Prior to purchasing the Peloton Tread, I spent a lot of time researching different treadmills, asking my Instagram followers for recommendations, talking to friends, and also going to Dick’s Sporting Goods to talk to someone (unbiased to any one brand) and try running on some treadmills.

After much deliberation, I ultimately chose the Peloton Tread for a variety of reasons. A big influence was that when I polled my Instagram followers, Peloton was the most-recommended treadmill. In addition, no one had issues with it. Those are two big selling points in my book. There were a lot of nice features on the Peloton Tread, and it was also in my budget (Side note: if I had an unlimited budget, I would have purchased a Woodway treadmill.)

Overall, I am incredibly happy with my decision as it has been a great machine over the past year. I haven’t had any issues with it, I enjoy running on it, and I love the aesthetics of how streamlined and minimal it looks.

I use my treadmill two to three times a week during the winter and about once a week during the summer months. Living in Minnesota makes running outdoors fast in the winter challenging since the ground is often covered in snow and/or ice. And if the ground isn’t slippery, is often below zero with the windchill, and those temps make breathing difficult and my muscles do not work well in those temperatures when running fast. So these are the conditions that often drive me to the treadmill in the winter.

So let’s review what I like and don’t like about the Peloton Tread.

Things I Love About the Peloton Tread:

Belt
I’ve run on quite a few treadmills over the years, and the Peloton is just as good as any commercial model I’ve run on. The belt feels smooth when running on it with no hitches when changing speeds. The motor helps the belt change paces smoothly and quickly, which was an important feature for me. The machine will go up to 12.5 mph and even at these faster paces, I feel confident running on it.

The belt space to run on is ample: front to back as well as side to side with the belt being 59 inches long and 20 inches wide. I love that there is no “guard” on the front of the treadmill because sometimes I do end up running too far forward and kicking the front plastic piece on the treadmill of other machines I’ve run on.

Speed/Incline Dial
A big “must” for me in a treadmill was that I needed to be able to change the speed of the treadmill easily and quickly. I primarily use the treadmill for interval workouts so I am changing the speed from a tempo or fast interval pace, down to a recovery pace that is two or three minutes slower. Ideally, I like to minimize the “down” time as the belt changes to the speed, so having a machine that changed speeds quickly was important to me.

On the handrail of the Peloton is a dial that you roll forward to increase the speed and roll back towards you to decrease the speed. The dial rolls smoothly and within a second, I can change the speed up or down quickly. This is an ingenious innovation, and I absolutely love this feature.

There is also a dial on the left handrail that changes the incline of the treadmill. The treadmill goes up to a 12.5% incline, and you can also push a button in the middle of the dial to change the incline by 1%.

Durability
When I asked my followers for treadmill recommendations–if I remember correctly, I don’t think anyone told me of any issues they had with their Peloton machine. This gave me a lot of confidence when buying one myself, and I, too, have not had any issues in the past 12 months of owning it.

The treadmill also feels very durable to run on. I do not notice any bounce in the machine when running on it. My treadmill is in our garage on top of a thick rubber flooring that we purchased from a gym that was renovating their space. I’ve run at 5:00 min/mi pace, and even at that pace, the machine does not shake very much.

Screen
The huge screen is really nice to watch the Peloton classes on or your streaming services: Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ along with several other options. It is a touch screen and has a very user-friendly set-up. I also really like that it requires a passcode in order to use the treadmill, so my kids can’t go and start the treadmill on their own.

I know a lot of people love Peloton for all the different classes they offer and the virtual community that can be built. Maybe surprisingly, I actually don’t take any of the classes. I did try out the monthly subscription when I first bought the treadmill (You get 30 days free.), but I found I would rather watch a show or movie than take a class.

I currently don’t pay for the monthly subscription. I wasn’t using the treadmill during the summer months to justify paying the cost of the subscription. I can still use the machine without a subscription– I just have a big blank screen to stare at which is kind of a bummer.

