The Logistics of Long Runs

Long runs are more than just going out and putting one foot in front of the other for hours on end.  Long runs are also about fluid and nutrition management.  How will I get enough fluid and electrolytes along the way?  Should I carry gels or solid food with me?  What about electrolyte tablets or chews?  How am I going to carry all that?   I need to carry my phone too, just because that’s what we do now in 2023, one cannot be without a communication device for that long.

That’s why I am participating in these late summer Strider Buildup runs.  They are great practice for race day hydration and fueling, especially since they have periodic aid stations where I can replenish the fluids in my water bottle.  I can also test out gels and chews to see what seems to work best for me.  And I can test out carrying things in my new FlipBelt that I purchased in July.  If a gel is going to give me intestinal distress, or my fluids in my bottle are not providing enough electrolytes, or I cannot stand wearing that FlipBelt for more than an hour, I had better find out now rather than in the middle of the Disney Marathon.

The Strider 22-mile buildup run gave me a chance to test out a few things.  22 miles is only 4 miles short of a Marathon, the longest distance I will complete during RunDisney Marathon Weekend.  If I discover what works and what doesn’t during this training run, I should have a good idea of my logistics for Disney.

Camelbak Quick Grip Chill

First, I did some quick estimation.  I accepted that my average pace could be as slow as 12 minutes per mile.  That would leave me out on the course for 4+ hours.  Yikes!  My strategy so far this year has been to consume a gel at the top of every hour, and electrolyte tablets at the bottom of every hour, skipping the first hour.  Therefore, I needed 3 gels and 3 servings of electrolyte tablets (2 per serving).  On top of that, I carry my own electrolyte beverage, something I have had success with for many years, so I needed to carry extra drink powder, enough to refill my bottle two times. I was also concerned about needing solid fuel, so I took one energy/protein bar with me.  

FlipBelt Zipper Running Belt

Since I my goal was to learn for Disney, I took more than I needed for 22 miles, anticipating that I may be much slower and out on the course much longer for the Disney Marathon.  My fueling included:

• 4 Gel Packets
• 8 electrolyte tablets, in a mini-Ziploc bag
• 1 energy/protein bar
• 2 servings of sport drink powder, each in a mini-Ziploc bag
• 1 bottle of sport drink premixed (20 oz)

And my gear included:

• Handheld bottle carrier, which includes a small zipper pouch, and a small unzippered but secure key pouch
• FlipBelt with one Zippered Pouch and one long wrap-around pouch with 3 slits to access it.
• Running shorts with two front pockets
• Cellphone, ID, and some cash in a small Ziploc bag to keep them dry

I have learned through experience not to leave organizing things until the last minute.  I lay out everything the night before and load up everything first thing in the morning.  The 4 Gel packets, electrolyte tablets and energy/protein bar get loaded into the FlipBelt.  The Ziploc with my phone in it goes into the zippered pouch in the FlipBelt.  The extra servings of sports drink powder go into the zippered pouch of my bottle holder, and then my car key goes into the unzippered pouch on the bottle holder. I leave the pockets in my running shorts empty so I can use those for temporary storage on the run.

I have also learned through experience, that although my phone fits nicely into the water bottle holder,  the added weight makes the water bottle heavy enough to be bothersome.  Without my phone in the pouch, I can comfortably carry my water bottle in my hand for several hours. 

When first slipping into the fully loaded FlipBelt, it seems like a lot of bulk around my waist. But after distributing items evenly around my waist, it becomes almost unnoticeable.  On the 22-mile run, I never felt any discomfort from the FlipBelt.  

I finished the 22-miler in just under 4 hours, about a 10:50 average pace.  I consumed gels and electrolyte tablets per plan and refilled my bottle with sports drink twice.  By the end of the run, I only had one gel and the energy/protein bar left in my FlipBelt.  The logistics experiment was a success.  The FlipBelt and handheld water bottle holder worked nicely for carrying stuff.  I still ran out of gas and struggled with a little cramping after 2 ½ to 3 hours, so my choice of fuels may not be optimal for me.  I may need to keep experimenting there.  

I should acknowledge that RunDIsney will provide aid stations along each race course.  It may be that RunDisney provides the same fuel and hydration that I practiced with.  In that case, I can scale down what I need to carry with me and just grab it along the course.  But I won't know exactly what and where RunDisney will provide until weeks before Marathon Weekend, so I will continue to prepare to be as self sufficient as possible.