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Race Report - London Marathon - Anthony Clark - 2015

Race Report - London Marathon - Anthony Clark - 2015

PRE RACE

Preparation is all about routine for me, from experience I know what I can or cannot eat on race day. This experience is built from trial and error. Sometimes it will go wrong!

On the day I have a very simple pre-race nutrition plan keeping breakfast to my standard pre long run staple. This normally consists of cereal (Weetabix) and coffee - making it simple I am travelling abroad.

For London, on the way to the start and up to one hour before I will drink one bottle of fluids consisting of Nuun hydration tablets. I try and keep my fluid consumption minimal as this allows my bladder to empty before the race starts. Again in the past I have over drank and I promise you don't want to be needing to relieve yourself once the gun sounds on your target race.

Finally, before the start I will consume one gel, this is to provide a final boost and keeps my energy levels high as soon as I am underway rather than taking my first gel five miles into the race. Currently GU gels are my gel of choice and I quite like the coffee flavour gels for pre race.

DURING

Being a creature of habit for my road races and quicker paced races I just carry gels with me. Over the marathon distance I start to add chews and bars. For the marathon I carry five gels, this is a total of six gels including the pre-race gel.

I stick with one gel every five miles for the first four gels up to mile 20, following that I have the 5th spare gel that is taken on feel. This is the only pre race fuel excluding a few sips of water from aid stations.

POST

Again from experience it's very important for me to get some food into my body as soon as possible after a race, I tend to consume a recovery shake and some sort of nutrition bar before attempting the first pint after four months abstaining, also salt and vinegar crisps are a winner!

OTHER TIPS

It's important to ensure you can stomach your nutrition, I always try consuming the same gels I will on race day in a long run in the weeks building up to race day. However, I would not recommend taking too many during this period as you want the benefit on race day and not for your body to become reliant on them.

Finish details
Place (M/W) 59
Place (AC) 54
Place (overall) 59
Finish time 02:30:06

 


About the Author
ANTHONY CLARK
XMiles Founder and Nutrition Adviser
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