tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77318818585873638992024-02-02T00:57:51.534-08:009th Annual Petaluma River Marathon/Half Marathon — Sunday Morning, September 2Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-34927163317538393162012-06-05T23:29:00.000-07:002012-06-05T23:29:56.896-07:002012 marks the 9th anniversary of this the oldest rowing and paddling marathon on the US West Coast. The Petaluma River Marathon serves as the West Coast flat-water championship for the marathon and half-marathon.<br />
<br />
Here are the highlights of the plans for this year's event.<br />
<br />
The eligible craft are as follows:<br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
<i>Rowing</i>: Sliding-seat (8+, 4+, 4-, 2-, 4x, 2x, 1x), both flat water and open water designs.</div>
<div class="p1">
<i>Paddling: </i>Kayaks (both ocean and flat water); surfskis; canoes; 1, 2, and 6-person outrigger canoes; and, for the half marathon only, stand-up paddleboards.</div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Entry: </span>Register at RegattaCentral.com</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
All participants must READ and SIGN a waiver (standard USRowing language). </div>
<div class="p1">
Fees prior to Aug 24: $25, $35, $55, $75, and $95 for 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 person boats, respectively. Fees for late registrants (Aug 27 to Sept 2) are $35, $50, $75, $100, & $120, respectively. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
There is limited trailer space. Trailer spots will be reserved in order they are requested—Email: <span class="s2">PetalumaRiverMarathon@gmail.com</span>. Please indicate if you anticipate having space on your trailer for other boats.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
THERE WILL BE LIMITED ON RIVER SUPPORT. All participants must be fit and capable of steering a good course and have the experience to safely handle any unexpected problems. First-time</div>
<div class="p1">
participants are strongly advised NOT to attempt the full marathon unless they, including ALL</div>
<div class="p1">
members of the crew, have completed at least one training outing at that distance in less than 4.5</div>
<div class="p1">
hours. Similarly, SUP entants must be able to paddle 13 miles in less then 3.5 hours.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-88601056039024370802011-07-21T20:37:00.000-07:002011-07-21T21:01:26.211-07:00Plans for the 2011 event - Back to Labor Day Sunday<span class="Apple-style-span">For 2011 the Petaluma River Marathon returns to the original concept of a Labor Day weekend event, with formal sponsorship by the North Bay Rowing Club. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span">The complete brochure for the event is available from PetalumaRiverMarathon@gmail, and here are some of the key details: </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">• Eligible Craft: Rowed or paddled craft as follows: Rowing: Sliding-seat (8+, 4+, 4-, 2-, 4x, 2x, 1x), both flat water and open water designs. Paddling: Kayaks (both ocean and flat water); surfskis; canoes; 1, 2, and 6-person outrigger canoes; and, for the half marathon only, stand-up paddleboards. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">•Prizes: Medals for all who complete their event, and special recognition for winning crew of each division.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">•Entry: Register at RegattaCentral.comAll participants must READ and SIGN a waiver (standard USRowing language). Fees prior to Aug 26: $25, $35, $55, $75, and $95 for 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 person boats, respectively. Fees for late registrants (Aug 27 to Sept 3) are $35, $50, $75, $100, & $120, respectively. There is limited trailer space. Trailer spots will be reserved in order they are requested—Email: PetalumaRiverMarathon@gmail.com. Please indicate if you anticipate having space on your trailer for other boats.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">•THERE WILL BE LIMITED ON RIVER SUPPORT. All participants must be fit and capable of steering a good course and have the experience to safely handle any unexpected problems. First-time participants are strongly advised NOT to attempt the full marathon unless they, including ALL members of the crew, have completed at least one training outing at that distance in less than 4.5 hours. Similarly, SUP entants must be able to paddle 13 miles in less then 3.5 hours.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-60096913077324305142010-07-31T18:31:00.000-07:002010-07-31T19:14:57.063-07:00Plans for the 2010 eventThe 2010 Petaluma River Marathon/Half Marathon will be an informal outing on what may be the most beautiful long stretch of water in California, if not the West Coast.