Fuelling for the Silicon Valley Half Marathon

This is my advice for a half marathon nutrition strategy. Eat a normal breakfast at least two hours before the event. Don't go crazy on the hydrating if it's not a hot day - have a bottle around so you can drink if you're thirsty. Take a coffee if that's what you are used to. Research continues to show that caffeine is very effective in all sorts of ways. Should probably be banned as a performance enhancing stimulant...

I would rely on liquid carb intake (e.g. Gatorade) during a half because generally they digest better IF I could trust a) the person mixing it or b) the person handing it to me. Neither of which I generally can. In addition we researched the brand that are carrying, Ultima, has no carbs! What's the point!

So I usually carry a gel in my pocket - one GU espresso. I'll take it at the aid station at about 45-50 min for a 1:20. So take it at about an hour if you're more like a 1:40. Unless you're training for a longer distance event and want to practice you may want to try and take an extra one but it won't have time to absorb and make you any faster.

Make sure you take a good 2 cups of water to wash that gel down. And plan ahead so you're not surprised by the aid station. Have your gel out and ready to dump it before getting to the aid station.

Oh, also, I'm not a huge fan of the Hammer nutrition guide mentioned yesterday at the clinic. A good rule of thumb is don't bother reading anything called a "clinical study". Look for scientific studies published in scientific journals. The Gatorade Sports Science Institute is a much better resource in my opinion for hydration and nutrition information.

This is just my opinion based on my research and experience. Would love to hear about your strategies.

Martin.