Let's start off with a little extra information about 'the wall'. Because did you know that you have a higher risk of hitting the wall if you are a man than if you are a woman? 28% of male marathon runners hit the wall according to an irish study, while only 17% of women do. On the other hand, the study suggests that on average women hit the wall 300 meters earlier than men - at 29.3 kilometers and 29.6 kilometers, respectively.
When men hit the wall, their pace typically drops by 40%, while for women it typically drop by 38%. This results in an average loss of 31.5 minutes for men and 33.6 minutes for women.
Now you've just been given a lot of numbers, and I haven't even told you how much it hurts both physically and mentally when hitting the wall. Your legs hurt and are heavy, and the only thing you can think about is how much of an idiot you are and that you should just stop immediately (at least that's how I felt when I hit the wall).
So there are plenty of reasons why you should do everything in the world to avoid hitting the wall.
Why do you hit the wall when running a marathon?
There are generally three reasons why you may hit the wall when running a marathon. This can be due to muscular exhaustion, neural exhaustion or that your carbohydrate stores have been depleted.
The first two can very briefly be boiled down to the fact that you haven't trained enough or that you have been too tired right up to the race. But they will not hit quite in the same way as the wall.
The most common reason for hitting the wall is that you won't have consumed enough carbohydrates in relation to the pace you want to keep running at.
In fact, you actually need a surprising amount of carbohydrates in order for you to be able to run a marathon at high speed with the lowest possible risk of hitting the wall.
How to avoid hitting the wall!
Over time, a lot of research has been done on the subject, and if I am to summarise it all for you, the take away should be that you can minimise your risk of hitting the wall by consuming more carbohydrates.
This means that it is essential to consume plenty of carbohydrates before your run and during your run. Before your race, everything from a few days before to the morning before. The higher the amount of carbohydrates that is stored in your muscles and in your liver, the longer you will be able to maintain a high pace.
But if you want to run a fast time and you want to be sure not to hit the wall, then it is also a good idea to make sure you consume carbohydrates whilst on the run. In doing so, you ensure that you can keep your carbohydrate levels topped up for a longer period of time. Here you can find a guide on energy intake for marathon running.
How do I avoid hitting the wall when running a marathon?
So if I am to be very specific and reveal how I myself try to avoid the wall during marathons, then I do it by consuming a lot of carbohydrates in the days leading up to the race. I eat rice or pasta for both lunch and dinner, and I make sure that any snacks are rich in carbohydrates. The day before, I jog for a leisurely 20 minutes, after which I consume an energy drink with a lot of carbohydrates to top up my stores.
On the day of my marathon, I eat breakfast four hours before running with light bread and honey or jam + juice and coffee. Then I go and drink some sort of carbohydrate rich energy drink like Maurten Drinkmix 320 or a Victus 02 During. During the race, I make sure to consume around 80 grams of carbohydrate every hour.
In addition, I have also trained for body to be able to absorb the carbohydrates more effectively by consuming carbohydrates on my training runs, so my body gets used to it.
But keep in mind that there is still a risk that you hit the wall when running. There are no guarantees, but with these tips you can definitely minimise the risk.
