You've been training for months and now the time is almost here... now what!?
The final weeks leading up to your run can be a stressful time, so many things to consider and to stress about, here are our 5 Golden Pre-Marathon Rules;
5. Carb-Load Correctly
Leading up to your race you should be looking at consuming around 70-80% of calories in your diet should come from carbohydrates.
Look at a variety of carbohydrate foods to keep your diet varied and enjoyable, Rice, Oatmeal, Tortillas, Pancakes, Waffles, Bagels and Yoghurts can all be useful foods to include.
Although you are looking to earn-load, ensure you are not carb-overloading! Look to consume around 4 grams of carbohydrates for every pound in weight. For more information about carbohydrates and macronutrients, sign up to our FREE Transformation Guide.
Why are you Carb-Loading?
The carbohydrates we eat are converted to glucose, our main source of energy. When the body doesn't need fuel, the glucose molecules are linked together in chains comprised of about eight to 12 glucose units, resulting in the formation of the glycogen molecule. The main trigger for this process is insulin. As soon as you have eaten a meal with carbohydrates, your blood glucose level will begin to rise. This will signal the pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone whose role it is to take glucose from the blood for energy. The more energy stored = more energy to burn to run further/faster.
4. Stay Hydrated
Ensure you are drinking plenty of water leading up to your event, look to be consuming slightly above and gradually increasing leading up to your event you water intake. If possible, aim to drink in small sips throughout the day to get yourself prepared for race day when you will be sipping water throughout the race.
Look to be drinking around 3-4L of water per day to help replace any fluids you will lose through your race.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol as this will cause dehydration.
3. Don't Over-Do It
Common mistake by most runners is to step up the intensity leading up to an event, ideally you should be doing the opposite to keep yourself feeling fresh and refreshed for the run. If possible, look at completing a few light bodyweight workouts, light stretching, yoga and get a massage if possible to help relax and destress..
Training-wise you should be tapering you running (reducing distance whilst maintaining intensity).
2. Prepare For Race Day
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail!! For you perfect race, look to get prepared for race day as early possible, here are some of our top suggestions;
Race Bib & Safety Pins
Race Timing Chip
Running Outfit
Wristwatch/ GPS Watch
Sunscreen
Anti-Chafing Products
Innersoles
Cut Toe Nails (sounds grim but definitely needed)
Energy Gels/ Electrolytes
Review Run Route
1. Plenty Of Sleep
Aim to get at least an additional hours sleep to your usual sleeping pattern to help reduce stress, aid recovery and increase energy levels which will be crucial for race day.
Did you know?
Crucial growth hormones are released in the deep sleep phase of your sleep. If you are regularly getting less than 7-8 hours you will not be recovering as well as you should be.
All the best with your run, we know you are going to smash it!! We hope our 5 golden rules help you plan and prepare for your run effectively, post below how you found our tips and how you got on with your run and where you ran.
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Do you know about post-marathon recovery? Click Here to read our complete guide to DOM's.
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