This Mile
Gun about to fire. Don't let the corral surge pull you. First two miles at 11:30/mi — that is the plan.
11:30min/mi target
The taper reserve is real but spendable. Don't spend it before mile 20.
What you'll feel
First mile feels too easy. That is correct. Don't fix it. HR settling toward 148–150 is the win.
Walk Break Timer (12:1)
0:00
Target: 12:00
Fuel Status — Grit Sips (every ~30 min)
Sips taken: 0 / 8 · 24g carbs / sip · single Grit container, sipped 8×
Glycogen Tracker (live)
— kcal
· tap "Start Race Timer" to begin tracking
Quick Actions
Race Timer
--:--:--
Tap "Start Race Timer" at gun (7:33 AM)
The Governing Rule
Sips only when HR < 155.
Glucose absorption collapses at Z4. A gel taken at HR 170 on the 15-miler was ~20% absorbed. The rest was wasted — and burdened your gut. HR is a direct read on whether the gut can absorb. Clock isn't. Small dose ≠ free pass — the absorption ceiling is set by HR, not gel size.
Time to sip? (every ~30 min)
YES — at scheduled mile
NO — wait for next window
↓ if YES ↓
Is HR < 155?
YES → take sip
NO → walk to drop, then sip
↓ override ↓
Past mile 22?
YES → take if you can swallow
NO → keep the gate
Sip Schedule (every ~30 min)
Pre-race
Pre-race meal 1.5–2 hr before gun. 60–80g carbs, low fiber, low fat. Whatever you've tested. Plus collagen 15g + Vit C 500mg.
Mile 3
Sip 1 from Grit container. ~T+30. HR < 155 first.
Mile 6
Sip 2 from Grit container. ~T+1:00.
Mile 10
Sip 3 from Grit container. ~T+1:45. Post-hill — let HR drop first if it spiked on mile 9.
Mile 13
Sip 4 from Grit container. ~T+2:15. Halfway point — container should be ~half empty.
Mile 16
Sip 5 from Grit container. ~T+2:50.
Mile 19
Sip 6 from Grit container. ~T+3:25. Lonely zone — discipline holds.
Mile 22
Sip 7 from Grit container. ~T+4:00. Past-22 override applies — take if you can swallow.
Mile 25
Sip 8 from Grit container (last). ~T+4:35. Final fuel for the kick.
Aid stations
Liquid IV / Nuun at every aid you can hit cleanly. Sip don't gulp. Electrolytes & glucose dosed independently.
Post-race
Whey 25–30g + carbs 80–100g within 30 min. Both. Protein-only is incomplete — glycogen needs carbs.
Grit Container — Composition
Banana (mashed)2, ~210 kcal, 54g carbs, K+
Honey8 tbsp, ~512 kcal, 130g carbs, fast simple
Salt1/2 tsp — Na+/glucose co-transport
Lemon squeezepalatability
Per container (2 batches mixed)722 kcal / 192g carbs
Per sip (1/8 container)~90 kcal / ~24g carbs
All 8 sips from one container — mark mental eighth-lines on the bottle before the gun (or eyeball quarters: sip 2 ≈ 1/4 down, sip 4 ≈ halfway, sip 6 ≈ 3/4 down).
Why Early Beats Late
On the 15-miler, fuel landed 21 min late vs the T+30 target. Glucose arrived into an already-depleted gut → low absorption + GI distress. The lesson is permanent: early > on-time > late. Don't wait for the rumble. The 30-min cadence is the insurance — small steady doses keep the gut working and the tank topped.
Glycogen Math (your numbers)
Starting glycogen~1,300 kcal
Marathon burn (est)~2,800–3,000 kcal
Bonk window if unfueled~mile 17–20
With 8 sips (~192g carbs)covered to finish
Small frame (120 lbs) means small glycogen tank in absolute terms. Margin for fueling error is narrow. The HR-gate exists because every wasted sip costs more here than on a 180-lb frame. The 30-min cadence spreads the absorption load so no single dose has to do too much work.
