Field notes
Shoes get the attention. Finishes are usually decided by food, fluid, sleep, and the decision not to race kilometre three. Not medical advice — a briefing from the long-run school of experience.
Fuel the work, not a fantasy physique. Marathon training is an eating sport that happens to involve running.
Most runners under-eat on build weeks, then wonder why the long run dies at 28 km. Aim for enough carbohydrate to cover the week’s kilometres (roughly 5–8 g per kg bodyweight on harder days), protein around 1.6 g/kg, and fat as the remainder. If weight is falling without you meaning it to, add a snack before you add another interval session.
Practise race breakfast two to three hours out: 100–150 g of familiar carbohydrate, low fibre, low fat. White toast, rice, a banana, instant oats. Never debut a new gel on race morning. Take 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour after the first 45 minutes of any run over 90 minutes, building toward 60–90 g/hour if your gut allows.
In the 36–48 hours before the race, shift the plate toward carbohydrate and slightly down on fibre and fat. You are filling glycogen, not earning a medal at the expo. A 70 kg runner might sit near 8–10 g/kg across those two days. Drink to thirst, not to slosh.
Low ferritin is the silent killer of marathon blocks. If easy runs feel like tempo and you sleep badly, get a serum ferritin test rather than buying another pair of shoes. Pair iron-rich food with vitamin C; take supplements only with a number and a clinician.
Drop the salad mountain, the sugar-free gum, and the new protein bar. Keep meals boring. The taper is not a licence to graze all day, but it is also not a time to “get lean.” Arrive at the gun slightly topped up.