By Mark Becker.
I have been racing endurance events for approximately 30 years. I am far from a world-class endurance athlete. However, world-class athletes are few and far between. Therefore, I believe the information I’m going to present will have mass appeal for marathoners everywhere no matter what your performance level.
Ironically, I began my endurance racing in 1982 at the age of 22 sitting in front of the television. That afternoon, I had my “it” moment. I saw a world-class triathlete, 
Julie Moss, stagger to the finish line in the 1982 Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. I had never witnessed such determination, drive and a will to succeed. She would not be denied. She changed my world forever.
Fast forward 30 years. During this time, two of my greatest passions became exercise and nutrition. I have competed in approximately 300 endurance events, from ultra marathons to marathons to triathlons to long-distance rough water swims
As of this writing, I had just run the Long Beach marathon in beautiful Long Beach, California. At age 51, this was my 96th marathon. I finished the race in 4 hours 17 minutes – 9:50 splits over the 26.2-mile course.
What are “splits”? A split refers to the total running time being split into pieces, referred to as “split times.” In a marathon, typically runners use mile markers to mark mile splits on their watch to monitor pace. Often, the race will record splits for participants at various distances (see the following bulleted list). If you run a negative split, that means you’re running each predetermined distance faster than the last which means you are gradually accelerating.
My overall finish was 1022 out of 3199 runners and 76 out of 209 in the 50-54 age group. These numbers are fun to reference and many marathoners are faster, but the real story is told by my splits as follows:
• 6.2 Mile: 58:20 Pace: 9:24
• 12.5 Mile: 2:05:56 Pace: 10:10
• 18 Mile: 2:55:53 Pace: 9:47
• 24 Mile: 3:55:40 Pace: 9:50
As you can see, I was able to do a negative split from 12.5 miles to 18 miles and virtually maintained that pace to the finish line. What do these splits illustrate? I was able to significantly pick up the pace at about the halfway point of the race and sustain it to the end.
What do I credit that to? Obviously, you need to train, eat right, taper, etc leading up to the event. Without this preparation, you are going to have a painful day. That said, if you have prepared properly, you can really elevate your performance. To elevate my performance, I use a dietary supplement combination I formulated called Power Packs. Taken during the marathon, these Power Packs include:
CoQ10 (ubiquinol): Ubiquinol is the reduced form of CoQ10 and the most highly absorbed form of CoQ10. Ubiquinol is directly used in human metabolism as a lipid-soluble antioxidant. While standard CoQ10 (ubiquinone) supplements can be converted into ubiquinol in the body, this conversion can be less efficient in some individuals, based on age, genetics, blood sugar status or level of oxidative stress. I am 51, so it is essential that my CoQ10 be ubiquinol.
Fish Oil: For my marathon needs, the healthy fats found in fish oil increases energy levels and fights inflammation. The most beneficial form of Omega-3 containing 2 fatty acids – EPA and DHA – can be found only in fish. EPA and DHA are essential in preventing and fighting both physical and mental illness. Be sure to take fish oil products from companies that follow strict procedures to eliminate environmental contaminants to assure the highest purity of its fish oil supplements.
Glycine Propionyl L-Carnitine (GPLC): Backed by years of scientific research, GPLC (glycine propionyl-L-carnitine) has been shown to assist the body in a number of ways including:
• Energy: GPLC increases nitric oxide levels in the human blood stream resulting in the optimization of endurance, stamina and recovery. GPLC (1) assists the delivery of oxygen and nutrients through vasodilation, (2) encourages blood flow, and (3) helps the production of ATP energy while diminishing harmful free radical buildup in the body.
• Recovery: Through its antioxidant properties, GPLC aids in muscle recovery by not only speeding up post workout recovery, but also recovery time during training. This helps increase both endurance and stamina.
• Cardiovascular Health: Studies show that GPLC increases nitric oxide retention, which is important to the regulation of blood circulation while improving the vasodilatory ability (increased blood flow capability) of blood vessels.
Green Tea: Why do I include Green Tea in my marathon intra-race supplement regimen? Green Tea contains caffeine as well as other nutrients that stimulate the heart and central nervous system, including Theobromine.