<br /><br />Here are some relevant details<br /><ul><li>This is a non-supported event, please plan accordingly.</li><li>We will have an incoming tide, which means the earlier and faster we row out, the more advantageous the conditions will be. Plus, we'll have a good push homeward. While the (non-) official start time is 8am, please feel free to set-off earlier, within reason, coordinating the as-yet-to-be-determined timer if you want to know your time. </li><li>The post-race festivities are potluck</li><li>There are two options for the half marathon</li></ul><ol><li>For those who want an out-and-back course, there will be buoy at the 1/4 marathon distance, about 6.55 miles downstream from the start. </li><li>For those who want a one way experience, there is a pull out at the Highway 37 bridge, about 13.1 miles downstream from the start. Boat pick-up arrangements are to be made individually by participants choosing this option.<br /></li></ol><ul><li>A $10 donation is welcomed.</li></ul>The river is one of the most beautiful rowing and paddling venues in California, and this stretch just happens to be almost precisely the length of a half marathon. In normal circumstances the water is quite flat because the wind is calm, the scenery is stunning and there are very few motorboat wakes.<br /><br />The full marathon (26.2 miles) will begin in Petaluma, go downriver 13.1 miles to the Highway 37 bridge at the mouth of the river, and return to Petaluma. The half marathon will begin at the same point, and turn half way to the Highway 37 bridge.<br /><br />Enter 38.2314° N,122.6294° W in the search box on Google Maps to see the start and finish points. Enter 38.115° N, 122.505° W to see the downstream turn for the marathon.<br /><br />The Petaluma River has significant tidal currents. This year people will be starting around ebb-to-flood slack, and the flood current (from the Bay towards Petaluma) will make the outbound legs longer and inbound legs shorter.<br /><br />Rowing the half or full marathon distance is not an overwhelming task, provided you do not push too hard and you exercise some care about eating and drinking appropriately on the water. A few participants in 2009 bonked because they did not eat or drink enough. As they can tell you, is not fun when you cramp up for wont of water or muscle glycogen.<br /><br />Please read the May 30, 2007 blog post on hydration and the July 13, 2007 blog post on nutrition. These are by a fabulous elite rower/professional nutritionist and they will help you make the right plans.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-17772420677076506842009-08-13T21:01:00.000-07:002009-08-13T21:19:38.437-07:00Phenomenal conditions for the 2009 event<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLBYFa4m1Co0XKiLckl6jVhKFW-ZqkjhOAeLJhd1TCiyD8LrvOxIUG9buc8Njo0idRgbS2eUeemOf-XWPIsIBfgHSMkfZcoVynocy5DAEdRAir3dc4OP74t5TEvjDQ0ptpQDqN76gPVT-/s1600-h/PetalumaMarathonIn4+.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLBYFa4m1Co0XKiLckl6jVhKFW-ZqkjhOAeLJhd1TCiyD8LrvOxIUG9buc8Njo0idRgbS2eUeemOf-XWPIsIBfgHSMkfZcoVynocy5DAEdRAir3dc4OP74t5TEvjDQ0ptpQDqN76gPVT-/s400/PetalumaMarathonIn4+.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369666358325016642" border="0" /></a><br />This picture captures the salient features of this year's marathon: blue skies, flat water, no motor boats, and a favorable tide.<br /><br />A great time was had by all, though a couple of 1x scullers dehydrated into serious cramps in the feet and quadriceps and one sculler bonked from lack of fuel. All recovered in time for the medal presentation.<br /><br />The top performers were Robert Lombardi from Ashland Rowing Club, winner of the full marathon in just over 3:17, Diane Davis from South End Rowing Club, top woman in the half, and Greg Lewis from Lake Merit Rowing Clup, top man in the half.<br /><br />In the "most remarkable" category, two quads from the Stanford Rowing Club finished within 10 seconds of each other after 26.2 strenuous miles.<br /><br /><br /><img src="file:///Users/SDS2/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///Users/SDS2/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-49281762579808293052009-08-02T22:17:00.000-07:002009-08-02T22:23:12.651-07:00A couple of questions and answers<span style="font-style: italic;">Are kayak and outrigger canoe paddlers welcome?</span><br /><br /> You betcha<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Can one just show up?</span><br /><br /> Yes, but it would be GREATLY APPRECIATED if you send an e-mail with you plans to PetalumaRiverMarathon09@gmail.