Current Temp (°F)
No adjustmentstandard pace
Heat-Adjusted Pace Lookup
| Temp | Adjustment | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| < 60°F | None | 10:30/mi |
| 60–65°F | +15 sec/mi | 10:45/mi |
| 65–70°F | +30 sec/mi | 11:00/mi |
| 70–75°F | +45 sec/mi | 11:15/mi |
| > 75°F | +60 sec/mi | 11:30+ /mi |
Why This Is Law
Above 60°F, blood flow shifts toward skin for cooling. Same pace = higher HR. If you hold pace, you breach the cap; if you respect the cap (157), pace must drop. The cap is the law. Pace is the variable.
Your forecast: low-50s at gun, ~70°F by finish. The back half will likely need +30–45 sec/mi. Don't fight it.
Forecast (last checked 2026-04-21)
Gun (7:33 AM)Low-to-mid 50s
Mile 13 (~9:45)Mid-60s
Finish (~12:30)Approaching 70°F
Rain chance10%
Heat Red Flags
Goose bumps in heat. Stopped sweating. Confusion / disorientation. Severe muscle cramps that don't resolve with walk + electrolytes. Any of these → stop, find aid station. Heat illness is non-negotiable.
The Watch's Job
Walk-break beeps every 12:00. HR ceiling alert at 157. Pace + distance display. Your watch is the timing surface; this site is the context surface. Set the workout up tonight, not race morning.
Setup — Apple Watch Custom Workout
watchOS 9+ required. Done on the Apple Watch directly, not the iPhone Watch app.
- On Apple Watch: press Digital Crown → open Workout app.
- Find Outdoor Run. Tap the "..." (three dots) on its tile.
- Scroll down → tap Create Workout.
- Choose Custom.
- Add a Warm Up step → goal: Open. (You'll skip this manually at the gun.)
- Add a Work step → goal: Time 12:00. Tap Add Alert → Heart Rate → Above → set to 157 BPM.
- Add a Recovery step → goal: Time 1:00.
- Tap the Repeat control → set to 25 (covers ~5 hours of 12:1 cycles, you'll finish well before).
- Add a Cool Down step → goal: Open.
- Save as "Marathon".
Workout Display Views
From the Workout app, tap "..." next to your Marathon workout → Workout Views. Make sure these are visible:
- Heart Rate (current BPM) — primary
- Pace (current /mi)
- Distance
- Elapsed Time
- Average HR
Battery + Reliability
- Charge to 100% tonight (cable on nightstand)
- Disable Always-On Display for the workout (Settings → Display → Always On → off) to extend battery
- Open the Workout once tonight to confirm it's saved & syncs
- Disable cellular data on watch if you don't need it (Control Center → cellular off) — saves significant battery
- Check that HR sensor is on Auto, not Off (Settings → Privacy → Health)
Race-Morning Watch Checklist
- Watch on wrist, snug — looser than usual = bad HR readings
- Watch shows 100% (or near it) after overnight charge
- Open Workout app, find your "Marathon" custom workout, leave selected
- At gun: tap to start workout. Skip the warm-up step (long-press → next).
- First mile: glance at HR. Should be climbing toward 145–150.
If the Watch Fails
Battery dies, sensor glitches, workout doesn't load — fall back to phone. This site has the walk-break timer (Now tab). HR readings: take pulse manually at the wrist for 15 sec × 4. Pace: use any aid-station mile marker or course signage. The watch is a tool; the protocol runs without it.
Saahas,
You're sitting on top of a 5-week build that did exactly what it was supposed to do. The Mar 28 15-miler taught us HR-gated fueling — paid for in a wasted gel and a rough finish, but the lesson is permanent. The Apr 6 20-miler validated the metabolic model, the gel timing, the walk-break ratio. The taper closed clean: tibia is quiet, resting HR is at baseline, the work is in the bank.
Tomorrow is execution, not exploration. The plan is locked. Your job is to run the protocol you've been training for 5 weeks: 11:30/mi off the line, Z2 cap at 157, 12:1 walk breaks, gel only when HR < 155, slow 15–30 sec/mi over 60°F, no internal conversation past mile 20. That's the whole game. Everything else is noise.
