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Post by GUTS Admin on Mar 26, 2007 8:53:55 GMT -5
If you ran the Inaugural ING Georgia Marathon, you know what I mean by "shortage". But it turns out that the race is not to blame. I can't reveal my sources, but I'm told that Publix is at fault for not delivering ANY Powerade. I'd love to know more details, though. I personally loved the course. And the neighborhood support was great! Also like the technical Mizuno shirt. Hopefully they'll get the kinks worked out for next year and this race will continue to be a premier event.
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Post by colonel on Mar 26, 2007 10:17:17 GMT -5
I'm not sure ZERO can be called a "shortage". Running out is a shortage! They didn't have any to start with! LOL
You're right about the course. Absolutely beautiful! With the cherry trees, dogwoods and azaleas blooming it was very scenic. And whoever set up the route should get a big pat on the back. Great tour of some nice old neighborhoods and landmarks!
I'm just glad I carried a bottle. Also it was my daughter's first marathon. That, combined with the heat, would have been a formula for disaster if we had not brought our own GU and Gatorade.
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Phil
Dazed & Confused Runner
Posts: 29
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Post by Phil on Mar 26, 2007 12:53:32 GMT -5
I also carried a bottle. Started out with PowerAde. Ended up with taking more S! caps than I had planned, along with plenty of Clif Shots. I finally got more PowerAde when I hit the 17-mile aid station. That must be when Publix arrived with the goods.
-- Phil
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Post by GUTS Admin on Mar 26, 2007 12:59:00 GMT -5
I also carried a bottle. Started out with PowerAde. Ended up with taking more S! caps than I had planned, along with plenty of Clif Shots. I finally got more PowerAde when I hit the 17-mile aid station. That must be when Publix arrived with the goods. -- Phil There's a Publix right around the corner from mile 17
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Post by richcheese on Mar 26, 2007 16:46:04 GMT -5
I worked near the aid station at mile 24. They never had any Powerade, but they did have some sports drink about mid-race.
They only had some briefly. I think someone went to the store and bought gallon bottles of Gatorade!
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Phil
Dazed & Confused Runner
Posts: 29
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Post by Phil on Mar 26, 2007 19:51:24 GMT -5
They only had some briefly. I think someone went to the store and bought gallon bottles of Gatorade! At that aid station I started grabbing their 1/3 filled cups and dumping them into my bottle. When they saw what I was doing, someone took my bottle and put the entire thing into their container of PowerAde to fill it up. I probably got more than most. Feeling a bit guilty now.
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Post by mateoloco on Mar 27, 2007 10:35:34 GMT -5
There was Powerade at 2 stations early in the race (mile 4 and either 8 or 10), but they obviously quickly ran out. To make matters worse, there were signs indicating stations at miles 6 and 11, but they weren't there when I ran past. So there were only stations at 2, 4, 8 and 10 in the first 11 miles, far too few on day that quickly grew hot. The crowd support was much better than I imagined, so thanks to all who came out. I had gels with me, but I definitely could have used the Powerade.
Here's how my race went (feel free to stop reading): I was running my first marathon (although I did the fat ass 50k) and shooting for a Boston qualifier (sub 3:11), and although I was had a 1:45 cushion (with the pacing team--they were great) at mile 23, I couldn't make it through those last three uphill miles fast enough to break 3:11. I ran 7:50 for miles 24 and 25, meaning that I needed to run a 7:30 pace for the last 1.2 to qualify. I tried to pick it up and managed to keep it up for about a half mile, but I finally broke at 25.5 and started walking. I knew that I would be agonizingly close (anywhere from 10-30 seconds off), and I couldn't stomach being able to see the finish line when the clock struck 3:11. I finished in 3:14:31, which is nothing to sneeze at. I can only imagine that those two water stations and the additional electrolytes would have helped me through the last three miles a little faster. Thanks for reading my rant.
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Post by Tapering on Mar 27, 2007 11:43:56 GMT -5
I didn't run the race (turns out that I could have) so this will be the peanut gallery talking, however I have experienced a similar situation.
I'm always amazed that as hard as we train to perform @ our pike for a specific race, we discard all the things that got us there. Too often we leave it in the hands of the race organizers to provide those same things we have sooooo carefully took the time to monitor and control (gels, fluids, etc...).
It's impossible for race organizers to cater to everyone's needs, therefore following the plan that got you to the dance is the best plan of all. If that means carrying a little extra stuff for hot days(fluids, gels etc...), it may be worth it, you never now??!!
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Post by guinness301 on Mar 27, 2007 17:29:38 GMT -5
I had a great time, met up with some old friends and enjoyed the scenery, very supportive crowds and volunteers.