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-37794610794054356532009-07-29T20:46:00.001-07:002009-07-29T20:49:05.607-07:00NameUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-41674499794280834462009-07-29T20:20:00.000-07:002009-08-02T22:17:35.604-07:00News of the 2009 event, August 8<span style="font-weight:bold;">Overview:</span><br />Since 2004, the Petaluma River Marathon has served as the West Coast flat-water marathon/half marathon championship. This event this year is informal run by the participants and a few volunteers. There will be no on-the-river support. <br />This is one of the most beautiful and fun races on the the west coast. Bring plenty of water and food for the race. There is a beautiful picnic area for the post race potluck BBQ--grills and briquets provided.<br />The race takes advantage of a unique combination of favorable factors:<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Excellent racing conditions:</span> The water is usually flat at race time, and there is very little interference from<br />motorboat wakes. The air temperature is cool at start time. The “river” (it is really an estuary) is almost precisely half-marathon length. So the full marathon is from head to mouth (on San Francisco Bay) and back.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Beautiful venue:</span> The picture above of the S curve on the lower Petaluma does not exaggerate the unique<br />character of the river. For most of its course, the river flows through a nature preserve that conveys an impression of pre-Conquest California. In the foreground, the competitors will pass next to native plants and wildlife, and in the background the California coastal range rises to define the horizon.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Fortunate coincidence:</span> The river is almost precisely 13.1 miles from the mouth in downtown to the mouth at<br />San Francisco Bay. The marathon course is down and back. The Half Marathon turns around at the winery dock approximately half way.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Entry: </span>All participants must READ and SIGN a NBRC guest waiver. THERE WILL BE NO ON RIVER SUPPORT. All participants must be fit and capable of steering a good course and handling any unexpected problems. NO NOVICE COXWAINS.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;"></span>$10 suggested donation:</span> You may just show up the morning of the race, but an email indicating your event and type of boat and the names of any others in your boat would be appreciated<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(PetalumaRiverMarathon09@gmail.com).</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Prizes:</span>Beautiful 3 Color Medals with a graphic of the above S-curve.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Eligible craft: </span>1x, 2x,2-, 4x, 4+/- and 8+ only. Due to insurance limitations this year's event is NOT open to paddled craft.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Start/Finish Location and Course:</span> There will be a brief participants meeting at 7:30 am. Marathon boats will start at 8:00am, Half Marathon at<br />8:45. <br />The race begins and ends at the docks of the North Bay Rowing Club at the end of 2nd Street in<br />Petaluma California. Enter 38.2314° N,122.6294° W in the search box on Google Maps to see the start and finish point. Racers can park in the parking lot at Foundry Wharf adjacent to the gate into the North Bay Rowing Club boatyard.<br />The full marathon (26.2 miles) will begin at the NBRC docks in Petaluma, go downriver 13.1 miles and turn around under the Highway 37 bridge at the mouth of the river, and return to the start. Enter 38.115° N,122.505° W in the Google maps search window to see the downstream turn for the marathon.<br />The half marathon will begin at the same point and turn around at the winery dock (38.1756° N, 122.5356° W) 2600 meters down river from Lakeville (see pictures below). We are hoping to have a buoy at the winery dock, but participants should prepared to turn at the dock if there is no buoy. Look for the row of large palm trees at the winery. Those unfamiliar with the course should use a GPS or study the Google maps to be sure not to miss the turn. Note the “Half Marathon” is approximately 14.5 miles.<br />Participants MUST KEEP STARBOARD NEAR SHORE AT ALL TIMES.<br />The start will be on the ebb tide (flowing downriver). Slack water at the river entrance is at 9:34am, and at the half marathon turnaround at 10:14 and 10:25 at the finish. Marathon rowers will be riding the tides in both direction. Conditions are perfect for new course records.