How to Mess Up a Half Marathon
How to mess up a Half Marathon
On March 22nd, the XLIII edition of the Elche Half Marathon (Alicante) was held. And as usual, I was there, cheering on each of my teammates, losing my voice for them, at the start, at kilometers 7, 14, 19, and the finish line.
But, what happened this time?
The experiences were not what they had hoped for.
It started with us expecting a rainy day, but the sun surprised us and was shining brightly from the starting gun until the event ended.
At kilometer 14, I missed someone I didn't see pass by.
Maybe I was distracted, but no, at 19 km, they still didn't pass, and seeing their time was 1 hour and 43 minutes, everything indicated that person had withdrawn. At that point, a girl collapsed to the ground; everything pointed to dehydration.
A teammate smiled at me at 14 km, but as he passed 19 km, he told me he was exhausted.
As if what I had seen wasn't enough, after the race, I was informed of more facts: a feeling of thirst throughout the race; stomach cramps; the gel didn't do anything for me…
Let's analyze the possible reasons for each of these situations. A Half Marathon is an endurance event, and due to its duration, from 1:15 to 2 hours.
So, we must take into account proper prior preparation, which includes nutrition, hydration, training, and rest.
If we do not comply with these factors, we may find ourselves in one of the situations mentioned above.
3 problems we can avoid:
– Starting the event feeling thirsty
If nutrition and training are important for running 21km, hydration is no less so. In this specific case, the person confirmed to me: “My hydration failed me; last night I went out for beers.” I don't think I need to add anything else.
Withdrawal at kilometer 12 due to gastrointestinal problems. Dietitians insist that pre-event nutrition should be practiced, just like any supplementation we plan to take during the event.
We should not consume products that we have not tried before and are not certain that our body tolerates well. The runner took an unfamiliar gel before the start of the race and another at kilometer 8. The symptoms he experienced were: excessive sweating, cramps, diarrhea, appearance of red spots, and weakness.
We must know very well the gel we are going to take, what type and quantity of carbohydrates it provides, caffeine content, when it should be consumed, etc.
– Unexpected faintings
This can be related to a state of hyponatremia (a sudden decrease in blood sodium concentration) or dehydration. To maintain blood sodium levels, we should drink isotonic sports drinks during the race and/or consume a gel.
In addition, to maintain hydration, a sip of water should be taken every 15-20 minutes. – Decrease in pace in the last section and feeling of exhaustion.
This situation can be caused by various reasons; I will highlight three that occurred: incorrect carbohydrate intake the day before; lack of hydration; not replenishing carbohydrates during the race. I am speechless.
– Not feeling the effect of the gel
Taking a gel during a race doesn't mean you're going to turn into Road Runner. Instead, it will help you replenish glycogen and salt losses.
This way, you'll finish the event feeling better, and your recovery will be faster. But now, what did we encounter in this case? Nothing more and nothing less than the person hadn't had dinner!!!
And they had also been hydrating exclusively with an isotonic drink, so they felt thirsty throughout the race.
Despite this, we expect the gel to work miracles. I hope each of them has learned from their experience and that next time they are more aware of what not to do.
And if you're going to debut for the first time, keep this article in mind so you don't mess up and try to come out unscathed from the 21km.
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