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Post by GUTS Admin on Mar 27, 2007 19:14:46 GMT -5
Hey Tapering, I agree with you completely. EXCEPT that this was a BIG race advertising lots of supplies. Don't get me wrong...my overall impression of the event is fantastic! The crowd support was awesome 1! And the volunteers are, as always, fabulous. But this race surely had have a lot of newbies who didn't know what to carry 2, or a lot of runners who totally believe that the race should provide everything. So in this heat, having no electrolyte replacement was a rather big deal. But other than that I totally agree with you ;D Do I still get to go borrow your trebuchet for Sweet H2O, you silly English kenigit? 1 A big shout out to Decatur for winning the neighborhood challenge from ING! $10,000 to a local non-profit group![/size] 2Around mile 6 when we realized that the aid station wasn't there, one lady running near me made the comment that she'd run two marathons and they'd never run out of water. I thought, lady, I've run well over a hundred, most of them longer than the marathon distance, and I've had LOTS of 'em run out of fluids
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Post by richcheese on Mar 28, 2007 8:02:30 GMT -5
As a worker I was also expecting to see supplies available. I brought one bottle of Gatorade just in case and ended up sharing it with a poor (hung-over??) woman who was stuck in her car for hours waiting to cross the race course. I didn't hear there was a course-wide shortage until after the race had ended. I just though the nearby station didn't get stocked. Thinking back, there wasn't a GUTS TM aid station because we "didn't have the required minimum number of people" or some such. I'd bet if we'd had water (and perhaps just a little PowerAde), just two people could have hosted "the little aid station that could". Sure we could never host an aid station without help, but I bet if just every 20th runner or so volunteered for just 30 seconds, no one would have gone thirsty. Even easier we could have wrangled some spectators to help. ;D
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Post by surftrip on Mar 28, 2007 12:21:28 GMT -5
Greetings group. Joined GUTS today ...well, mailed my $ today, anyway... Next Race: Twisted Ankle Trail Marathon
I really found the ING to be a really great race. I can't help but wonder why people run if they are so affected by hills. The hills were tough, but running marathons are supposed to be tough - I don't quite understand the grumbling I heard throughout the race.
I won't comment on hydration - it's been beat to death.
The only thing I haven't heard mentioned was the unusual inclusion of Freedom Parkway. This is where I saw many runners lose it - and I was almost one of 'em. Thank GOD for the Inman residents and their fruit and drinks.
The race was so scenic and beautiful ...and then came that highway. {egad} ...what an awful time to be dumped out into the hot, hot early sun - yikes. I would have been fine running some additional Inman Park neighborhood streets and forgoing the trek on the Parkway.
But that's easy to bitch about because I was tired, hot and cranky by then... I still loved the race and the challenges made it that much better. I will definitly run it again next year.
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DobeRunr
Stunned Runner
Dobes gone wild!
Posts: 60
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Post by DobeRunr on Mar 28, 2007 15:25:38 GMT -5
I think that expectations are the problem. When you pay a lot of money to run in a big, high-profile road race you have the right to expect good support. Particularly when it's organized by an organization like ING, who are certainly not new at race sponsorship. It's not a fat-ass race, after all. Still, I was glad I had some Clif Bloks and s-caps, and wish I'd had a bottle. Water and Powerade aside, I thought it was a really great race and course.
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Post by surftrip on Mar 28, 2007 16:36:11 GMT -5
Actually DobeRunr, that's a GREAT point.
I think My S!Caps and Bloks saved me from hella cramps on Sunday. I sweat a lot so I pop'd an S!Cap about every 40 minutes (instead of every hour) and sucked on the Bloks and it made things a lot better.
I don't dare count on the race for my nutrition. People like me (clydesdale, sweater, large caloric need) need to fend for themselves and use the race benefits ...as benefits.
{grins}
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Post by slowguy on Mar 28, 2007 18:43:51 GMT -5
Cheers to the kind souls who passed out ice. I carried nothing as usual. But hey, if they can climb Everest without oxygen, then I should be able to do a road run without water.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2007 20:38:54 GMT -5
Yeah, I agree. If I had paid twenty bucks to run a race with 150 other people then I wouldn't have expected any kind of support. I don't feel that I got what I paid for in this race.
That said, I loved the course and the crowd support. This race was a learning experience for me. I think you learn more when things go badly than when the go well, and I learned a lot from this race. Hopefully, I won't make the same mistakes again.
I may run the half next year just to support this event, because I think it could be a great race someday.
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Post by GUTS Admin on Feb 6, 2008 19:27:21 GMT -5
Official email from the race committee for 2008 said: In other words, they know they screwed up and intend for it to never happen again
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slwrunner
GUTS Member
If you start to feel good during an ultra, don't worry you will get over it.
Posts: 257
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Post by slwrunner on Feb 6, 2008 20:51:41 GMT -5
Or they know they screwed up and if it happens again... THEY wont be at fault. Either way run with a bottle. ;D
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Post by lucinda on Feb 6, 2008 21:18:34 GMT -5
I wanted to run the HM last year, but was sidelined due to a stress fracture.
I'm really excited about this year's event. I'm going to be a "bike angel" for one of the wheelchair athletes competing in the HM. I get to ride along with racer to help guide them along the course. How cool is that!!
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Post by GUTS Admin on Feb 7, 2008 9:17:13 GMT -5
Or they know they screwed up and if it happens again... THEY wont be at fault. Either way run with a bottle. ;D Or cash That's what saved me and my running gang last year!
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