I did opt to purchase the Tread with the regular belt versus the Tread+ with the cushioned belt. The Tread+ was outside my budget, and it was going to take longer to get to me. When I was interested in purchasing a treadmill in November 2023, the Tread+ wasn’t going to ship until January or February of 2024, and I didn’t want to wait that long to have a treadmill.

I did end up running on my friend’s Tread+ and honestly, I didn’t think it was worth twice the cost of the regular Tread. If something costs twice as much, it has to have several other features to make it worth. The Tread+ does offer an even bigger screen (The Tread has an ample sized screen in my opinion.), a larger footprint (not important to me), and the cushioned belt. However, I didn’t think the cushioned belt was that much nicer. Plus, the Tread+ was very loud! (The Tread feels like your average loud-ness of other treadmills I’ve used.)

The one “con” to the machine isn’t a true con but rather a word of caution and something I wish I would have known about before purchasing the treadmill. I didn’t realized that if you want to watch your streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, plus several other ones), you do have to purchase the Peloton All-Access Membership each month in order to do so. This means you do have to pay the $44 monthly fee for the Peloton classes to then be able to access streaming services. I don’t think this would have lead me to purchase a different treadmill, but I kind of wish I would have understood this prior.

I did consider many other treadmill brands including: SOLE, NordicTrack, and ProForm. I also looked at the Landice, Bowflex, Assult, and Woodway treadmills. I really considered purchasing a NordicTrack as that is what I had back in Alaska, but I had too many people tell me about issues they had with their NordicTrack: break-downs shortly after purchasing, problems with customer service, a hard time getting parts, or getting their machine serviced. I just felt like it was too risky to take that chance even though I love how bouncy their treadmills are.

Overall, I am super happy with my purchase, and I do feel like it is one of the best treadmills out there. I would highly recommend it to an avid runner who wants a reliable machine and will be putting a lot of miles on it.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave anything in the comments below.

One of the most commonly-asked questions I get is in regards to good footwear for the snow and ice that many of us have to deal with during the winter. When I lived in Alaska, Anchorage had a solid 6 months of winter, and during that time, the roads are covered in snow and ice that entire time. It made training really difficult, but good footwear made it possible.

There are two different traction devices I use for running on the ice and snow. I prefer the Icebugs (left picture) when running on icy surfaces, and I find the studded shoes with screws (right picture) grip better on the snow.

Icebugs
The Icebug running shoes come with carbide steel studs already in the bottom of the shoe when you purchase them. Each stud is pretty short, so there isn’t a lot of length to grip into deep snow, but they are absolutely amazing on the ice. When I wear these shoes, I feel so confident running on the ice, and even the slipperiest black ice is no match for these shoes. I can take corners at 90 degrees and have no fear falling while wearing these. We got quite a bit of ice in Anchorage where the temps will warm up, and then everything will melt, before refreezing into one big skating rink, so these shoes were vital for the winters in Anchorage.

There are a few different models that vary from waterproof to water-resistant and less cushioning to more cushioning. The up-front cost of these shoes is a little higher, but I get a ton of miles out of them. My previous pairs lasted three winters, and I used them nearly every day. I have never lost any of the studs, but if you happen to, the company will send you a replacement stud.

One thing to note about these shoes is that they are not quiet. They make a fairly loud click-clacking sound on the ice, so you might wake up the neighbor’s dog when heading out for a run. Ha! The other thing to note is that you can wear these on dry pavement without damaging the studs. It isn’t too uncomfortable to run on dry pavement in these, but I prefer to run on ice or snow when wearing these so the studs have something to dig into.

I have worn the Icebug NewRun and Icebug Arcus models. Both are great with a little more cushion in the Arcus. Sometimes you can find previous models on Amazon, depending upon your size. And I would have these same suggested models for the men as well.

Icebugs are not the only brand of studded shoes. They were the first brand we started carrying at the running store I used to work at in Anchorage, but other brands have also surfaced in the last several years including: Salomon Spikecross and VJ Ace.