Three things to remember:
1. The taper reserve is real but spendable. You earned it. Don't spend it before mile 20. Every mile under HR cap in the first half is a mile banked for the second half. Discipline up front is permission to compete in the back half.
2. The lonely stretch from miles 18–22 is where the race is decided. Champaign back half. Crowds will thin. Heat will be climbing. This is where the discipline pays — or doesn't. The mantra: "no internal conversation past mile 20." You're not talking to yourself. You're just running.
3. You are a 5'9", 120-lb former 800m specialist with a 2:16/800 PB and a 1:53 half marathon off zero base. You have engine. The chassis is what we've been protecting — 5 weeks of careful loading, 12:1 walk breaks, conservative Z2 pacing, collagen+C, the diagnostic Apr 9. Trust it.
Cross the line. No stress fracture, no acute injury. Executed HR-gated fueling and walk-break discipline. That's the whole goal. Time is an output, not a target.
— Coach
Gear Lay-Out
- Pin race bib to race shirt now (don't fight pins in the morning)
- Race shirt + bib, laid out
- Shorts you've trained in
- Race socks (the pair you've trained in — no new socks)
- Race shoes, laced loose, by the door
- Throwaway long-sleeve / hoodie for start corral (low-50s, will warm up fast)
- Sunglasses (will be sunny by mile 13)
- Hat (optional, helps with sun + sweat)
- Body Glide on known chafe spots (do tonight too as preview)
- Apple Watch on charger, cable on nightstand
- Phone on charger
- AirPods if using (charged)
Fuel Pack
- Grit container — squeeze flask or sip-friendly bottle, 2 batches mixed (banana + honey + salt + lemon), eighth-lines marked. Pocket where you can reach mid-stride.
- 1–2 backup commercial gels (just in case)
- 2–3 Liquid IV packets pocketed
- Pre-race meal ingredients ready (whatever you've tested)
Body Prep
- Magnesium glycinate 200–400 mg ~30 min before bed
- Small water bottle bedside (sips overnight if waking)
- Light dinner — no heavy fats, no new foods, just carbs
- Stop eating ~2 hours before bed (no late snacks)
Sleep Prep
- Alarm set: 5:45 AM
- Phone DND on, no doomscrolling tonight
- Watch workout setup verified (see Watch tab)
- Lights out by 10:30 PM ideal
5:45 AM
Wake. Bathroom. Don't check phone news. Don't doomscroll. Just move.
5:50
Pre-run nutrition: collagen 15g + Vit C 500mg.
5:55
Pre-race meal — whatever you've tested. 60–80g carbs, low fiber, low fat. ~1.5–2 hr before gun.
6:15
Mix Liquid IV. Sip don't gulp.
6:30
Final gear check: bib pinned, gels pocketed, watch on + workout loaded, phone charged + this site open. Body Glide.
6:40
Leave for State Farm Center.
6:45
Arrive State Farm Center, park north side (free).
6:50–7:10
Bathroom queue (porta-potty lines build). Stay warm in the shelters. Sip Liquid IV.
7:10
Light dynamic warmup: 5 min easy walk → 2 min easy jog → leg swings, hip circles, ankle rolls. Don't overcook. Save legs.
7:25
Final bathroom if needed.
7:28
Drop throwaway layer in donation bin → corral.
7:30
In corral. Slow breath: in-2-3-4, out-2-3-4-5-6.
7:33 GUN
Start watch workout. Tap "Start Race Timer" on this site. 11:30/mi for the first two miles. No surge. Let HR find 148–150.
Tap any mile to jump there in the Now tab.
Cadence beats pace.
The taper reserve is real but spendable.
Trust the chassis. The chassis got 5 weeks.
One breath at a time.
5K. You've done thousands.
Discipline now is permission later.
No internal conversation past mile 20.
Walk is part of the plan, not a failure.
Slow earns fast.
The gun is not the race.
Cap is the law. Pace is the variable.
You are an 800m engine. The hard part is the slow part.
Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon
Start~State Farm Center, First St
Finish50-yard line, Memorial Stadium
CourseFlat, USATF-certified
Cutoff6 hours
HillSmall, ~mile 9
Lonely zoneMile 18–22 (Champaign)
Aid stationsFrequent, Nuun electrolytes
ParkingFree at State Farm Center north
Geographic Flow
0–8: Campus → east into Urbana (residential streets). Settling miles.
9: The small hill. Don't attack.
10–13: Meadowbrook Park. Quieter, prettier. Halfway around mile 13.
14–17: Back through campus. Crowds return briefly.
18–22: Champaign back stretch. The lonely zone.
23–25: Savoy turnaround → back toward campus.
26 → 26.2: Memorial Stadium. 50-yard line. Jumbotron replay. Earned.
9: The small hill. Don't attack.
10–13: Meadowbrook Park. Quieter, prettier. Halfway around mile 13.
14–17: Back through campus. Crowds return briefly.
18–22: Champaign back stretch. The lonely zone.
23–25: Savoy turnaround → back toward campus.
26 → 26.2: Memorial Stadium. 50-yard line. Jumbotron replay. Earned.
Stop Immediately
- ⚠️ Sharp, localized shin/tibia pain — stress reaction. DNF over fracture. Walk to nearest aid station.
- ⚠️ Chest pain / pressure / radiating discomfort — aid station now.
- ⚠️ Dizziness / disorientation / can't track surroundings — heat illness or hyponatremia. Stop, sit, ask for medical.
- ⚠️ Stopped sweating in heat / chills + goosebumps — heat stroke prodrome. Stop, get shade.
- ⚠️ Severe muscle cramps that don't release with walk + electrolytes — hyponatremia possible. Stop, salt + water.
Slow / Walk More (don't stop yet)
- 🟡 HR > 160 sustained at "easy" effort → walk extended, pace down. If unresolved over 5 min → re-evaluate.
- 🟡 Diffuse muscle DOMS / general fatigue → normal. Cadence + walk break + breathe. Run on.
- 🟡 GI distress (mild) → walk to absorb, pause fueling until it resolves.
- 🟡 Side stitch → walk + deep diaphragmatic breath, push fingers below ribs. Resolve before resuming.
DOMS vs Injury
DOMS: dull, diffuse, improves with movement, both sides similar. Injury: sharp, localized, persistent, same spot every step, often one side. If unsure, slow down for a mile and reassess. If localizes and intensifies → stop.
First 30 minutes
- Walk 10–15 min — DO NOT SIT. Flush legs, prevent blood pooling.
- Hydrate immediately — small sips, electrolytes (Liquid IV).
- Eat what's offered at the finish (banana, pretzel, etc.). Get carbs in.
- 27th-Mile Celebrate Victory Bash — show bib for free drink (optional).
- Whey 25–30g + carbs 80–100g within 30 min of finish. Both, not one.
30 min – 6 hours
- Walk 5 min every hour — keeps circulation up
- Continue hydrating throughout the day
- Light real meal 2–3 hours post-race (carbs + protein, low fat first)
- Cold shower or Epsom bath if available (15 min max)
- Legs up against wall 10 min twice — drains
First 24 hours
- Easy 20–30 min walk next morning (Apr 26)
- Continue hydration through day 1
- Magnesium glycinate before bed
- Watch for sharp localized pain (especially shin/tibia) — flag if any
- Sleep is the recovery tool. Prioritize 9+ hours.
Days 2–7
- NO RUNNING for 5–7 days. Bone needs to remodel; tendons need time. The taper risk doesn't disappear at the finish line.
- Walking, light cycling OK after 48 hrs
- Track resting HR daily — should return to ~60 within 4–5 days
- Any sharp/localized pain that persists past 72 hrs → see medical
- First run back: 20–30 min Z2 only. Walk if HR drifts. Build slow.
Open Question for Later
"Post-race recovery plan — how long before resuming structured training?" lives in [[projects/running/index]] as an open question. After this race, the answer becomes lived data, not theoretical. Note: re-introduction of structured training comes after symptom resolution AND a full week of normal RHR, not just calendar days.
Clear Saved Mile / Timer / Checklists
Wipes mile counter, walk timer, fuel marks, and checklist progress. Use after the race or if testing tonight.