Protein & Carbs
when to take them, and when to spend them
The FUEL basics
The American Tobacco Road Marathon is a great one. Some may say it is boring because it goes through a Greenway across different counties in North Carolina. Far from that, it is a spectacular marathon because it differs from most. And, is an Official Boston Qualifier.
This marathon does not run all the 23-mile long trail best known as the American Tobacco Trail, but you enjoy a stretch of it with a couple of sections on the street between Thomas Brooks Park and the ATR, or ATT.
The American Tobacco Trail is a path between trees, it has pavement and dirt sections, very light climbs and descends, toilets, and water fountains, and it is open from dawn to dusk. It lies on an old railroad route, used by the tobacco business. Therefore, the marathon is not too steep, and not flat… but is comfortable since the elevation is spread over 20 miles on the trail.
Another benefit is that there are many pacers. Whether you follow one or run at your own pace, pacers are always a helpful reference during your race. This year there were pacers for splits of 15 and 10 minutes for both the Full and the Half Marathons. This marathon has been named one of the top nine best marathons in the US. I suggest you run this one to take full advantage of its benefits and qualify for Boston!
The pathway is being constructed in segments, with the initial portion unveiled in 2000 within downtown Durham. Wake County introduced its inaugural 3.5-mile segment from New Hill-Olive Chapel Road to Wimberly Road in 2003. Phase II of the American Tobacco Trail was opened by Wake County in July 2005, adding 2 more miles to its length, making it 5.5 miles in total. In 2006, the last one-mile stretch in Wake County was finalized, thus completing Wake County’s part of the trail, which then measured 6.5 miles. Presently, the American Tobacco Trail spans nearly 23 miles.
The Marathon...
…are these 26.2 miles? This marathon is surprisingly fast! When I first ran it, in 2018, I did not know it, although I knew the ATR. It was somewhat challenging, but it was my PR back then. As years pass, I keep running it a little faster every year.
The first two were “discovery” marathons, to know the terrain, and my body’s response to it. To learn about the challenge at hand and to adapt. For other one in 2020, the virtual one, in the COVID-19 year, I had supporting bikers all the way, and it was easier because there were fewer people, and I had water every time I wanted.
During 2020, I trained in running, biking, and weights. I spent over 35 minutes daily doing strength work every day. One day a week I switched from weights to stretching exercises, like Fire Hydrants to use it as recovery. I wanted to qualify for Boston! Which I achieved in 2021. After this marathon, I qualified for Boston in at least one marathon per calendar year until 2024 when, again, my dear, old dependable ATR Marathon gave me the honour of qualifying for a fourth year in a row.
Since 2021, I believe my endurance has improved. An indicator is that when I started feeling the lactic acid building up in my quadriceps, I was well over mile 22. That leaves me just a tad over 4 miles to go in some pain, manageable and welcomed.
Time Table
| Year | Time | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 3:44:52 | Full |
| 2019 | 3:36:06 | Full |
| 2020 | 3:15:05 | Full / Virtual | Same route |
| 2021 | 3:12:56 | Full | Boston Qualifier |
| 2022 | 1:37:02 | Half | Preparation for Boston |
| 2023 | 3:28:15 | Full | 2 weeks after Tokyo |
| 2024 | 3:21:59 | Full | Preparation for London and BQ |
Miles, and segments
And kilometers! Sometimes, I just go doing math converting miles to kilometers and it helps to distract me from the 17 miles I have yet to run.
First Segment (Miles 1 – 3)
The marathon goes somewhere around 2.5 miles from the Start to the ATR and then heads up north to Durham. This is the most congested segment because both Full and Half Marathon runners start simultaneously. It has few uphills, but is not hard. After all, it is just a 5K, right?
Second Segment (Miles 3 – 8)
Once on the ATR, the course goes north for almost 6 miles, to reach Scot King Rd. This segment previews the rest of the course because it has a few altitude variations. The runners are being protected from the sun and wind by the columns of trees on the sides of the ATR.
