathon event traced Pheidippides footsteps.  It was won by Spiridon Louis representing Greece in a time of 2.58 (4.27 pace @ 13.5kph). He was handed red wine for refreshments and shortly after, keeled over and died!

In 1900 and searing 40 degree heat, made it tough going for the 7 of 13 who finished the ‘blue riband’ Olympic event.  Frenchman Michel Theato won in a time of 2.59.47.  He lived, but he never ran again! C’est merde!

When the Olympics moved to London in 1908 the race started from the grounds of <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-111.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1517 alignright" alt="run 111" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-111-300x196.jpg" width="300" height="196" /></a>Windsor castle.  As the runners started the race, it was brought to the attention of organisers that the King had made it clear the race was to finish in front of the Royal box at White City Stadium – which was another 2.2kms away from the original finish.  So mid race they added another 2.2kms – can you friggin believe it!  The distance was changed to 42.2km forever.  So we have the Pommies to thank for those wretched last 2.2 clicks!  Even still, the race was won in record time by American Johnny Hayes (2.55.18) – who ran the last 1km in just over 11minutes due to severe cramping.  He also packed it in and took up golf.

Before I discuss <b>WHY </b>we do it, here are some quick pointers for race day.

<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">3 days before race</span></b> – relax!  No; you don’t have a cold or need to avoid all human contact. No; your Achilles is just fine.  No; you haven’t sabotaged your race because you only sleep 6.2 hours last night. AND you most certainly don’t need to log another 27kms in training!  There is no weird and wonderful product that will make you faster.  No; you don’t need to load up on carbohydrates, you don’t need to pre-load litres of sports fluid, and finally, No; you don’t need to buy a pair of calf compression socks – <b><i>you are just fine</i></b>.  You have been trained to assure endurance, strength, and most importantly mental resolve.  You have pretty much followed my program to the tee, so just relax – all is good. Simply consider race day as just another long training run – with stacks of other like-minded ‘fruit loops’.

<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">1 day out</span></b> – Eat and drink your normally choices. NOTE - perhaps consider increasing root veg (starchy carbs) the lunch before race day – I tend to rip into sweet potato with a dash of salt.  Drink water to thirst ONLY – you’re not a camel.  Now is also not the time to be spiking your insulin – back off on sugars.  I like to walk the day before (say 40minutes) – no jogging, not even on grass – “save ‘em”.  I accept for first timers apprehension comes from uncertainty, but know that we have covered all the bases in training – so <b><i>believe</i></b> that your training has more than adequately equipped you for the challenge ahead.  If I felt you were ill-equipped, I’d tell you.

<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Race morning</span></b> – it is common that your sleep would have been average at best.  This is just your brain psyching you up for the task ahead.  It won’t play any ill-effect on your performance.  In fact, I seem to race better on poor sleep.  Wear clothes and shoes you have worn in training – no new gear you bought at the expo.  Perhaps consider a light breaky – whatever you usually have, about 2hours before you run.  I consume a small bowl of oats, chia seeds, yogurt and an egg.  I would steer clear of fibre (fruits etc) and again spikes in sugar (sports drinks and juices).  I consume a strong coffee 2 hours before race start (which I have practiced) and have abstained from coffee for the 3 days leading to race day.  The result – BOOM! Superman is in the building! Any doubts are now gone!  I also like to mood up with a few tunes – Foo Fighters, AC/DC, or Wham.  I recommend lightly warming up even though the race is so damn long.  Throw in 5 minutes of super easy jogging at 60% with your tracksuit ON – build up a light sweat.  Warming your muscles and joints is key especially at age 40 something it helps!  Then I get into the starting area and effortlessly bounce on the spot for a bit – just pumping some blood into my calves and firing nerves in my feet and achilles.  While waiting for the gun, just to ease the nerves, I play the game of counting the number gel wrappers around other athlete’s waists.  From memory, I once counted 13 on a small lady for ½ marathon!  Sadly, she went into a diabetic coma at the 13k mark.

<b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Race</span> </b>– OK, listen up.  The way I see it, given your training commitment, the ONLY way you could stuff this up, is by taking it out TOO hard.  Repeat - DON’T take it out TOO hard.  Run within yourself.  Here’s the deal......

