Read about my breakthrough with proper nutrition and training. Weekly updates to come on here.
All,
See below the workout schedule for Jack's refueling article. I just finished a 2nd reading of it. There is a ton of good info in there. Take advantage of it. Try things in practice before you try them in a race. Thanks to Jack for the great article.
Here is the week's schedule:
Tuesday-Chicago and Steamtown 8 x 1000 w/200 jr at 10k pace. Amsterdam-8-10 x 1600 at HMP w/100jr. Philly and Indy-6 x 1600 at 5k pace with a 400jr. Philly 1/2 4 x 1600 at 5k pace with a 400jr. Others 3 x 1600 at 5k pace w/400jr.
Wednesday-4-9 miles
Thursday 4-9 miles with 6 x :15 hill sprints.
Fri-S/C-5 mile cutdown starting at MP + 10 and taking 15 seconds off per mile. Others-1600 at HMP, 400 jr, 6 x 600 w/100wr, 100jr at 5k pace. Philly 7 miles at hMP. Indy-8 miles at HMP. Philly 1/2 6 miles at HMP.
Saturday-Amsterdam-18 w/4 at MP, 2 at HMP. S/C 13 w/3 at MP. Indy-23 w/8 at mp, 2 at hmp. Philly Others 7-10 miles and find a race. Philly and Indy-15 miles. Philly 1/2 12 miles.
See you soon,
Kevin
Hi all,
For those who might not recognize me in the early-morning blur, I’m Jack Nolen. I’ve been part of the morning crew since around 2018, though I’ve been more consistent since 2022. I first was introduced to this community while working for Kevin at the running store. Back then, I remember seeing “5:30 AM start time” on the board and thinking it was absolutely insane. Fast forward a few years, and now those Tuesday mornings have become a highlight of my week. No matter the workout, showing up to train with this crew is a cornerstone of my routine.
Kevin’s been nudging me for a while to write something on fueling for the blog, and after running a big half-marathon PB last week, I finally feel ready to share what I’ve learned — and how it’s made a difference. I’m not perfect, but I’m definitely making progress…
Over the past few months, I’ve had a bit of an epiphany when it comes to fueling and getting stronger. Looking back, I can’t believe some of the habits I had. After crushing a hard morning session, I’d chug a coffee, maybe eat half a bagel, and then rush off to teach and coach all day at Peirce. Most workouts were on an empty stomach or without a proper dinner the night before. Sure, I was getting through workouts and running fast, but I definitely wasn’t giving my body what it needed to recover — and it showed in my racing.
As distance runners, we demand a lot from our bodies. And for a while, I kept noticing a frustrating pattern: I’d consistently fall apart in the same points of races — the last 5K of the half and the final 10K of the full. In hindsight, it’s no mystery why. I wasn’t fueling properly before, during, or after my runs. I coach middle school runners and preach the importance of recovery and nutrition to them all the time — yet I wasn’t following my own advice.
In the spring, I DNF’d a marathon at mile 19 after what had been a really solid training block. It was demoralizing, and I let myself feel that disappointment for a while. I knew I needed a break — both mentally and physically — so I stepped away from running for a bit. It became clear that something had to change. If I wanted to keep doing this sport and enjoy it long-term, I needed to take a hard look at my routine, especially my diet and how I was fueling.
Last Sunday, after about 12 weeks of some of my best training yet and a new approach to fueling, I lined up for PDR. A year ago, I ran a 1:23:52 on that same course — and felt awful the entire race. This time was different. In the days leading up to the race, I made sure to properly carbo-load with simple, familiar foods: lots of white rice, chicken, pasta, eggs, yogurt, etc.
On race morning, I followed the same routine I’ve used lately for long runs and some workouts (obviously at 4:30-5:00 AM, I have to alter this a bit). I had a bagel with peanut butter and banana, a 200-calorie “Go Bar” from Bare Nutrition, another half banana, and an enhanced drink from Super Coffee. Sticking to what worked in training gave me confidence.
About 30 minutes before the race, I took my first Crank Energy gel (150 calories, 37g of carbs) along with a KetoneIQ shot. These Crank gels have nearly double the calories of the brands I used in the past — plus they have electrolytes, which is a game changer in a gel.
During the race, I took a Crank gel at mile 3, another at mile 7.5, and finished with a SIS gel around mile 10 (22g of carbs). I only took half of that last one — by then, my stomach was full and I was ready to close it out. I just used water throughout the race to get these down.
Heading into the weekend, I had an A-B-C goal. My A goal was to possibly break 1:20, B goal was to beat my PB of 1:20:28 from the Houston Half back in January, and C goal was simply to finish strong and confident and set the tone heading into marathon training.
I ended up running 1:19:13 — a 75-second PB. After hovering right around 6:05 pace for most of the race, I felt a surprising burst of energy in the final 5K and closed in 18:15, with my last mile at 5:49. I was so surprised when I saw the clock.
Looking back, I would break my race down into three key phases: Fuel, Focus, and Finish.
Fuel:
I’ve already mentioned a few of the tools I rely on, but here’s the short list: Crank Energy gels, SIS gels, KetoneIQ shots, Bare Nutrition “Go Bars”, LMNT packets, and Beet It shots. Each of these has played a role in my recent success. Ketones are definitely a splurge, but when paired with carbs, I’ve noticed a real difference in sustained energy. I’ve also become a lot more intentional about protein — I make recovery shakes after morning workouts or gym sessions. UCan has great protein options. For fueling, I can’t recommend TheFeed.com enough.
Focus:
Strength training has become a major focus for me this year. As runners, it can be tough to know how or when to lift. But after a free trial at F45, I got hooked on the classes. The trainers there have been awesome, and I’ve swapped some of my doubles or “extra” mileage for two to three strength sessions per week. Not only has this improved my ability to hold pace late in workouts and races, but I’ve also brought many of the exercises back to my cross country team.
Finish:
Big thanks to Jackie, JJ, JT (the J’s), Kim, Andy, Dan, and the whole crew for trading reps with me week after week. I often use the word “stacking” to describe what we’re building on Tuesday mornings — each workout adds a layer. With about two miles to go at PDR, I had a moment where I thought, “I’ve done so many 3200m reps with the crew — I can finish this.” The camaraderie on the track in the early hours is truly unmatched, and it makes all the difference.
I’m really excited about this current phase of my running. As a kid, I never thought I’d run one marathon — let alone finish one under three hours. Now, I’m more motivated than ever to keep training with this crew and take on the next marathon (although, please no more 5K reps on the track because multiple friends texted me to ask if I was “okay” after seeing that on Strava…)
- Jack