Studded Shoes
The studded shoes with screws in the picture on the right have 10 sheet metal screws drilled into each shoe (20 screws total between the pair of shoes). I used a regular road running shoes with the head of the screw sticking out of the shoe. When drilling them in, I space them out with six screws in the forefoot, 4 screws in the heel, and I position towards the outer edges of the shoe.

These sheet metal screws can be found at your local hardware store for a very minimal cost. I’ve linked some HERE on Amazon, but it is a pack of 100, which is a lot. I also came across there Icespikes for studding your shoes. I have never tried them, but they look promising. You will drill the screws into the bottom of the shoe, and I always put them around the outer edge of my shoes. (I have a Reel on my Instagram account here if you want to watch this process in action.)

These screws are longer than the Icebug studs, so they will grip into packed snow better. And since you are wearing your own shoes, you can get a good, comfortable fit. The screws will wear down after a while, so you may need to replace them one time during the winter. But then once spring comes, you can take all the studs out and continue to use the shoes on the clear pavement again.

Like the Icebugs, these studded shoes are not the most comfortable to wear on the clear, dry pavement. But you can! Since the screws aren’t able to sink into anything soft, you can feel the screws when you’re running–not the sharp end (unless your shoes are really thin!)–but just the fact the screws are in your shoes. Once again, it isn’t that uncomfortable but annoyingly uncomfortable.

While the screws do really well on snow, they do not grip into the ice, so avoid wearing the studded shoes on sheer ice.

There are a few other options for getting traction on the snow and ice. The following are good options, in my opinion, but the first two options are superior. However, there are times that traction devices that attach to your shoes would be appropriate and may be a better option for you and your situation.

Yaktrax – A lot of people have heard of Yaktrax, but honestly, they are not my favorite. The coils on the bottom of the Yaktrax definitely won’t grip into the ice, but they will help some on the snow. The studs on the front of the Yaktrax run version did a mediocre job gripping on the ice for me. Mostly, I found the coils to be uncomfortable on my feet, and they definitely altered my gait. On a long run several years ago, I tweaked my knee from wearing them too long. I think these are an okay option if you have/want just one pair of running shoes and won’t be running very much or very long on snowy surfaces.

Nanospkes – The traction device I would recommend over the Yaktraxs are the EXOspike by Kahtoola. They are going to be more suitable for the ice and snow. These traction devices are going to be comfortable underfoot and more secure on your foot because of how it wraps over your shoe. This could be a good option for you were going to be running on icy conditions just a few times a winter, or if you were going between icy and dry surfaces, then you could easily put them off/take them off if necessary.

I hope this gives you some options for running on the snow and ice. I also hope this motivates you get out the door more and helps you feel confident running in these conditions. We all know it can be harder to motivate ourselves during the winter, but I’ll bet you will still never regret getting out for some fresh air, clearing the mind, and rejuvenating the soul!

Dressing for the winter runs is tricky. Not only does the temperature matter but the wind speed, any precipitation, cloud cover (or lack there of), time of day, real feel temp, and humidity can all change what you need to wear to stay comfortable when running during the depths of winter.

After spending my entire running career (25+ years) running in states where the winters are cold, the wind bites, and the sun is rare, I feel as though I can share some tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years.

First and foremost, I’d highly suggest buying 1 or 2 quality pieces from each category that will last several winters and keep you comfortable, rather than 5-6 mediocre pieces. I know it can be hard to drop $150-200 on a winter jacket and $100+ on a pair of tights, but I truly think it is worth it. I tend to buy from running-specific brands such as Oiselle, lululemon, Tracksmith, and Brooks, and I am always keeping my eye open for sales.

You will definitely want to stay away from cotton and instead choose synthetic fibers. The synthetic fibers will pull moisture away from your skin and leave you feeling much more comfortable and minimize your risk for frostbite or hypothermia.