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Nutrition and Hydration:</span><br />The half marathon can be as short as 1.5 hours for a fast double scull to twice that for a recreational paddler in a sea kayak. Double these times for the full marathon. The physical challenges for these distances are linked strongly to good nutrition and good hydration. Make sure you bring enough food and water. Five quarts or more of water and one to two thousand calories may be necessary during the marathon. The are excellent essays by Elizabeth Brown, a former national team rower and currently a sports nutritionist at San José State University are available on this blog at http://petalumarivermarathon.blogspot.com/2007/05/hydration-marathon-how-much-to-dri<span style="font-style:italic;">nk.html.<br />Contact, Info, Questions and Comments:</span><br />Email PetalumaRiverMarathon09@gmail.com <br />Volunteers needed and encouraged.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-57759076204108289062009-05-28T18:13:00.000-07:002009-05-28T18:19:08.531-07:00The 6th Annual Petaluma River Marathon will be Saturday, August 8, 2009This is a brief announcement regarding the date of the Petaluma River Marathon for 2009. It will be Saturday, August 8, 2009. <br /><br />Full details have not been fixed but it is most likely to have a start at 7am. <br /><br />This will be the 6th anniversary of the event, the oldest regular marathon distance event on the US West Coast, and, for those who can relax enough from the racing pressure to notice, the most beautiful.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-19729344243045772562008-08-06T22:07:00.000-07:002008-08-06T22:33:11.835-07:00The 2008 race is on!! Sunday, August 31, 7:00am startThe fifth annual Petaluma River Marathon will be on Sunday, August 31. This year it is informal - no entry fee,no T shirts. Come, bring your lunch. <br /><br />Get to the parking lot with enough time in hand to rig and start at 7:00am. The parking lot location is at 38°13'52.5" N, 122°37'48.8" W (or, alternatively, 38.231250, -122.630222), at the south end of 2nd street in Petaluma. <br /><br />The tides are perfect. This is your chance for the record books. First 13.1 miles on an ebb, next 13.1 miles on a flood. <br /><br />We'll have a ball. More info soon.<br /><br /><br />• Contact: Greg Lewis, greg2lewis@yahoo.com<br /><br />• To enter: just show up, but if you can, please send your plans to Greg Lewis.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-62482193813938240012007-08-09T05:12:00.000-07:002007-08-09T05:18:03.652-07:00Go long on the Petaluma River Sunday morning, September 2The 4th annual Petaluma River Marathon/Half Marathon will take place on Labor Day Sunday morning, September 2, 2007. All classes of rowing and paddling boats are welcome.<br /><br />The river is one of the most beautiful rowing and paddling venus in California, that just happens to be almost precisely the length of a half marathon. In normal circumstances the water is quite flat because the wind is calm, the scenery is stunning and there are very few motorboat wakes.<br /><br />The full marathon (26.2 miles) will begin in Petaluma, go downriver 13.1 miles to the Highway 37 bridge at the mouth of the river, and return to Petaluma. The half marathon will begin at the same point, and turn half way to the Highway 37 bridge.<br /><br />Enter 38.2314° N,122.6294° W in the search box on Google Maps to see the start and finish points. Enter 38.115° N, 122.505° W to see the downstream turn for the marathon.<br /><br />The Petaluma River has significant tidal currents. This year the starting time will be close to max ebb, making the full marathon shorter and faster and the half longer and slower. Start times are 7am for the full=and 8:00 am for the half.<br /><br />Entries are made online at www.Regattacentral.com. Go to http://www.regattacentral.com, Click on the "Regattas" tab on top,<br />Scroll to the date, 9/02, and then select Registration form from the options on the left.<br /><br />The entry fee includes insurance, lunch and a participant's medal for all competitors, along with the race. Any surplus will be for the benefit of Friends of the Petaluma Rivers.<br /><br />The race packet will be posted soon on Regatta Central, as well as websites of the North Bay Rowing Association, The Friends of theRiver, and Berkeley Rowing and Paddling Club.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-8962640782880328172007-07-13T21:06:00.000-07:002007-07-13T21:19:19.980-07:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">Fueling for the Petaluma Marathon</span><br /><br />Editor's note: This post was written by Elizabeth (Izzie) Brown, M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S. Izzie teaches sports nutrition at San Jose State University. Izzie has coached the Women’s Rowing Programs at Mount Holyoke College and Temple University. In 1995 she earned a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Argentina in the lightweight women’s double rowing event.