Third Segment (Miles 8-19)
At the Scot King Road, there is a turnaround to head south to Olive Chapel Rd. This is the longest marathon segment, consisting of 10 miles out of the total distance. The American Tobacco Trail has many wooden bridges, different vegetation, and markers every 1/4 of a mile. In this segment, the pace is constant, without paying too much attention to it, rather than to the effort. I set my pace range, between 7:30 and 8:00 minutes per mile. Then I focused on my effort and thought about my RPE. My goal here is to run between a 7 or 8 RPE; neither too demanding nor too indulgent… just flowing on the road. In the first half of the marathon, we were a pack of six, including a lady and my marathon-long “nemesis” Mr. #833 😂. I did not know his name, so he was just #833. In this segment, around mile 14, three of them (including… especially Mr. #833) took off and left that lady and me behind, and we too left the 6th guy behind. I did not mind this, as I was focused on my own pace rather than theirs. That lady and I were taking turns drafting one another. And we arrived at Olive Chapel Rd. where the second, and last, turnaround is. in the last part of this segment, seeing the people I was running with taking off was motivational! I wanted to thank them for showing the effort that can be put into this endeavour.
Fourth Segment (Miles 19 – 24)
Then it goes back to Morrisville Parkway. This is the fourth segment and it is around 5 miles long. This is the segment where I usually speed up. I tried to catch Mr. #833, but I could not, again, I was minding my pace, rather than racing against him, and he was running steady, swiftly, magically… but not faster, just keeping the pace. In the turnaround, I left behind the lady running with me, but not for much. She was an avid runner, and she did look strong! Around mile 20 another woman passed me. Then she slowed down and I passed her. And this happened thrice, until the Water Station around mile 21. She stopped for water and I got it following a trick learnt from a good friend Lucho Rivera in one of his Instagram videos: fold the cup and drink from the angle form in the bent part. At this point, she did not come back to hunt me down. But Mr. #833 was still 60 feet away from me. In this segment, I started to run faster, without completely draining all my energy but I pushed it up a notch from an RPE of 7-8 to an 8-9. The GU Gel helped, and so did Tunnel by Die Fantasticher Vier. The rhythm pushed me forward, I was dancing in my run. I extended my arms to feel the cool wind, looking around to enjoy the view and the blue sky. Mr. #833 was unstoppable! And I was just, well… behind by a longer distance now.
Suddenly, a strong “WOOHOO” got me out of my trance. It was my dear friend Carlos Candelaria, an Ultramarathoner who was pacing the 5:05 hours for the ATR this year. That always brings a big smile to my face, Carlos is a great friend always cheering runners up. It was an injection of energy. Laughs, sweat, a friend cheering me up, Mr. #833 ahead and it was now another segment down, one more to go.
Marathon #25 - Completed!
Fifth Segment (Miles 24 – 26.2)
The last segment is just going back from the ATR to Thomas Brooks Park, where the Finish line (and the Start) is. The spiral from the entrance to the park to the finish line seems to stretch for another two more miles… At this point I just want to cross the line and hopefully ring the bell announcing I achieved a Personal Best. This year it did not happen, but I rang the bell for I qualified to Boston.
Then, I saw Mr. #833, I was reeling him in, finally! I was all out now. I passed him by the Mile 25 marker… and I heard steps running faster, immediately after I did. He was accelerating. I did too… I did not want to run faster, but I did not want him to pass me again either. I just was not as fast as I wanted, and I was passed. To my surprise, by another runner. But I passed him shortly after.
We entered Thomas Brooks Park. Here is where, if you are competing against anybody else (like the other runner who passed me a few minutes ago) you have to speed up and cross the line before them. Ah, this part… it starts here, the same place, however, on your way out it seems such a short distance that one does not even mind it. But it is like following a downtown Boston street; it curves, and goes around, and intersects, and never ends. I crossed the line, my wife was waiting for me and cheered me up because she was aware that it was a Boston Qualifying time! And, as I was walking out, I turned to the Finish line looking for Mr. #833. I went to meet him, greet him, and congratulate him. He helped me have an incredible experience and I wanted to thank him for it. So, we high-fived and hugged, took pictures, and exchanged phone numbers. We both qualified for Boston. I made a new friend, John (Mr. #833). John, thanks for your pushing, companionship, and most importantly, sportsmanship. I will see you in Boston 2025!
This is a picture of John – Mr. #833 and me:
ATR Facts
- Max Elevation: 383 feet (116m) - Min Elevation: 239 feet (72m)
- Elevation Gain: 957 feet (291m) Elevation Loss: 957 feet (291m)
- Average Temperature: 40ºF - 50ºF (4ºC - 10ºC)
- Boston Qualifiers: Average of 18% of the runners
- Pre-Race Food: Vitamin Shake
- Race Food: GU Gel at minutes: -5 and then every 45 min
- Post-Race Food: Water (1.5 liters) and steak (grilled or tacos)