Tag Archive for: 2020 3M Half Marathon

These 2023 expo highlights showcase the must-visit booths

The 3M Half Marathon Expo & Packet Pick Up takes place on January 20th-21st at the Palmer Event Center! The expo is a chance for participants to visit our sponsors and partners and check out what they have to offer.

You can meet the official pacers and shop Run Austin gear from Fleet Feet. There are tons of prizes, giveaways, and discounts. Who knows, there might even be a few surprises for some lucky folks! Image of the Post-it Wall from the 2019 3M Half Marathon expo covered in messages of support and inspiration. The Post-it Wall will be a 2020 expo highlight.

3M Post-it Lounge

Visit the ever-popular 3M Post-it Lounge and add your message to our giant post-it wall. Leave a message of inspiration for a loved one or all participants. Or just sit back and relax before you go another round about the expo. Kids can even join in on the fun with our photo booth.

Photo booths

There will be several fun photo opportunities set up throughout the expo including our GIF photo booth, a larger than life-size version of this year’s finisher medal, course maps, and more. Visit them all!

A 3M Half Marathon Ambassador takes a photo of two runners and the oversized 2019 3M Half Marathon medal at the 2019 3M Half Marathon expo. Take your photo with a giant 2020 3M Half Marathon medal, one of the many 2020 expo highlights.

Don’t forget to tag us on social @3MHalfMarathon and #DownhilltoDowntown.

Austin Marathon

Visit the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon and chat with their Ambassadors about race day! Thinking about registering for the Austin Marathon, Half Marathon, or KXAN Simple Health 5K? Register at their booth and take advantage of their expo deals. You can even walk away with some cool swag! BONUS: take a picture in front of their sweet Austin backdrop!

30th Anniversary 3M Half Marathon Booth

Right when you exit packet pick up head to our 2024 Booth! We will have special $79 Expo only pricing + Under Armour In training shirts!

Fleet Feet Austin

Visit our friends at Fleet Feet Austin and snag some gear to get you to the start line and beyond. They will have some Run Austin gear but it is limited so get there as soon as you can. They’ll also have hydration and nutrition for your last-minute needs.

Twenty-Six Two Marathon Club

If this is your first half marathon or you’re chasing your 13.1-mile PR, visit these folks! Meet the runners who will pace you to the finish line! These pacers are veterans and know what they’re doing. Swing by their booth, chat about race day and get your last-minute questions answered.

Ascension Seton CapTex Tri

Add a little variety to your running by trying out a triathlon! CapTex Tri is Austin’s only downtown triathlon and features 3 distances including the beginner-friendly Rookie Tri Distance. Or get your friends involved, make it a team effort, and sign for a relay.

Card.io

Join the 3M Half Marathon team as we take over the streets of Austin! This fun new app will have you looking forward to adding more miles to your schedule and finding new fun places to run in Austin.

Texas Drain Specialist 

Chat with Julian and his team while you make special cheer signs. As an official sponsor of 3M Half Marathon, Texas Drain Specialist is there for you on and off the course. They even have a team you can join that includes free group workouts!

Visit these other booths

Evamor

GU Energy Gels

HEB

Sandcastle Seasonings

Austin Gamblers PBR Team

Card.io

NUFF

Kerrville Triathlon

Texas Drain Specialist

Nuun Hydration

SPIbelt

Race Essentials

Smith Chiropractic

MedSense

ePulse

Lifespring

Little Guys Moving

Austin Massage Company

The Original Worm

Camp Gladiator

Tejas Trails

Cap10K

 

Whether you’re an experienced runner or a first-timer taking on 13.1 miles, it’s important to fuel your body with the right nutrition both before and during your race. In this post, we’ll look at some of the best fueling options, so that come race day you can be sure that your energy levels will stay high and that you have all the nutrients necessary for a successful finish line ahead!

Following GU’s nutrition planner can help you perform your best

You train for months to chase your 13.1-mile PR at 3M Half Marathon. GU Energy Labs, the Official Energy Gel and Chew of 3M Half Marathon, is here to help you perform your best! Their products are scientifically proven to give you the energy you need.

Energy Zone: Located at Mile 7 GU will have an energy zone stocked with:

  • Gels and chews: Lemon Sublime, Salted Watermelon (Caffeine), Vanilla Bean (Caffeine), and Orange Energy Chews.

But it is not all about race day. What you do in the days leading up can also impact your performance on the course. Below we will provide some tips and information that you can do before the race.

Fueling Before Running a Half Marathon

During the week before you run a half marathon, you need to focus on both hydration and providing sufficient energy/fueling.  Your calorie intake will be higher than usual and you will increase your carb load. It is also important that you hydrate in the week leading up to race day. You can supplement your water intake with nuun hydration to make sure you are getting the electrolytes your body needs to be sufficiently hydrated come race morning.

When you combine carbohydrate loading and tapering your workouts, you can store more energy in your muscles which will give you more energy sources during your event.

The Mayo Clinic suggests that carb-loading begins one week before the event with another additional increase 1-3 days out. ” Increase your carbohydrate intake to about 8 to 12 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight. Cut back on foods higher in fat to compensate for the extra carbohydrate-rich foods. Also, scale back your training for three to four days before the event. The combination of eating more carbohydrates and tapering activity appears to boost muscle glycogen stores.