<br /><br />This is the second of two nutrition articles aimed at helping competitors optimize their race day performance. The first article addressed hydration. The questions of why, with what and how were answered. This article is geared to improve food choices during training to make your time on the water count and to give guidelines for fueling on race day.<br /><br />Athletes obtain their calories from four sources, carbohydrates, protein, fat and alcohol. Of course, alcohol does not enhance athletic performance but the other 3 macronutrients do.<br /><br />Protein, found in meat, dairy, soy, grains, legumes and a small amount in vegetables, helps build and repair tissue and is a part of hormones and enzymes. Protein can provide energy for exercise but is not truly designed for that purpose.<br />Fat, found in oil, nuts, fat, dairy and animal foods, and carbohydrate, found in grains, dairy, fruit and vegetables, on the other hand, are designed to provide energy for exercise. So, in order to meet the demands of the Petaluma Marathon, carbohydrate should be the main source of energy while fat contributes a good bit. How much carbohydrate compared to fat that is burned depends entirely on intensity of exercise. Higher exercise or racing intensities results in a greater contribution from carbohydrate and less from fat.<br /><br />Protein contributes anywhere from 5-15% of total calories during training and racing. The percent of protein depends on the carbohydrate content of the diet and the duration of exercise. To a great extent, an athlete consuming a high carbohydrate diet reserves protein for its primary job, tissue building, maintenance and repair, and uses very little for energy. An athlete on a low carbohydrate diet requires the use of protein to meet energy needs regardless of how much fat is in the diet or body fat.<br />Having dispensed with the formalities, there are two crucial periods of time to focus on for training and racing at the Petaluma Marathon. First, you must eat well daily to support proper training. It is reasonable to think that you only race as well as you train. If training is hampered by poor nutrition, your training will be less effective and race day will be less than stellar. So, proper daily nutrition is needed. Second, you must carry fuel during the race to meet your racing energy needs. Even with ideal pre-event eating and drinking, the race is so long that carbohydrate, and possibly protein, is needed during the race.<br /><br />Proper daily fueling means that 50-65% of your calories should come from carbohydrate sources. Protein should comprise 12-20% of calories and fat should make up the balance, 15-30% of calories. Another way to look at it is you should consume about 5 to 10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight. About 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight should be consumed. And fat should make up the balance of your calorie needs. The best way to know how many calories you need, as well as determine how well your diet meets your exercise and health requirements is to use a computer program to analyze it. HYPERLINK "http://Www.mypyramid.gov" Www.mypyramid.gov is a terrific and free analysis program. Use the MyPyramid Tracker on the home page to create an account and then evaluate your eating and exercise habits. Keep in mind if you only enter your diet without entering your exercise, the estimated calories, carbohydrate and protein needs will be low. These are dependant on the type, intensity and quantity of exercise. Add and extra 300-800 extra calories for each hour of rowing or paddling, add one half more grams of protein and 100-200 additional grams of carbohydrate.<br /><br />As for fueling on race day, hydration and carbohydrates are the keys to success. The pre-event meal or snack has a few purposes: primarily to provide hydration and secondarily to provide some carbohydrate or glucose or sugar to the blood so your brain has something to run on after an overnight fast. Thirdly, the pre-event meal should be of low residue, meaning not containing a lot of fiber, and also low in fat. Both contribute to slow gastric emptying and potential gastrointestinal (GI) upset on the racecourse. Satisfying pre-event meals could be yogurt, fruit and water or cereal, milk and juice or French toast, fruit and water or eggs, toast, fruit and juice. The longer time you have before the start of the race the larger the meal can be and the more fat it can contain. Be sure to do a trial run of eating before a practice to see what works best on race day.