We all have about 500 cals of stored sugar (glycogen) ready to go.  This will effectively fuel about 50minutes at your maximum sustained effort.  We ALL have buckets of stored fat – but fat needs to be lit by sugar.  No flame no fat.  So, let’s say you’re going at 85% of your max effort; you’ll then empty your tank in about 100minutes. So basically the harder you push the more sugar you burn. And, as previously discussed in previous post’s, if your sugar tank alert alarm goes off you can expect to feel pretty awful with your healthy brain encouraging if not ensuring you slow, stop or give up.   Yes, you can throw sugar’s back in, but the higher your intensity, the less your absorption.  So there’s your challenge.  No one reading this article will be finishing the marathon in 2hours – well…...except maybe Chris Fydler, so how do we <b><i>balance this equation</i></b>.
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	<li>Take it out within yourself (really hold back) – for the first 20% of the race at least – just be cool – watch enthusiastic Muppets fly past you – we’ll delight in catching them later.  You want to be thinking – I could definitely be running faster than this – I feel like I’m bludging – I hope I don’t have stacks left when I finish – does Pamp really know what he’s talking about.  Trust me, there is always real estate left in a marathon to improve your position and time – if you still have your brain intact that is (well... sugar anyway).  Let’s say in training you’re holding 5 x 5km (2 min rest) repeats on 5.00min pace and feel like you’re working but still in control.  I would think your ‘out pace’ would be say 5.10’s – 15’s for the first 5kms.   Just take the edge off and run within yourself.</li>
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<ul>
	<li>Be careful over the first km.  Everyone is tapered and ready to be shot out of a gun. Loud motivating music is being blasted (usually U2’s Beautiful Day or Thunderstruck) and the crowd is usually 10 deep.  With adrenalin pumping, it is so easy to get carried away running too fast – which will quickly chew through your limited sugar tank.</li>
	<li>Speaking of Muppets….I recently broke my own <b>golden rule</b> by taking out a marathon way too fast.  With thoughts of grandeur, feeling great, I ran the first 10kms too hard, and, true to form I blew up at the26km mark.  Surely I would know better after all these years.  The point is, I knew the rules of physiology (from many failures) and still got carried away.  Be smart! Save your muscle glycogen, you’ll need it at the 30km mark.</li>
	<li><strong>2. </strong> If you ate a small breakfast, I’d recommend you consume small hits of <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/flask.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1518 alignright" alt="flask" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/flask-219x300.jpg" width="131" height="180" /></a>carbohydrates – high impact caffeinated carbs/ sugars seem be best, starting at about the 45min mark of the race.  I suggest you continue this every 15-20mins for the rest of the race.  This should coincide with aid stations.  Never let your blood sugars plummet.  The last thing we want is for your alert alarm to go off.  If it does, from my experience, it doesn’t matter how much fuel you throw in at that point, it’s too late.  I do recommend against consuming large hits of carb at any one time.  Your tummy, which is only working to 20% of its normal capacity, may tell it’s not happy.  Repeat – small regular hits of sugar for the rest of the race.</li>
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If you couldn’t manage breakfast, start small carb hits at the 20minute mark of race – but no earlier.
<ul>
	<li>Drink to thirst, which at the Gold Coast will be every aid station.  Also remember <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/gold-coast.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1519 alignright" alt="gold coast" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/gold-coast-300x199.jpg" width="300" height="199" /></a>to toss water on your face – this offers instant cooling sweat without it working its way through your system (which will cost you valuable energy).  Cool from the outside in – not inside out.</li>
	<li>Think form &gt; run tall &gt; relax shoulders&gt; soft foot fall&gt; pick those feet up.</li>
	<li>If possible run more efficient tangents – don’t run further than you have to.</li>
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<ul>
	<li><b>3. 35km</b> – I’m sorry about this, but the likelihood will be you’ll feel like sh^t.  This is just part of it – and yep, I’m getting closer to <b>WHY</b> we do this.  I have spoken about this before, but research now suggests, although you think you’re completely shot – in actual fact, you’re not.  It is just an illusory brain generated emotion – produced by you! Yep, you think you’re world has collapsed, but science suggests you’re actually only about 50% shot.  The lower your sugar tank the greater your negative emotions.  So if you went out too hard, expect to be faced with an almighty challenge of dissociating from these negative emotions at the 35km mark.  Dissociating from these emotions is the key. For those racing this Gold Coast marathon, I have sent you every trick in the book to get through this period – so use them – and believe unconditionally in yourself!</li>
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When you’ve trained for months (usually most preps are faced with minor challenges of niggles or illness), you’ve held back during the first 20%, fuelled smartly, dissociated from the devil at 35km mark, pushed through that last 2kms (and thanked the Pommies for this), now........ the last 100metres and finishing is<b><span style="color: #993366;"> WHY we do it</span>!</b>

Good luck, enjoy it, and back yourself.

BP

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