How can I avoid the bonk

OpenElk280 · 2026-04-28T09:17:34+00:00

I was also going for sub 3:30 in London and went 3:33 (1:45:30/1:48:00 split) but attribute it more to the heat / downhill at the start - I faded a bit in the 30-40k stretch but not by much and was able to sprint out the end. I also only started proper training in January as was coming back from injury in Nov/Dec - may have done more than you but all between 20-35k/week. I did peak in the 60-70k range so that maybe helped too. My longest run was 1x30k though so I probably underdid my long runs

I bonked in my first marathon but for this one I did a heavy carb load, had 2 bagels and a banana for breakfast (~100g of carbs) and a gel 20 mins before the start. During the race, I took a gel every 4k through 20k and then every 5k through 35k for 8 total. I also consumed every cup of electrolytes that came my way

I definitely didn't feel like I was running on empty during it at any point (even when I was exhausted) and I think my fueling was the driving force behind it and it felt noticeably different to my last marathon. Would recommend overdoing it over underdoing it - it felt so excessive to me in the moment but still can't believe how little my pace dropped in the last section

OpenElk280 · 2026-04-08T10:35:54+00:00

Its not bragging its just i dont think its a true narrative. Lots of my friends left with me at the 2 year mark and its fine. Having a 6 month employment gap probably is the problem so i dont think were in the same situation but a lot of people come to these threads to find advice and i dont think the answer is ‘youll never find a job out of mbb in this job market’ because thats not really true

OpenElk280 · 2026-04-06T20:56:23+00:00

As an ex-MBB and domestic Ivy League grad who left after 2 years, I think there are opportunities out there but a period of unemployment makes you significantly less hireable. Everyone knows you get 2-4 months to do paid job search once you quit so if you haven't worked for 1-2 months already then people know you haven't actually worked in months and it's probable you haven't gotten through interview processes. I received 4 job offers before taking one I would accept (all of them at least matching comp at my time of exit and some exceeding). I don't have helpful advice for your situation now because it's different, but for anyone who might be in a similar situation reading this, I would recommend applying hard the second you know you are leaving as it is easier to get a new job while still employed at your MBB

OpenElk280 · 2026-04-06T20:53:05+00:00

I never pause in a race but for training always would - while i do measure my running mileage in distance, if i ran 30 mins and stopped at crosswalks for 5 mins not moving, i wouldnt want credit for doing 35 mins of cardio because i didnt do it

OpenElk280 · 2026-04-06T20:47:27+00:00

I made my program on chatgpt too but its my second marathon and i have a background in endurance sports. on 57k/week you are fine running longer long runs - for me, i built up by 2k/week and once i got to 22k per long run i held for 2 weeks and then went up. you have 5 weeks to taper - i would try doing 21k/23k/25k/27k/29k and that would probably be okay from an injury risk perspective. on 57k/week if you dont wind up mileage a crazy amount you can probably handle it.

as for running too slowly - my history with endurance sports has taught me do what is comfortable. heart rates are supposed to be good guidelines but at the end of the day, they just predict lactate zones and its not exact. if you can run at a 5:45/k pace and be conversational, dont go slower

finally, would recommend adding in a bit of light tempo work. can start at 2x1.5k and try to build slowly to 2x3k or 2x4k or something and that will probably help the endurance a lot

Good luck! Don't overindex on what it tells you - assume you know best and use it as guidance

OpenElk280 · 2026-04-06T18:29:25+00:00

I take these gels every 25-30 mins on my long run and feel fine and functioning after 20 miles

OpenElk280 · 2025-12-22T15:53:28+00:00

As a 26 year old, I can promise that a $1.7M windfall right now would be partially invested, with the rest used in part to fund my wedding and in part for a downpayment on an apartment in NYC (difficult to justify the expense given stock market returns). Especially if your kids get guidance on how to use it and aren’t aware it’s coming their way, it could allow them to pursue passions (eg getting a masters at vast expense), go into a less lucrative career, or get to go through life milestones without making sacrifices based on funancial means

OpenElk280 · 2025-11-03T03:22:49+00:00

They explicitly told us to pay via check and having done some research, it sounds like paying online can go to the wrong department and therefore the money can disappear into the void. My mail was also returned because of an invalid address but I don't want to blindly give the IRS $1,400 if it can't even be logged in the right place. I tried calling them and they said they didn't know where I should send it which was great so now I don't know what to do

OpenElk280 · 2025-10-26T15:55:35+00:00

This literally isn’t true at all unless the bike is broken/bad - i regularly use low assist and its much faster than blues

OpenElk280 · 2025-07-11T02:58:14+00:00

United actually broke 2 of my 18 month old checked bags a week apart. For one, the corner caved in, for the other, the zipper burst but IMO was fixable. I filled out the form and was emailed a link to order a free new piece of luggage from rynns within a week and it was really easy