<br /><br />During the race, plan to consume 0.7-1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight per hour of racing. Sports drinks are the best way to accomplish this. They provide hydration and fuel in a tasty, easy to consume package. Please refer to the article on hydration for details. Of course, you need to train using these products to get your gut used to digesting large quantities while racing. Race day is never the time to try something new. Whether you choose to obtain your calories from drinks, bars or gels is a personal preference. Carbohydrates will get into the bloodstream fastest if obtained from sports drinks in the concentration that the manufacturer recommends. Do not water down your Gatorade, Powerade or other drink. They are made in about a 6% carbohydrate solution, which doesn’t require digestion to get into the blood for transport to working muscles and to your brain. Drinks like Coca Cola, juice and bars and gels all require digestion to be broken down into a form that can enter the blood and used by working muscles. This means that the time to feel better after ingestion is longer if you choose to consume anything more concentrated than sports drinks. There are products that are more energy dense (contain more calories) than sports drinks and come in liquid form so they provide hydration, carbohydrate, protein and fat in an easy-to-digest form and can be consumed during an event. Metabolol is such a product. PowerBar makes one as well, and there are probably more on the market. You would do well to experiment with these products in long training sessions. It may be that sports drinks work well for you until the 90 minute mark and then you need more sustenance before consuming sports drinks again or even water. Water should not be consumed in large quantities especially to the extent that you gain weight during an event. Please refer to the Hydration article written earlier for information on water toxicity.<br /><br />It appears there may be some benefit to including a carbohydrate and protein beverage during long training sessions. Athletes using these products show less muscle breakdown during training, an unfortunate result of long training. Researchers demonstrated that consuming these products on race day hasn’t shown any performance benefit. However, because protein is present, this product may stave off hunger. For some athletes, including protein in your during-event beverage or food my cause some GI upset. Use the products in training to see how you tolerate them. Your GI tract can be trained to handle more fluid and nutrients just as your heart can be trained to pump harder. Be sure to practice drinking the quantities that you anticipate needing on race day during training sessions to evaluate tolerance. If you wish to experiment with sports drinks that have protein in them, PowerBar makes one, Accelrade is another but my preference in Rad Endurance made by Nutribev Science and is available on line at www.nutribevscience.com.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-17813178506321760052007-07-12T17:44:00.000-07:002007-07-13T21:13:10.310-07:00Online Race Registration Now Up on RegattacentralOnline registration for the Petaluma River Marathon/Half Marathon is up on Regattacentral.<br /><br />Go to http://www.regattacentral.com,<br />Click on the "Regattas" tab on top,<br />Scroll to the date, 9/02, and then select Registration form from the options on the left.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-36421917277835434252007-05-30T20:35:00.000-07:002007-05-31T16:08:42.085-07:00Hydration & the marathon: how much to drink?<span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >Editor's note: This post was written by </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(5, 5, 81);font-family:verdana;font-size:78%;" >Elizabeth (Izzie) Brown, M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S.</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" > Izzie teaches sports nutrition at San Jose State University. </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" >Izzie has coached the Women’s Rowing Programs at Mount Holyoke College and Temple University. In 1995 she earned a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Argentina in the lightweight women’s double rowing event.<br /><br /></span><br />Nutrition for a the marathon: Part 1 - Hydration<br /><br />To successfully row and paddle the Petaluma Marathon greatly depends on appropriate training and nutrition. This article is the first of two. Currently, discussion includes the importance and how to’s of hydration. The second article will address carbohydrate, protein and fat consumption necessary for successful completion of this 26-mile event.