Fuelling A Long Run

Chia Charge sponsored athlete Eilish MCColgan is a 3 time Olympian and if your read to the end you can see her latest achievements (we pinched the text from Wikipedia)

Fuelling A Long Run by Eilish McColgan

Now I know many fans of Chia Charge are avid Ultra-runners so my long run will sound very meagre in comparison but it’s an area of my training that we are really starting to focus on improving in 2022. In the past, I’ve been a very low mileage athlete due to previous injuries. But as I start to shift my intentions towards the marathon, mileage will become an important aspect of my programme. Typically a long run for me, would be under one hour of running and so fuelling during a run was never a necessity. However, I’ve started to run closer to 90mins and towards the latter part of the year, I will be aiming for a few runs at 2+ hours. 

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For runners, out training for over 90mins - fuelling is important. Research has now shown that the earlier our bodies can get carbohydrates in - the higher the performance output. As with anything, fuelling is completely individualised - with some runners preferring gels over fluid, others jelly sweets! I will continue to test both fluid and gels but ultimately the end goal is to train my gut, in the same way I train my legs. Building up gradually the volume of fluid and the amount of carbs I can take on board during a training run, without any stomach upset. It’s an entirely new concept for me, coming from a track background but I’m excited for the challenge. I’ve learnt a lot over the last few months from some very knowledgable specialists, so here are some of the top insights they’ve passed on to me!

5 Fuelling Tips:

1. Train Your Gut. It’s important to train your gut in the same way you train your legs. Build up your fluid and/or carbohydrate intake gradually and aim to increase that over several weeks. Start with just one session a week and as you approach race day, increase to 2-3 runs per week. 
2. Decide A Target. Decide on a target carb intake and start building towards it. Everyone is different so this will never be a one size fits all. It’s something you will have to trial and test in training to see what works best for your body. 
3. Make A Note. Recording things in a diary can be super useful to see how your stomach has responded. Often we forget the small details as to how we felt on a particular day but noting it down, is a great way to keep track. 
4. Don’t Try Anything New. Race day is not the time for new products. So if you’ve been using jelly sweets or energy gels, stick with it. Don’t feel pressured into changing because someone else is doing it differently. Do what you’ve tested in training and know what works best for your stomach. 
5. Fuel Is King. Fuelling before your run is just as important as fuelling during it. Make sure you get an adequate breakfast in before your long run or race. Chia Charge is a simple and delicious way to get in a large hit of carbs. It’s always part of my morning routine along with a bowl of porridge and a banana. 

In February 2022, Eilish set a new British record in the 5k road race, clocking 14:48 in Dubai to break the mark of 14:51 set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003. McColgan bettered her mother's unofficial 14:57 from 1991, and was four seconds short of a European record.Later that month, she beat Radcliffe's 21-year-old British half marathon record by 21 seconds, in a time of one hour six minutes 26 seconds, improving her mother's best yet again (1:07:11)

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