Ribose: High-intensity exercise means different things to different people. However, simply put, it means stressing muscles 
beyond their normal limit. Regardless of how we individually define high-intensity (in this case, running marathons), the effect on our bodies is the same. Intense exertion taxes our muscles to stay energized. The resulting energy demand/supply mismatch leads to a drain in energy, depleting the cellular energy pool. This loss of cellular energy is a disaster because re-supplying this energy is slow and metabolically costly. Ribose accentuates the body’s natural process of energy synthesis. It helps to reduce the loss of energy during stress and accelerates energy and tissue recovery. Through this action, ribose helps muscles regenerate lost energy and minimizes any physiological consequences when energy is depleted. For these reasons, ribose is perfect as part of my Power Packs.
Not All Supplement Combinations are the Same
I make subtle changes to my intra-race supplement regimen during the course of a marathon. I also take certain supplements at certain mile markers during the race. For me, the following has worked very well:
Beginning of the race
Take approximately 30-60 minutes before the race:
• CoQ10 (ubiquinol): 300 mg
• Fish Oil: 5 grams
• GPLC: 5 grams
• Green Tea: 1 gram
• Ribose: 3 grams (3 chewables)
Mile 6
• CoQ10 (ubiquinol): 200 mg
• Fish Oil: 2 grams
• GPLC: 2250 mg
• Ribose: 2 grams (2 chewables)
Mile 12
• CoQ10 (ubiquinol): 200 mg
• Fish Oil: 2 grams
• GPLC: 3 grams
• Green Tea: 1 gram
• Ribose: 2 grams (2 chewables)
Mile 18
• CoQ10 (ubiquinol): 200 mg
• Fish Oil: 2 grams
• GPLC: 2250 mg
• Ribose: 2 grams (2 chewables)
Mile 24
• CoQ10 (ubiquinol): 200 mg
• Fish Oil: 2 grams
• GPLC: 2250 mg
• Ribose: 2 grams (2 chewables)
My intra-marathon supplement regimen system requires taking a lot of pills. You can minimize the inconvenience by keeping the pills in numbered plastic “sample” baggies. Put these small baggies in your runner’s belt. Then briefly walk through the water stations, take your supplements and wash them down with a cup of water or a sports drink.
I take Green Tea only once during the marathon. I experience the jitters if I take too much Green Tea during an event. Remember, you are taking one gram before the race.
Finally, I also carry extra Ribose one-gram chewables with me during the race. Marathons are always energy roller coasters. For a variety of reasons, there are always points during a marathon that I feel sapped of energy. When that happens, I take a Ribose chewable. And this is easy to do in stride. A word of caution: be cognizant of taking too many Ribose chewables. These chewables are often made with natural sweeteners, such as Xylitol, and can cause gastric distress.
I have fine tuned my intra-marathon supplement regimen based on three decades of experience. However, everyone is different. I would encourage fine tuning your own supplement system during your long training runs. Taking supplements during a marathon gave me a new lease on my racing life. As I got older, events became much more difficult. I was discouraged because I labored considerably. And I was not having any fun. Obviously, as you get older, your performance levels are going to decline. Be sure to make the necessary adjustments in preparation, diet and supplementation. I am always inspired by the elder statesmen that I see participating at the various events that I do. With a little bit of luck, I can continue my racing career for many years to come. There is no reason why you can’t do the same.
BIO
Mark Becker is the Retail Marketing Manager for Heel USA (www.heelusa.com) based in Albuquerque, NM. He has worked as a natural products sales and marketing executive for almost 15 years. Mark has written more than 250 articles and has either hosted or been a guest on more than 500 radio shows. He obtained a bachelor’s in journalism from Long Beach State University and did his master’s work in communications at Cal State Fullerton. For almost 30 years he has participated in numerous endurance events, including more than 150 triathlons of Olympic distance or longer, 95 marathons and numerous other events including ultramarathons and rough water swims from Alcatraz to the mainland. He has relied on a comprehensive supplement regimen to support his athletic, professional and personal endeavors. Follow Mark Becker on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/marklbecker or www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Health-Longevity-Natural-Products-and-Fitness-wwwmarklbeckercom/251646424860638. Follow Mark Becker on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/becker_mark.