<br /><br />Dehydration, defined as more body water lost than consumed, compromises performance by inhibiting one’s ability to dissipate heat. When body temperature rises too much, proteins, including enzymes, cook and become ineffective. Think of cooking an egg and how the protein changes or denatures. This same type of change happens when body temperature rises above 104 degrees F, which is not uncommon during exercise. Performance is compromised when as little as 2% body weight is lost. An athlete weighing 180 lbs experiences a decrease in performance with a 3.6 lb loss during a workout or race. An athlete weighing 135 lbs experiences a decrease in performance with a 2.7 lb loss during a workout or race.<br /><br />A discussion of what to do comes next and a discussion of why to do it follows that.<br /><br />What to do<br /><br />For a great marathon performance, match fluid lost with fluid consumed. To do this, consider fluid consumption before, during and after the marathon. In addition to quantity of fluid consumed, timing and type of fluid is important.<br /><br />Before the marathon: Drink enough fluid of any kind, except alcohol-containing fluids, until urine is nearly clear and fairly frequent. A pre-event meal should include plenty of fluids and watery foods – fruit, juice and caffeine-containing beverages, as desired. Drink 16 ounces (oz.) just prior to start of race.<br /><br />During the marathon: Keep in mind thirst and the desire to drink does not match body-water requirements. Thirst is usually triggered when 2% of body weight is lost, an already compromised state. Numerous researchers have demonstrated volitional drinking (drinking when and as much as the athlete wants) during exercise in the heat does not meet needs. So, knowing the amount and frequency of fluid needed, will improve performance. Athletes have two options, which are either use established sweat rates for most athletes or calculate your own sweat rate. See below to calculate individual sweat rate. General guidelines include taking 8 oz. (one cup) of fluid every 15 minutes of exercise. Athletes who are heavy sweaters should consume more. Those who sweat less, compete at a lower intensity, if temperature is cool or humidity is low, less than 8 ounces four times an hour may be adequate.<br /><br />The nature of rowing and paddling makes drinking (and urination) during an event difficult. Stopping to drink from a water bottle every 15 minutes (min) may impede progress (although not drinking will absolutely impede progress and stopping on a regular basis may provide reasonable mental and physical breaks necessary to complete 26 miles). An alternative to consider would be wearing a hydration system on one’s back (Camelback for example). The rower or paddler could drink easily with minimal interruption of rhythm. Also, consider an ice-filled hydration system. What better way to stay cool than to wear an ice pack on one’s back? <br /><br />The challenge when using a hydration system is knowing how much fluid is consumed. With a water bottle it is easy. A 22 oz. bottle should last most athletes 30 min or so, depending on the athlete. How will the athlete using a hydration system know when enough has been consumed? Consider doing a test. Pour 8 oz. of fluid into a cup. Place the hydration system hose into the cup and count how many seconds it takes to suck 8 oz. Plan to suck on the hose for that many seconds every 15 min during the race.<br /><br />Some veterans of rowing marathons have designed ways use the bladder from and flexible hoses that allow them to drink without stopping and also keep weight off their back. Perhaps another article in this series will explain that design.<br /><br />After the marathon: Drink until urination is frequent and urine is nearly clear.<br /><br />Type of beverage<br /><br />Coffee before the race? For many years, caffeinated beverages were taboo for athletes due to their diuretic effect. More recently it was determined that, while caffeine is a diuretic, it is not nearly as detrimental as once believed. Researchers have demonstrated that 2/3 of a caffeinated beverage contributes to hydration. Thus, if one consumes 12 oz. of coffee, 8 oz. will go toward promoting hydration. So drink caffeine-containing beverages, if desired. Caffeine may even provide an ergogenic effect, allowing the race to feel easier than it really is.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">During the marathon, drink sports drinks.