Congratulations everyone on the past 10 weeks of training and good eating. Let’s keep it going for a great performance on race day!
For our final tips we are going to discuss what to eat before and after the big race.
1) What to eat the night before. We’ve already discussed eating clean over the past number of weeks, and this shouldn’t change. Remember food is fuel and if we put rubbish processed fuel into our bodies, we will feel fatigued and get rubbish results. The night before have a well balanced meal with slow releasing carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. For example a hnadful of sweet potato, a chicken fillet or an avocado salad.
2) What to eat on the morning of the race. Sometimes before a race you might feel slightly nervous, but DON’T skip breakfast. Our bodies cannot run on empty. The morning of the race have some porridge and for a little sweetness add some cinnamon. This will provide you with long-lasting energy and won’t make you feel overly full or sluggish.
3) How long before the race should you eat. From training for the past 10 weeks, you will know what foods agree with you before you run. Everybody is different, however as a guideline, aim to eat something light and not very filling about 60-90 minutes before the race.
4) Staying hydrated before and after the race. Drink plenty of water the day before the race. On the day of the race it is vitally important that we are well hydrated especially if we are running on a warm day. As with our food, you should know at this point how much water you need. The last thing you want is to be feeling like you are running with a belly full of water!
5) Refuelling after the race. After the race it is important that we replenish the nutrients and fluid lost during the run. A good indicator to see if we are dehydrated is to check our urine which should be light in colour, if it is dark then we need to increase our water intake.
The best of luck and most of all enjoy the day! Remember the tips from over the past 10 weeks, eat clean and stay hydrated.
