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January 23, 2005
30:01/147
After failing to get exercise with Tim, I decided to try Nathalie's exercise bike. Sunday's are typically cross-training days according to Hal Higdon's program.
I wanted to get out on the bike and investigate loops with my odometer, but it hasn't stopped sprinkling in 3 days now. Cleaning and relubing the chain's no fun.
By investigating loops, I mean looking for circuits to run when going long on the weekends. Next weekend is a 19.5 km (12 mi) run, and the weekend after that's 21 km (13 mi). I've reached the part of the program where I'll be gone well over an hour for each long run until the week before the marathon. It therefore seems important to start running well hydrated each time.
In Marathon Hal Higdon cites research showing an average runner -- in other words somebody smaller and less sweaty than me -- loses a liter of fluid per hour. So if I go out for two hours, I should drink at least 2 liters to stay hydrated. Don't want to have to do that in one sitting.
You may be different, but if I guzzle two liters in a few gulps, I cannot continue running comfortably in my endurance zone. Instead I'd like to be able to drink about 25 cl (approx. 1 cup) at a time. Assuming that means 8 drinks in 2 hours, and that I should run about 24 km/h at a long run pace, I need a circuit of 3 km. That said 6 drinks in between with more on each end and a circuit of 4 km should be okay. What I don't want is a 10 km circuit that forces me to drink a liter at each stop.
Given what I've seen for Lyon and Chambéry marathon organizers seem to put the drink stops each 5 km. For training I'd rather go a bit overboard and stop even more often to drink, especially given Rantz's suggestion last summer that my soreness was most likely due to dehydration.
Posted by Mark at January 23, 2005 02:45 PM