It looks like the marathon I'm running on sunday could be at about 30 degrees. Last year was very cold as well and I had problems eating gu on schedule. It seemed like nothing was digesting. My theory is that due to the cold, I was not drinking near as much as normal and the lack of water in my stomach kept the gu from digesting well. Generally I alternate gatorade and water every mile, I probably continued to do this which really threw the sugar content over the edge probably reducing absorbtion.
If this is really the problem, how do I dress? To be comfortable in 30 degress with little or no wind, I would wear the same thing I wear in the summer, with the addition of a headband to cover my ears. I wouldn't be cold, but I wouldn't be sweating much either. Should I dress warm enough to generate a good sweat so that I can drink more?
If it makes any difference, I eat my first gu after 1 hour, then one gu every 30 minutes. I'll take water at every aid station (every 1.5 miles) after about mile 5. I'm 6'1" 160lbs and a very fast metabolism, it seems like I've got to eat constantly just to keep moving. I'm in the 3'45" - 4' range for the marathon.
If this is really the problem, how do I dress? To be comfortable in 30 degress with little or no wind, I would wear the same thing I wear in the summer, with the addition of a headband to cover my ears. I wouldn't be cold, but I wouldn't be sweating much either. Should I dress warm enough to generate a good sweat so that I can drink more?
If it makes any difference, I eat my first gu after 1 hour, then one gu every 30 minutes. I'll take water at every aid station (every 1.5 miles) after about mile 5. I'm 6'1" 160lbs and a very fast metabolism, it seems like I've got to eat constantly just to keep moving. I'm in the 3'45" - 4' range for the marathon.