Marathon Training: Best Practices for Your Best Performance
Aug 05, 2019
The 40th Annual Nationwide Children’s Columbus Marathon is just over two months away! As a four-time past participant of the race myself, I can confidently say there is no feeling comparable to the energy of race day. There are Patient Champions at every mile, huge cheering crowds and the best volunteer crew taking great care of every detail.
As a sports dietitian, I know the fueling plan is often the most difficult part of the training plan. But, a nutrition might be the competitive edge that helps you get that PR for which you’ve been striving! In order to optimize your training, nutrition needs to be a regular component of the workout plan - period. A car needs fuel to run properly, just as people need a healthful and nourishing eating plan.Routine eating has to be a priority; meal and snack planning takes extra time and is often pushed to the side due to hectic life schedules. Yet, the benefits of a fueling plan include:
Prevention of low blood sugar and its symptoms including dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, and blurry vision
Prevent GI upset: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Decreased muscle tiredness and soreness
Helps muscles heal and recover and aid in injury prevention
Increased focus and attention span
Remember, it’s not all about what you eat the morning of the race. It’s ensuring you fuel well most days of the week. On the days leading up to your long runs, and especially race day, remember:
Simple: there are no magical foods or supplements, however, you might find foods that you feel more comfortable with. You have to figure out what works for you!
Familiar: do not try any new foods. If you want to see how a food settles, try eating it surrounding a practice run.
Light: avoid foods that are greasy, heavy, creamy, spicy, and rich foods that might not sit well on your stomach. This might also include dairy products.
Practice: figuring out your nutrition plan for race day is just as important as your training runs and proper running shoes. You should start practicing how you plan to fuel before the race with your long runs. Everyone is a bit different, so take the time to figure out what foods and timeframe work best for you.
The following chart is aimed to help you with pointers regarding pre, during, post run nutrition as well as hydration considerations:
Timing Recommendations
Goals
Food and Beverage Pairing Examples
Pre Exercise
>2-4 hours beforehand
Find timing and types of foods that work best for you
½ bagel with nut or seed butter
Avoid foods high in fat, protein, and fiber
Packet of oatmeal w/ dried fruit
Pre-race hydration should focus on water
Small granola bar + ½ banana
During Exercise
After the first hour:
Hydrate! Take small mouthfuls of fluid - do not chug water!
Energy chews
Gels
Maintain carbohydrate stores during the race
Honey
Half-marathon runners: aim for 30-60 grams carbohydrate per hour
Sports drinks
Gummy candy
Marathon runners: aim for 60-90 grams carbohydrate per hour
Dried fruit
Post Exercise
Aim for 15-60 minutes post
Consume carbohydrate & protein pairings to help replenish and recover exhausted muscles
Turkey sandwich and glass of chocolate milk
Include sodium as part of your meal to help replace electrolytes & retain fluid lost in sweat
2-3 eggs and two pieces of toast with butter
Replenish fluids lost during the race with water, milk, chocolate milk, or sports drinks
Fruit smoothie with yogurt, berries, banana
Your morning coffee is okay as long as you practice drinking it before a long run and if it is not something brand new that you implement on race day. Caffeine is shown to have performance benefit in endurance events, however, proceed with caution if you’re not a regular java drinker! It will be an early morning, but my advice is don’t chance it and stick to your tried and true plan.
Feel confident that both your training and fueling plan support your performance and comfort on race day. I assure you, putting the time in now will be more than worth it! If you’re running - I wish you all the best of luck! If you’re not running- I’ll be cheering alongside you on the course! For more information, please visit our website.
Jessica Napolitano, MS, RD, CSSD, LD was the first registered dietitian on staff for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine department.
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