I have split this post into three temperature categories: 30*F, 20*F, 10*F (-1*C, -6*C, -12*C) and listed the amount and type of gear that would be appropriate for each temperature. Of course you may run hotter or colder, so use these suggestions as a guideline and then curtail your needs around them.

I have provided links to quality gear I would recommend for each item. (Some links are commission-earning, some are not.) I honestly believe 90% of the time you get what you pay for, so I often opt to spend a little more for quality gear that I know will work and last several years. I put an asterisk(*) next to my favorite item if I have one for the category.

Thirty degrees Fahrenheit (-1* C) is when the long tights come out, I need two layers on top, and my extremities need to be covered–at least for the first mile or two. I don’t need my head fully covered, and I can run with bare ankles. I do like to wear a headband to cover my ears, thin baselayer on top, light jacket that is wind-resistant/proof, a full tight (or at least 7/8th length), and gloves.

I’ve linked several different options for each piece–some are my favorites, others would be equally amazing.

Headband/Ear warmer
Skida Nordic Headband* (pictured above)
Oiselle Firecracker Reflective Earband
Oiselle Lux Earband
Brooks Notch Thermal Headband
Maven Threads Headbands
lululemon Fast and Free Fleece Running Ear Warmer

Baselayers
lululemon Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve*
lululemon Swiftly Tech Race Length Long Sleeve
Athleta Momentum Seamless Top
Tracksmith Brighton Base Layer
Oiselle Flyte Long Sleeve
rabbit EZ Tee LS
Amazon long sleeve

Light Jacket
Oislle Reflective Vim Jacket* (pictured above)
Nike Running Jacket
Brooks Canopy Jacket*
lululemon Mist Over Windbreaker
rabbit Treeline Jacket

Tights
Oiselle Mo Jogging 7/8 Tight
lululemon Fast and Free Tight*
lululemon Fast and Free Thermal Tight*
rabbit Speed Tights
Brooks Spark Tights

Gloves
Oiselle Power Move Gloves
rabbit EZ Gloves
lululemon Fast and Free Fleece Running Gloves
Saucony Solstice Glove

Note: Another great option at this temperature is to wear a thicker baselayer, plus a vest instead of a thin baselayer and jacket–especially if you tend to run on the hotter side. I think this lululemon vest is really cute, and you can find a list of thicker, warmer baselayers below under the 20*F section.

*My favorite items.

Twenty degrees Fahrenheit (-6* C) can really vary for me–if the wind is calm, it can feel kind of balmy, but once it dips into the teens with the windchill, then I notice my face gets a lot colder and my hands don’t warm up as quickly. For temps right around 20*F, I do like to use a fleece-lined ear warmer or thin hat, a sweat-wicking base layer (thinner for temps into the 20s, thicker if the temperature is a little under 20 degrees), a thicker jacket that has windproof or at least wind-resistant properties, brushed or lightly fleece-lined tights, and a convertible mitten/glove or thinner mitten.

I’ve linked several different options for each piece–some are my favorites, others would be equally amazing.

Headbands/Hats
Skida Alpine Headbands* (pictured above)
lululemon Down for it All Ear Warmer
Skida Nordic Hat

Baselayers
*All of these layers are thicker, warmer, or made from wool. If you need a lighter-weight baselayer, see the options listed at 30 or 10 degrees.
lululemon It’s Rulu Run Long Sleeve
lululemon Rest Less Pullover*
New Balance Heat Grid Half Zip
rabbit Outrun
Oiselle Wool Long Sleeves (various options)
Tracksmith Harrier Long Sleeve
Tracksmith Brighton Base Layer*
Athleta Flurry Line (various options)*

Thicker Jackets
lululemon Cross Chill Jacket* (pictured above)
Brooks Shield Hybrid Jacket 3.0
Nike Therma-FIT Swift
rabbit Warm Up n’ Go Jacket

Warmer ‘Brushed’ Tights
lululemon Fleece Running Tight
Brooks Momentum Thermal Tights
rabbit Defroster Speed Tights
Tracksmith Turnover Tights
Athleta Rainer Tight*

Gloves/Mittens
Oiselle Bad Weather Gloves
Saucony Solstice Mitt
Craft Hybrid Weather Glove
Target Puffer Gloves

*My favorite items.

