My biggest tips for this + my very strong opinion

(tank, shorts, shoes)

We had our biggest group yet for a Saturday long run.  It was so much fun to have everyone there.

We warmed up 4 miles to a place called Trefoil, and then we got going on the marathon workout for the day…

10 miles @ marathon pace, 1 mile easy, and 5 miles @ marathon pace (or faster if possible).

The first four miles are down of the 10-mile tempo, and then it flattens out… I didn’t feel great until it flattened out and was happy to only get faster with my pace–> finished with a 6:09 average (faster than marathon pace oops) for those miles and felt amazing

We went to the restrooms, jogged a mile, and then got started on the 5-mile tempo, and while my body felt great on this portion, my stomach killed me.  I was very happy to still get a 6:15 average (my goal marathon pace) for those 5 miles.

I now have an even stronger opinion about Maurten gels!  I made the worst mistake and forgot most of my gels in my car for this run.  My friends saved me with their extra gels because there was no way I could run 22 miles without enough fuel.  I took two maurtens in the beginning and then two other gels throughout the miles.  My stomach felt like a million bucks with the maurtens (the first ten-mile tempo) but about ten minutes after taking my first of the other gels, my stomach cramped up like never before (and I even took it with water).  It hurt so bad.

Long story short, I have found the magic solution for my gut, and I will never forget my maurtens again!

1.5-mile cool-down, and then we sat.

Time to start wearing more clothes for runs.  I was shivering at many points along the way, and I finished with blue lips and goosebumps.

1000 feet UP and 1400 ft DOWN.

80.89 miles for the week!  Time to taper.

The rest of the weekend looked like a lot of soccer:

And a lot of refueling (current favorite banana muffins):

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The St. George Marathon is coming up quickly (19 days), so I thought I would share my biggest tips for this race in case you are going to be there.  This will be my 5th time doing the marathon (I’ve done the half once too) and as you know, I’m quite obsessed with this race.

I’ve run a 3:12, 3:15, 2:59 & 2:49 here and my goal this year is a 2:44 (ahhhh!).   My recaps for this race are here, here, here, here, and here if you want more info.

Just some things to think about:

*They are passing out Maurten gels at miles 7, 11, and 19 this year.  If you haven’t tried these gels out yet, try them out before the race because it is so nice to be able to grab the gels that they pass you.  They have a great fueling plan here!  Aid stations are at miles 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24.5 and 25.25.  Grab liquid at all of the aid stations!

*The first mile may feel a little congested but don’t worry; everyone will spread out, and you will have plenty of space.

*Negative splits are always a goal of mine when it comes to the marathon, ESPECIALLY on this course.  My goal is to run a 1:24 for the first half and a 1:20 for the second half this year.  The first half has some challenging hills from miles 7-12, and if you waste your energy there trying to go too fast, you will slowly die at the end.  The second half has many opportunities to make up lost time in the first half. Trust it.

*Don’t look at your watch from miles 7-12.  Just don’t.  Focus on effort and just getting through the ups.  Shorten up your stride and use those glutes to get you up.

*Don’t get carried away in the first 10k.  It’s easy to do so in every race, but because it is still a little dark and has net downhill, it’s easy to go under marathon pace effort too much.  Be careful, you’ll be so happy you didn’t during the end.

*I bring a small water bottle with me for the first few miles.  It’s so important to not get behind on your hydration because it tends to get hot there.

*You only have to take three turns during the entire race.  The last turn is .35 miles away from the finish line!  Enjoy those last few minutes as the finish line gets closer and closer!

*Wear a hat/visor or BRING sunglasses.  For the last few miles, the sun will be in your eyes and bright.  I will be using these sunglasses this year!

*They pass out bags of ice in the final miles, and if you have a sports bra on, please stuff ice in there and thank me later.

*Pour water on your head whenever you can.  It gets warm (luckily, a dry warm!), but this helps so much.

*Don’t cry too hard when you get to snow canyon, it will cost you too much energy;).  But really, soak in when you drop into snow canyon.  The views are too good to be true, and I wish this picture could show you are pretty it is…

*Unlock in the final 10k.  There are a few tiny ups, and the last mile or two are flat but don’t put on the breaks on the downhill.  Lean forward, let the descent take you away, and smile as your average pace drops.

*If you are running the half, bring a headlamp!  It starts earlier than the marathon and was PITCH dark last year.  It was scary trying to run fast in complete darkness for the first 6 miles so bring some light.

*Remember, the real work is done.  It’s time to keep things sharp but relax and taper.  The physical work is done, but now it is time for the mental work.  You can find my favorite tips for this–> HERE and HERE.

My favorite eats and things to do in St. George are here and here.  Make sure to celebrate hard after the race!

Does anyone have tips to add for the St. George Marathon or half?  Who will be there in 19 days?

Have any races that you have done for more than one year?

What do you do when you have stomach cramps while running?  What causes them for you?

-I tried what has worked in the past (push on the cramp hard with my fingers), but nothing was helping on Saturday.

What was the best thing you ate over the weekend?