Changes

* '''Mile 40/8 Hours'''. I swapped from my [[Modified Nike Free]] to the [[Hoka Shoe Review|Hoka One One]] [[Shoes]] I've been trying out. I've modified the Hokas by cutting the toe box open as I do with my Frees. I was having problems with the soles of my feet becoming sore and this looked like it would be a serious problem later. My longest run in the Hokas prior to this was only 10 miles, so this was a risky approach that breaks [[The Golden Rule of Racing]], but the alternative seemed worse. * '''Mile 65/11 Hours'''. At this point I started to have a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aura_%28symptom%29 Migraines Aura] that prevented me seeing properly. I have only had a [http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-headache/DS00120 migraine] while running once, and never before in a race. I rapidly ate several gel packs and 200mg of [[Caffeine]] to see if I could abort the migraine. After about half an hour my vision returned and I was left with some mood disturbances but no headache.

* '''Last 7 Hours.''' The inability to take fluid or fuel prevented me from making any real progress, and I did just enough to keep a 2 lap lead over the second place runner. I tried a few things, but even water upset my stomach. As far as I can remember I took in about 4oz of Ginger ale, 6oz water, a saltine, around 5 M&Ms, and sucked on 5 gummy bears. My legs stayed strong through to near the end of the race, and I could run well when I needed to, but I was worried that the lack of fluid and fuel could cause me a medical problem. I was also painfully aware that my body was not only burning fat, but also tucking into my [[Muscle|muscles]] to provide energy, which would make the subsequent recovery harder. The stomach problems were either due to me rapidly eating too many gels to abort the migraine, or more likely the migraine itself shut my digestive system down, as nausea and vomiting are common symptoms of migraines.

* '''Muscular endurance'''. I was surprised how good my legs felt through the race and I had little [[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness| DOMS]] after the race. There could be three factors behind this. ** '''[[Downhill Running| Downhill training]]'''. I did a lot of downhill training for Poland and I believe this gave me a lot of muscular endurance. I found my legs were far better than I expected at both Poland and this race. ** '''The [[Morton Stretch]]'''. I saw Mike Morton do a short series of stretches while setting the American 24 hour record in Poland. He felt these kept him limber, so used a modified approach, [[Stretching]] every 3 laps (4.5 miles). This helped a little for the first 50 miles, but was quite remarkable later, giving me the feeling of new legs. ** '''Hokas.''' Many runners claim that the [[Hoka Shoe Review|Hokas]] reduce muscular fatigue, but I can't be sure from this run. ** '''Run/Walk.''' I took a short [[Walking Breaks| walking break]] on every lap after running the first couple to get clear of the pack.

* '''Mid race [[Massage]].''' I often find that my hip flexors become painful and tight after about 30 miles, and the pain arrived on cue at Hinson Lake. Some simple [[Massage| massage]], digging into the [[Muscle|muscle]] with my thumbs, resolved the problem and it didn't come back. * '''Self-crewing. '''At Hinson Lake I find it easy to be self-crewed. I can take my drinks made up in 8oz bottles and lay all my stuff out on a table. I've found this [http://go.fellrnr.com/?id=35454X937677&xs=1&xcust=Table&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FOffice-Star-4-Foot-Resin-Multipurpose%2Fdp%2FB0015TRJCM folding table] works remarkably well. Having everything is Ziploc bags helps keep things organized and dry in the rain. * '''Fluid and Fuel.''' In addition to my usual [[Fellrnr's Go Juice| Go Juice]], I also made up some [[DIY Electrolyte Drink]], both of which went down well. I also had a few [[Comparison of Energy Gels| Gels]], including Peanut Butter Gus, Accel Gel and PowerGel. The latter were runny and were easier to eat where the Peanut Butter Gu was too thick. To solve this, I put some Gus in a chemical hand warmer. * '''Pre-race nutrition.''' For this race, I aimed to eat less the night before and for breakfast. I suspect that I normally overeat, and this time I slept better and my stomach was happier in the first hour of the race. I also kept my [[Fiber]] intake high the day before the race and this seemed to work well. * '''Body Weight.''' For Poland, I'd got my body weight down, and I believe body fat is a [[Weight Loss and Performance| huge determinant of performance]]. After Poland, my weight dropped about three Pounds (1.5Kg) to around 130 (59 kg), but my [[Body Fat Scales]] indicate this is mostly due to muscle loss, which is not what I want.