Preperation for a Marathon

There is so much training that goes into preperaing to run a marathon, and if you have not put in the right prep work, and have no recovery plans, you will let yourself down on the day.

On of the main misconceptions with marathon preperation, is carbo loading, and the extreme need to eat copious amounts of carbs the day before a race.

This is unnecessary and can play havoc with your digestive system on the day of your race.

Rather, think about your training regime, and the amount of km’s you were running each week in the lead up to race day. During this time, you would have slowly been increasing your carbs  to cope with the demands of your extra training.

As your training starts to taper off in the last week before race day, all you need to do is maintain the food intake you were having during the more intense weeks, and these extra calories are considered your carbo loading 🙂

The night before your race, you need to eat a meal that is low in fibre, moderate protein, has a good amount of healthy fats, while still retaining a normal portion of carbohydrates.

The meal you have on the morning of your race, is a very personal choice, and should be something that you have practised a few times during training.

It would be high in carbohydrates, while avoiding too much firbre, as this can cause digestive problems during the race.

Think oats and yogurt, peanut butter on plain toast, crumpets etc

During your race you need adequate fluid while maintining your electrolytes. This can be done in the way of an electrolyte drink, or gel squeezy’s.

The specific amount you require is dependant on your weight, and the duration of your race, and should be calculated by a nutritionalist.

As we exercise our body burns the glucose stored in the bloodstream, and muscles. This needs to be replaced with simple carbohydrates, that take little effort for the body to convert to glucose.

Think dried fruit, bananas, simple muesli bars, plain biscuits, jelly beans or other lollies. (avoid chocolate, as the high fat content, slows down the release of the glucose).

In the first hour after your race , you need to do 2 things. The first is too replace your fluid and electrolytes. Coconut water or powerade can be two of the best forms of replacement. I would look to get in 1L, within that first hour. The second is to replace your glycogen. This can be done with high sugary snacks like crumpet’s with honey or jam, or white bread sandwiches, sugary cereal and fizzy drinks.

You need to follow up these high sugary snacks with a healthy meal full of protein and carbohydrates, within 1-2 hours post race.

If you don’t feel like eating directly after the race, try a smoothie made with coconut water, bananas, protein powder, and honey. This will give you everything you need without the feeling of having to eat.

For the rest of the day, eat as normally as you can, and continue to drink lots of water. Avoid alcohol as much as possible.

To help with muscle soreness, have a warm bath with 1 cup of epsom salts dissolved in the water. The epsom salts help to pull out toxins, and will reduce your muscle soreness.

If massage is available post race, book in for a session, with the focus on calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes and hip flexors.

That night before bed, have 2 x magnesium tablets, and follow up over the next few days, or until muscle soreness has dissapered.

If you’ve suffered any minor niggles and pains, during your race, Arnica symphytum is ideal to aid in the healing of bone, ligaments, and tendons, catilage and muscles.

The morning after your race, head outside for a 30 min slow paced walk, and follow up with a good stretching session, or get on a foam roller.

Over the next week, if the body is not feeling too sore, i recommend to aim for a couple of short 5km runs just to ease out any stiffness. This will also help maintain your focus and motivation, until you are either ready to start training for your next race, or a new goal.

If you sit around and feel sorry for yourself, it can have a negative impact, leaving you feeling rather depondent, and lacking any motivation to continue any kind of exercise routine.

But  mostly, have fun, and know that it’s a journey, and one that you wont forget in a hurry!!!