At 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12* C) is when things start to get really cold for me. I still brave the cold because it is better than the treadmill, but it is even harder to get motivated to go outside. However, good gear makes it more tolerable, and I have finally found a pair of tights that actually keep my legs warm, which is shocking because my legs turn red in 30 degree weather sometimes.

These are some items I recommend for temps around 10 degrees F.

Hats
lululemon Fast and Free Fleece Beanie
Oiselle Lux Beanie
Skida Nordic Hat*

Neckwarmers
Skida Apline Neckwarmer* (pictured above)
lululemon Fast and Free Running Neckwarmer
Buff Polar Neckwarmer
Turtle Fur Fleece Neckwarmer

Baselayers
(I only need a thin baselayer with the Down for It All Jacket because it is so warm. However, if you do need a thicker, warmer base layer, there is a good list under the 20*F section.)
lululemon Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve*
lululemon Swiftly Tech Race Length Long Sleeve
Athleta Momentum Seamless Top
Tracksmith Brighton Base Layer
Oiselle Flyte Long Sleeve
rabbit EZ Tee LS
Amazon long sleeve

Down/Very Warm Jacket
lululemon Down For It All Jacket* (pictured above)
lululemon Another Mile Jacket*
Arc’teryx Atom Jacket
Brooks Shield Hybrid Jacket

Tights
Athleta Altitude Stash in Polartec Tights*
Title Nine Crash 2.0 Tights*
Craft Subz Warm Running Tight

Mittens
Oiselle Super Puff Mittens
lululemon Wunder Puff Mittens
lululemon Down for it All Mittens*

Warm Socks
Feetures Merino Wool socks
Darn Tough Merino Wool socks
Stance Wool socks*

*My favorite items.

Lighted Gear
Super Bright Petzl Headlamp
Noxgear Lighted Vest
LED Reflective Running Vest

We all know that weather feels different in different areas, and things such as the wind, humidity, cloud cover, sun exposure, and the time of the day, all makes a difference in what you wear. I did my best to generalize these suggestions and find a happy medium because I know there are plenty of people out there who would need extra layers, and then there are those of you who would sweat to death in some of these outfits. If you tend to run hot, you’ll probably find yourself moving to the colder category and vise versa, but I hope this at least helps give you a starting point.

If there was a cheater shoe, these would be it for me! I nail workouts with ‘ease’ and even run faster on my easy runs–solely because I was wearing these shoes.

I did try the Alphafly Next% 2 back in 2022 when I wore them for a half marathon, but I ended up getting a hamstring strain and losing my big toenail after the race. I had never experienced either of these things before from a half marathon, so I knew the shoes had caused me to run differently and ultimately cause the injuries. I was pretty hesitant to try the third version of the Alphafly for this reason, but I kept hearing that people loved the third iteration over the second, so I finally decided to give them a try.

When first trying the shoes on, they are pretty different than your average training shoe. The stack height of the Alphafly is much higher, and while the heels looks odd, it doesn’t feel weird unless you roll back on them–which you don’t do that when running.

They weigh 6.1oz (women’s 8) and have a drop of 8mm. (The drop of a shoe is the difference in height from the heel to the toes.) Walking around in them feels kind of strange, but once I got running in them–especially at a faster pace, I really noticed the carbon plate doing it’s thing by acting as a propulsion plate.

I first tried the Alphafly on an easy run, which I normally run at a pace around 8:15 – 8:45 min/mi, and I found myself running sub-8:00 min/mi pace easily without exerting any extra effort. I thought surely this was a fluke, and I was just feeling peppier than usual that day.

I then wore the shoes on a medium-length workout with tempo paces. I nailed the 13 mile run with 9 x 1000 meter repeats averaging 6:16 min/mi for the tempo intervals, which was faster than I had been doing tempo intervals–and it was a hot day.

