Comment

A comment on yesterday's run: "So I look at these pics of a guy who is running 26.2 miles in just under 3 hrs @ avg HR of 135, which is incredible in and of itself, and I notice no fuel belt, water bottle, aid stations etc.????
B"
Good eye! The course I ran was on the way from my house. I stopped at several points and hid 5 bottles of water and 5 gels. Chuck was riding with me to take my litter.
I also hydrated very well previous to starting (ask Chuck, I think I had to stop and pee ~4 times).
This question brings up one of my favorite topics which is fueling. I'm not an expert in nutrition, but I have a lot of real world experience. I've competed in 15 Ironmans and have averaged about 3:05 for the marathon in all 15 of them. 2:50 my best and 3:29 my worst... but that day I missed a turn and ended up running 29 miles (still placed 7th). I also put in a few miles, always have, and I can count my bonks in the last 10 years on one hand. That's with months of 30-45 hour training weeks. My metabolism seems to be pretty solid. Never breakfast, just coffee. Usually too poor to have gels or bars.. Gatorade works fine. My nutrition strategy isn't always the best but my body has adapted fairly well. I'm confident that I could have run yesterday with no gels, just water. Even the water may not have been that necessary. In the 6 Hawaii Ironmans I raced I over hydrated on every one and had to pee multiple times on the run.. my last Ironman this year I got drug tested at the finish and they said I almost had too much water in my urine. I don't sweat much and I don't burn calories like most people. There is surely a use for that? Maybe Ultra's.. Leadville or Hardrock?
My other quirk is my inability to get injured. One year I put over 700 miles on a pair of Saucony 5k racing flats. I was running on the eva foam when I threw them away. Not a twinge. I've put hundreds of miles on shoes I bought at the Salvation Army. I don't even knock on wood anymore when I say that.