</span> Sports drinks, either branded or homebrew, are essential. Examples of branded products are Gatorade, Powerade, or Allsport (6% sugar solution). A combination of sports drinks and water would be a second choice.<br /><br />Why sports drinks? Because in addition to sugar, they contain contains sodium, potassium and chloride. These electrolytes accelerate the liquid absorption into the blood stream faster than water. Also, the flavor will promote consumption more than plain water. <br /><br />There has been some press coverage of crises and even death from drinking too much water in a marathon. These are extreme cases, and one should be aware that the culprit is too much water, not too much liquid. Water without sodium and potassium salts dilutes the salts in the bloodstream, and that dilution of sodium is the source of the problem.<br /><br />Why athletes need to stay hydrated<br /><br />Ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity and solar radiation contribute to body temperature changes. Factors that increase body temperature above that generated by exercise include high ambient temperature, above body temperature, through convection and conduction and solar radiation both directly from the sun and reflected off the water. Factors that lower body temperature include evaporation of sweat and conduction and convection from air and wind passing by exposed skin. The most effective method of cooling is evaporation. Think of how one’s skin feels when being swabbed with alcohol before blood donation or shots. Evaporation, however, is inhibited when relative humidity is high. Humidity is a measure of how much moisture is present in the air. When water content in the air is low, evaporation of sweat occurs (think of osmosis) and results in cooling. When water content in the air is high, little evaporation thus little cooling occurs. So imagine a dry cool breezy race day and cooling will occur readily. If race day is cool with fog and no wind, cooling by evaporation will not occur. Add to this day, the burning off of fog after one hour and then a slight breeze with an increase in ambient temperature, evaporation, convection and conduction will occur but adequate fluids must be consumed to allow heat dissipation.<br />Wear light colored clothing that wicks moisture away form the skin for evaporation. Poor ventilated clothing can create a humid environment next to the skin even on dry days. The direction of wind also makes a difference in cooling. Moving into a head wind promotes cooling through convection and conduction; in a tail wind cooling by convection and conduction is inhibited. When cooling is inhibited, sweating will increase in an attempt to dissipate heat, making appropriate hydration even more important.<br /><br />Determining Sweat Rate<br />For those who want more personalized information about how much fluid to consume, determine your sweat rate. To a great extent sweat rate depends on exercise intensity, ambient temperature and humidity. So, when determining sweat rate, pick a day and a workout (race pace workout but not of race duration) that most closely matches conditions on race day.<br />1) Weigh yourself naked right before your workout and write it down.<br />2) Workout at the intensity you plan to race at.<br />3) Drink fluids as you normally would.<br />4) Weigh yourself naked after working out.<br />5) Subtract your post-exercise weight from your pre-exercise weight. This represents water weight lost during a workout.<br />6) If you drank during your workout, weigh how much you drank. (remember that 16 oz. water weighs 1 lb. )<br />7) Add weight of fluids consumed to water weight lost during exercise (#5).<br />8) Convert duration of workout into hours.<br />9) Divide water weight lost by workout duration in hours.<br />10) Convert lbs of water back into oz. by multiplying by 16 oz. The resulting figure represents sweat rate in oz. per hour. Simply match intake during the race to sweat rate to promote thermoregulation.<br /><br />Example:<br />180 lbs (pre-exercise weight) – 175 lbs (post-exercise weight) = 5 lbs water lost<br />Consumed 22 oz. water bottle during = 1 _ lbs<br />Total water lost = 6 _ lbs<br />90 min workout or 1 _ hours: 6 _ lbs / 1 _ hours = 4.3 lbs per hour sweat rate<br />4.3 lbs x 16 oz. = 69 oz must be consumed to match fluid losses.<br /><br />This represents slightly more than 3 water bottles each hour. Few athletes will carry that much fluid during a workout but to successfully complete the marathon, challenge yourself to do so and watch a terrific race unfold.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7731881858587363899.post-72670603728150385322007-05-24T21:50:00.000-07:002007-08-09T05:15:31.814-07:00Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0