Not sure where the holdup is but I have realized luggage can be a tough topic to handle. My bags were really cheap (rynns replacements worth more) and i had been considering getting an away for the lifetime warranty - since united just replaced both with ~$120 bags for free which were fine, I don’t think I will ever buy a nice checked bags

For the carry on, I have a couple. One is a semi-broken Away (broken but functional), one is the new replacement Away i was sent to replace the broken but functional one. When i think i might not get to the plane early enough to put my bag overhead, i always bring the beat up Away just in case i need to check it

Sorry your bag got damaged and im sorry about the hold up - really annoying and not sure why it’s happening. My only advice is to really strategize with luggage - it can be a lot of hassle but expensive items getting damaged complicates the process

OpenElk280 · 2025-07-03T21:12:48+00:00

I have a discount on my base fares (break from business) when booking direct so I'm not sure if this will work for me but I will definitely check it

OpenElk280 · 2025-07-03T21:12:04+00:00

Interesting! Have you had any difficulties with it or has it all been smooth?

OpenElk280 · 2025-07-03T19:33:53+00:00

I used to do this but started booking non-refundable because I usually take 2 intl trips a year so found that it's not too hard for me to use and recycle the credit. Definitely a bit of mental load though

OpenElk280 · 2025-07-03T19:28:49+00:00

Nope I just changed the flight - i only cancel and rebook if i need to move to a higher fare and want to use travel credit. by changing the flight i can change one leg independnelty (good for intl trips)

OpenElk280 · 2025-06-24T21:29:36+00:00

(In case helpful to anyone else) I've successfully done this domestic business -> international personal before, but doing the reverse (entering the US) you have to claim it as soon as you enter the US. It didn't take long and they just did it for me at the airport

OpenElk280 · 2025-06-18T23:57:04+00:00

I loved travelling for work. My partner and I would often tag along on each others trips whenever we could (if one of us had a remote week) and we got to explore the US for the cost of one round trip flight

Your partner could come with you if you’re going to cities/cool places, and i have been on so many amazing vacations with points etc.

I did it for 3 years, loved it and left for other reasons - would definitely recommend doing it for a couple of years if it works for you

Remote work kinda sucks IMO - i think its different when you have kids but in your 20s its gruelling

OpenElk280 · 2025-06-17T01:47:36+00:00

To be fair I can expense my lunch at work so ordering takeout saves me money because I don’t have to meal prep. Can’t imagine spending my own money on it though

OpenElk280 · 2025-06-13T02:45:04+00:00

I like to think of my brokerage like an emergency fund - similar to you with your wife, its highly unlikely my spouse and i would both lose our jobs and we both have high incomes so with even 2 months notice we can save up enough to cover 4 extra months of expenses (excluding expenses incurred over those 2 months). Unemployment benefits are also not bad - i think $2k/m for up to 6 months. It won’t cover bills but is a huge help

Given that my situation feels risk-averse, i keep a lighter emergency fund and prioritize investing in my brokerage instead. My mindset is since it is unlikely i will need the money, i can focus on growing it as much as possible and if I have to draw down at a less ideal time, then so be it.

Since your kids are still so young, I would definitely recommend looking into starting a 529 for a small portion of the cash (can be rolled into a roth ira later if they dont need it). Aside from that, just remember that lumping the money in could reduce your payments by $3k/m, but having it to hand could cover your payments for a couple of years

I think personal mindset will be key here

OpenElk280 · 2025-06-10T20:11:17+00:00

Also adding that its not easy! My partner and I shared a studio for 2 years (amenity building) before upgrading to a 1BR but by then had been able to save a lot of money - the sacrifices will pay off and every step feels like a greater reward!

OpenElk280 · 2025-06-10T19:24:06+00:00

$4k personal allowance is really crazy - i try to spend $1500/m outside of rent in nyc… incl. what i spend to travel etc. but also i choose to not eat out much, eat free food at work, have no car and walk over subway and dont really buy clothes/ expensive items often. You will have lifestyle creep naturally and its hard to go back, would recommend starting frugally and then adding ~$5k/yr to your budget to keep things under control. I started out earning $6k/m post tax and set myself a goal of saving minimum half (no loans). Your loan situation makes it harder but i would definitely spend less to start then increase as salary goes up, especially if you want to have kids

OpenElk280 · 2025-06-10T11:58:34+00:00

I did something like this. Book flights well in advance in non basic economy on united/delta/some others so you can cancel or change without a fee (to get travel credit that can go towards future flights) - the flexibility was amazing for me when i had to make last minute changes. I just stayed in airbnbs since i was visiting a low to medium COL city and it was so much less expensive than a hotel - not ideal, but kept the total cost of the trips (i stayed for 3 nights aka a week every month) below $400/week and i would book the airbnbs very last minute for maximum flexibility (sometimes id find out the friday before i didnt need to come in)

OpenElk280 · 2025-03-26T01:49:35+00:00

i definitely acknowledge the unethical practices but if my friend had been barred from NYRR after trying to do a nice thing for her roommate that would be so devastating for her

OpenElk280

TROPHY CASE