Pre-Race Stats, Thoughts and a Tip: Chicago Marathon 2014

Today is the first rest day I've had in the last 33 days. I actually went for a swim this morning to help me loosen the legs and burn off some nervous energy. I only have one more shakeout run on Saturday and after that I will sit and twiddle my thumbs until I head down to the marathon on Sunday. Instead of twiddling my thumbs today, I thought I'd keep busy by reflecting back on my training stats. As Kim mentioned in the comments of my last post she tracks lots of stats. I do as well! I tracked stats on every single workout and tracked every single thing I've eaten this training cycle. So without further ado, here are some of those stats from my marathon training over the last 3 months:

2014 Chicago Marathon Training Stats (7/6 to 10/8):
Number of days:	91
Number of days run:	80
Number of training runs:	133
Total miles run:	843
Average weekly run count:	10
Average miles per day:	8.6
Number of 16 mile long runs completed:	3
Number of "tune-up" races:	1
Number of yoga sessions:	12
Number of strength workouts:	42
Average daily calories consumed:	2869
Average daily calorie burn from exercise:	1278

The statistic I was probably most concerned about when coming up with my training plan was the "Average Mile per Day". That is the stat that determines my "Marathon Collapse Point". Basically, the Marathon Collapse Point theory states that you need to run 1/3 of the marathon distance per training day to avoid hitting the "Wall" during the race. So that means I needed to average at least 8.7 miles on each run day to avoid the Wall completely on race day. However, in the end, I averaged 8.6 miles (including my taper). So, if the theory holds, I should hit the "Wall" at mile 25.8. So, I'll only really struggle for 0.4 miles! I really hope this theory works!

9/14/14

I Have a New Race Nutrition Strategy
I have decided not to take chances on my mid-race nutrition, which has always been kind of spotty in past marathons. I used to simply eat everything sugary that was handed to me during the race. Sometimes that's okay and sometimes (like last year) it causes me some late race nausea from OD'ing on glucose. So in order to be more scientific about my nutrition, I ran a couple calorie deficit calculations and sought advice from marathon experts Erin and Sara. After getting their input, I think I now have a good plan in place and have a good idea of how much sugar I'll take and when I'll take it. Thanks for the tips Erin and Sara! 

A Small Marathon Race Tip
If you want something to help you get through some of those slow, lonely miles near the end of the race, all you need to remember is the number 42.2. That's the distance in kilometers of a marathon. You'll see a lot more kilometer markers on the course than mile markers (16 more actually!). So, near the end of the race, when mile markers are seemingly few and far between as we struggle to hold onto our paces, it's nice to see the kilometer markers in-between the mile markers. When you see the "37 km" sign, you know you are only about a 5k from the finish. Then you'll start seeing alternating mile and kilometer markers right up until the finish. Be on the lookout for them and they can be smaller milestones to look forward to passing as you make your way down Michigan Avenue!

9/14/14

Anyway, that's about all I have. If I think of another tip, I'll try and post it before Sunday!