“2 Days to go” – Delna Pooniwala.
Did you know that most runners know that they require to be well fulled before a Marathon. Surprisingly, most of them eat wrong foods or inappropriate quantities.
What is actually required are foods that are a great source of energy, since you would require it when you run 21 kms. or 42 kms. & hence you need to be ‘carbo-loaded’ properly. Its a pity when runners train so hard and then are not fulled with an energy booster.
When you are carb-loaded, the carbohydrates are stored as glycogen which is utilized by the body, along with the fat reserves. I often hear clients tell me that because their fat % is higher than athletic level, why they don’t depend on the body to just burn off the fat resources. However, fats are not as efficient because your body would have to work harder to convert it into fuel.
Since Marathons are early in the morning and some people may feel uneasy with certain foods, you can select from a wide range of carbohydrate sources. Oates, bread- butter-cheese, pancakes, boiled potatoes or idli. My personal recommendation is Bananas since they are a low-fiber choice. Whatever you do, do not go without a carbohydrate.
It’s not possible to completely fill your muscles with glycogen from just one meal, “which is why you should start 2 days before your race, so that the glycogen will accumulate in your muscles. At this point, 85 to 95 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates. You should consume about four grams of carbohydrates for every pound of body weight (for a 150 pound runner that’s 600 grams—or 2,400 calories—of carbohydrates per day).
Mind you, when you are loaded, it would not help you run faster but the packed energy & power in you would help you sustain through the entire way.