The first time I wore the shoes at a race was for the Twin Cities 10 Mile. I ran a PR of 1:03:06, and they felt great throughout the entire race. I didn’t have any issues with them feeling unsteady with the tall stack height, my toenails fared well, and I didn’t develop any hot spots or blisters.

My final workout before wearing them for the marathon was a 23 mile marathon-paced workout of 3 x 3 miles at goal marathon pace. I felt good running 6:35 – 6:40 min/mi pace, and the whole run was pretty smooth sailing until mile 17/18. It was at that point I started to feel both of my big toenails pulling up and as though I was going to bruise them and ultimately lose both of them. I stopped at mile 18 and changed into the Vaporfly for the remainder of the workout with no more issues from my toenails. (However, I did have to tape my toenails down for the next few weeks until the marathon to keep them from getting worse.)

Race day for the Indianapolis Marathon came around–the real test for the shoes. Thankfully I had a great day and was able to set a new PR in the marathon while wearing the Alphafly.

Now, was it solely because of the shoes? Most certainly not!

Did the shoes help? I think so!

My legs definitely got tired during the race, but my breathing gave out before my legs did, so I think that’s a testament to how well the shoes worked for me. I could feel my big toenails during the end of the race, but I also didn’t get any blisters on my feet, which I believe it a first. I also recovered faster than I ever have after this race. (Although I think some of that was due to drinking a protein smoothie after finishing the race versus my usual wait-several-hours-to-eat-anything plan.)

Let’s be clear: just because these shoes worked for me does not guarantee they will work for you. My feet, stride, and genetic makeup are different than yours, so keep that in mind.

Have I heard a lot of people rave about the Alphafly? Yes!

Do I see a lot of people wearing them for their marathons? Yes!

Will they work for you? Hard to say until you try them, but I think it’s worth a try!

I always encourage people to go to a local run specialty store to try out shoes before buying them. Also, make sure you run in these shoes before leaving the store because walking and running feel different in a pair of shoes–especially a carbon plated shoe, in my opinion. A good run specialty store will have a generous return policy and allow you to return the shoes if they don’t work for you.

To be honest, I did order my pair from the Nike website because I don’t live super close to a run specialty store, and I did try calling around to see if any stores in the area had them, and every one of them was sold out of them. When I ordered them through the Nike website, I made sure their return policy would allow me to return them if they didn’t work for me.

As far as sizing, I would definitely suggest going up a half to a full size, especially if you have a wide foot, are between sizes, or often have issues with bruised toenails. I originally purchased the size 9 but ended up returning them because of bruising both toenails. I then ordered the 9.5, but I kind of wish I would have gone up to a women’s 10.

Overall, I love these shoes and will continue to wear them for my races. The only drawback to them was the fact I will be losing both big toenails, but I know this is not the case for everyone. I was able to ‘gain’ a couple minutes (run faster) in exchange for losing a couple of toenails. Seems fair. Ha!

This was the third time I doing a carb load for the marathon (You can read about my first and second experience in previous blog posts.), and I will forever sing it’s praises because it has prevented me from hitting the wall in each of these three marathons. Prior to this, I would inevitably hit the wall around mile 21 or 22 and sometimes even earlier.

I will say in order to avoid hitting the wall, you also have to pace yourself appropriately (ahem, you cannot start out too fast), and you have to take in enough fuel during the race. But if you do these three things: carb load + run within your actual fitness + fuel and hydrate enough throughout the race, I can almost guarantee you will be able to finish strong. (Minus an acute injury coming up.)

For this carb load, I started three days prior to the marathon, which meant it started on Wednesday for me. I used Meghann Featerstun’s carb calculator on her website to calculate the amount of carbs I would need to eat each day. It came to a total of about 450 grams of carbs per day.

