I find it somewhat surprising that Goucher would need such a heavily laden drink (PowerAde mixed with electrolyte replacement gel) so early in the marathon. No wonder she was burping and puking it back up. Just 10 k into the marathon, why would she need that kind of drink? Maybe past the half marathon or before 20 miles, but geez, at 10 k? She stated that she felt great and was running easily.
If she were well hydrated and had stored enough carbs, it would seem unnecessary to try to force down that kind of drink so early on. Maybe she should wait until he really needs it in her next marathon, and might find it goes down a lot easier. Many marathoners have had great performances through the years without starting these kinds of concoctions so early on in a marathon.
This strategy obviously torpedoed her marathon at the WC. I am not an elite marathoner, but was fairly accomplished “back in the day” (mid 2:30s), and never needed to ingest that much during a marathon. Perhaps other elites can shed some light on this drink strategy.