For most athletes, 5 to 7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight daily is right for general training. (Note that 1 kilogram equals 2.2 pounds.) Endurance athletes may need up to 12 grams per kilogram.”10 Low carb hit SvV | Voedingscentrum | Flickr

To give you an idea of carb counts, these foods have 15 grams of carbohydrates:

  • One slice of bread
  • One 6-inch tortilla
  • 1/2 cup mashed potatoes
  • 1/2 medium baked potato or sweet potato
  • 1/3 cup rice
  • One small apple
  • Two tangerines
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 3 cups green beans
  • 1 1/4 cup milk or yogurt

On race morning you will want to rise early so that you can eat at least 2-3 hours before your start time. This will allow you to digest and not have a heavy stomach. Oversleep? Don’t panic, go with a lighter meal with supplemented liquid or gel carbs.

On Course Fueling Advice & Half Marathon Nutrition Planner

Image of GU Energy Labs' half marathon nutrition plan. GU is the Official Energy Gel and Chew of the 3M Half Marathon. Click on this image to download the nutrition plan that can help you perform your best on race day.Here are some tips for making sure you’re giving your body what it needs so you perform your best on race day. Planning what to eat during a race can be overwhelming. With so many variables, it’s hard to determine what the “right” answer is for you. When deciding what to eat and drink, we think it’s helpful to break it down by looking at the nutrients your body needs.

A successful nutrition plan takes into account the number of calories your system can handle in an hour. It should also factor in your body’s need for electrolytes, amino acids, water, and protein. When thinking about your nutritional need for a race or training session, it’s important to remember that everyone is different. Every day is different. For example, body size, air temperature, activity type, intensity, and personal preference will affect your nutritional needs.

That’s why we recommend mixing and matching products to find out what works for you. For example, if you prefer to drink your calories, you can bottle up your fuel using ROCTANE Energy Drink. We developed a half marathon Nutrition Planner to help you dial in your plan for race day. We all know things can change on race day, but it helps to start with a plan! Download the Nutrition Planner and follow the steps below.

Here’s how to use our Nutrition Planner

  1. Pick your goal finishing time and find out what your average pace will be
  2. Use the table to determine your total nutritional need for the event
  3. Mix and match your favorite products and flavors, then calculate your totals
  4. Make sure your plan meets your body’s demand for each nutritional element

Get out the door for your morning run with this helpful advice

You hear that? That’s your alarm clock going off earlier than normal. Your schedule calls for an early morning run. Now the internal battle begins because your bed is so comfortable and you were really enjoying sleep. Every runner battles themselves in some way every morning. Use one or all six of these tips to make your morning run!

Runner gives two thumbs up during 2019 3M Half Marathon while listening to music. Runners can make their own playlist to help them get up in the morning for their morning run.

Make a playlist that you’ll give two thumbs up!

Create a playlist you love

If you listen to music, knowing you’ll jam during your morning run will help you get up. Set the playlist to coincide with the duration of your run or make a list and put it on shuffle. Singing along will help get you going and make the miles fly by. Need some song recommendations? Follow us on Twitter and check out our #WeLiketheSoundofThat campaign. We’re compiling the songs on this Spotify playlist!

Sleep in your running clothes

Simplify your morning routine and sleep in your running clothes. Take this a step further and put your running shoes and socks by the door. Pack everything you’ll need for the day if you don’t plan to come home after your run. Pro tip: before you get in bed make sure the clothes are clean and weren’t previously used on a run!

Go to bed early

Getting more sleep is a great way to wake up refreshed and ready for your morning run. It also helps get you in a daily rhythm. Wake up early, complete your run, have a great day, go to bed early, repeat. If you have trouble going to sleep try eating dinner earlier, watch your favorite show before you lay down, or read a book in bed. Try to avoid looking at any screens an hour before bed. 

Put your alarm out of reach

Place your alarm somewhere where you have to get out of bed to turn it off. This tactic gets your body moving and reduces the chances that you hit the snooze button. Put it next to your toothbrush, in the kitchen, or in your running shoes. Just make sure the alarm is set and the volume is loud enough to hear in the bedroom. Pro tip: if you use your phone, set your favorite song to go off when it’s time to get up.

Simplify your run

If you’ve just started running, start small and work your way up. Longer runs can seem daunting at first, increasing the chances you stay in bed. If you’ve just started running, alternate running and walking. Eventually, you’ll eliminate walking. You can also start out by running 15 minutes and increase your time on subsequent runs. Plan your route, know it, and make sure someone else knows the route. This increases your safety and provides benchmarks so you know how much running remains.

Reward yourself

Quite possibly our favorite tip for getting up early for a run! Your reward can be as simple as indulging on your favorite snack or as grand as a massage at the end of the month. Eventually, you’ll need to make the rewards more difficult to achieve. This will help you progress in your training and keep you from spending so much money.

Completing an early morning run gets your day started and knocks one more thing off your to-do list. Use one or all of our tips to jumpstart your morning. Is there a trick you use that we didn’t mention? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!