I know from experience what I like to/don’t like to eat during the carb load, so I have it pretty dialed in and more or less eat similar items each time I do it. I have learned I don’t like to just have a bunch of snacks throughout the day. I like to stick to my three meals, plus two or three snacks. I have also learned it is a lot easier to drink some of your carbs, which helps you not feel as full because all the carbs can feel like a lot after three days.

During a carb load is the only time I track my calories or macros. I know some people who just focus on eating more carbs than usual prior to the race, but I don’t think I would get enough if I didn’t track everything. Getting enough carbs in come Friday afternoon/evening was a little harder because I definitely wasn’t hungry, and I definitely wasn’t craving any more carbs, but I know hitting the total for each day is important for the desired outcome. Luckily I don’t have issues with feeling bloated or “soft” by the end. I make sure to drink a lot of water, which is vital to store all of the glycogen, and I also take in some extra electrolytes going into race day.

Here is what I ate over the course of my three day carb load.

Wednesday

Breakfast: 
oatmeal – 27g
oat milk – 8g
dates – 30g
peanut butter – 3g
brown sugar – 4g
tart cherry juice -28g
Total: 100 grams

Lunch:
bagel veggie sandwich – 61g
(hummus, red pepper, cucumber, and spinach)
Goldfish pretzels – 24g
dried mango – 32g
Total: 117 grams

Snack:
Belvita biscuts – 36g
Naked juice – 64g
Total: 100 grams

Dinner: 
fajita bowl from Crisp and Green – 68g
oatmeal chocolate chip cookie – 66g
Total: 134 grams

Total for the day: 451 grams of carbohydrates

Thursday 

Breakfast:
peppermint mocha from Starbucks – 48g
Starbucks oatmeal – 28g
Total: 76 grams

Snack:
Maurten bar 40g
Total: 40 grams

Lunch:
Whole Foods hot bar:
rice – 22g
lasagna – 15g
sweet potato – 12g
Olipop – 16g
Total: 65 grams

Snack:
organic jelly beans – 35g
Goldfish pretzels – 24g
orange mango juice – 29g
Total: 88 grams

Dinner:
bagel veggie sandwich – 61g
orange mango juice – 29g
applesauce – 14g
banana – 28g
Total: 132 grams

Night Snack:
raisins – 16g
cereal – 14g
Total: 30 grams

Total for the day: 431

Friday

Pre-run: 
Nature Bakery fig bar – 38g
Total: 38 grams

Breakfast:
bagel – 60g
peanut butter – 4g
orange mango juice -29g
Total: 93 grams

Snack:
organic jelly beans – 35g
Maurten bar – 40g
Total: 75 grams

Lunch:
bagel veggie sandwich – 60g
banana – 28g
apple sauce – 14g
Total: 102 grams

Snack:
pretzels – 24g
dried mangoes – 32g
Total: 56 grams

Dinner:
ramen – 43g
Maurten bar – 40g
apple sauce – 14g
Total: 97 grams

Total for the day: 461

Race morning was more carbs totaling about 600 calories and 139 grams of carbohydrates.

Nature’s Bakery fig bars – 42g
banana – 28g
Gu energy chews – 44g
Ketone IQ shot – 70 calories but none from carbohydrates
Maurten gel – 25g

During the marathon, I had a gel every 30 minutes:

30 minutes – Maurten
60 minutes – Maurten caffeinated
90 minutes – Precision
120 minutes – Gu Roctane with caffeine
150 minutes – Maurten

This fueling strategy is entirely different than what I did for my first 10 marathons. Prior to incorporating a carb load, I would sometimes eat a big plate of spaghetti the night before the race (but not always), and I would have only three gels during the race. And without fail, I would hit the wall around mile 21-22. (And sometimes sooner.) Now I feel strong until the end. Yes, I still hurt (because I’m pushing my body), but it is entirely different feeling than what I experienced those first 10 times. Honestly, I’m surprised I even stuck with marathoning considering how hard they were!

Marathons are still hard, but fueling properly makes such a difference!

If you are interested, my sister offers a Free Carb Loading Guide as well!