How to Prepare - Diet
In the months and weeks building up to the race it is important to have a balanced diet.
There is no need to prepare special meals as long as you normally have a healthy diet and ensure that you eat plenty of pasta, bread, potatoes, etc. to provide you with the extra energy required for training for a half marathon & 10K. Often those taking up the challenge of participating in a half marathon race include changing to a healthier eating regime which remains for the rest of their life!
What is a Balanced Diet?
Cereals,
vegetables, fruit, bread, pasta, meat, fish, eggs and dairy
products all have an important part to play in a healthy
balanced diet. The secret is to eat those foods in the right
proportions! An easy way to ensure you have a healthy balanced
diet is to follow the 'Eating Pyramid'.
The base - the largest section - is the foundation for a healthy diet and includes the foods we should eat plenty of every day.
The tip - the smallest section - includes the foods we need to keep to a minimum. If you follow these 3 golden rules you will be well on the way to a healthy diet.
1 Make the foods at the base of the pyramid the main part of every meal.
2 Have 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day e.g. a glass of fruit juice, an apple, a banana and 2 portions of vegetables.
3 Keep the proportion of saturated fates, i.e. those contained in red meat and dairy produce to a minimum.
Training Diet
It is especially important when you are regularly exercising that the foods at the base of the pyramid make up 50%-60% of your daily diet as those are the foods which will provide the energy you will be needing to obtain full benefit from your training. Try to allow at least 2 hours between your last meal and your training session. If possible, have something to eat within 30 minutes of finishing a training session. This should ensure that your muscles are 'restocked' with fuel again in time for your next training session.
During the Week Prior to the Race
During this time you should be tapering down your training sessions. At this point it may also be beneficial to increase the amount of 'energy-providing' foods (those at the base of the pyramid, e.g. pasta, bread, rice) in your daily diet. This will ensure your muscles are 'fully topped up' with fuel for the big day! You should aim for these foods to be 60%-70% of your daily diet. Take care not to eat a larger total amount of food than usual but to alter what you are eating so that you consume more of these 'energy' foods and less of the other food groups.
Race Day
Eat a light breakfast e.g. fruit, cereal and toast at least a couple of hours before you are due to start, if you are likely to be nervous or anxious it is advisable to allow more time between your breakfast and running. It is extremely important to ensure that your body is fully hydrated for the whole of the race. Drink plenty of water with your breakfast and then drink a small quantity 1 hour - 1/2 hour prior to the race. It is extremely important to take in fluid during the race, especially in the early stages. It is advisable to also do this in training to allow you to become accustomed to running with fluid in your stomach.
By following this advise you should find that you have sufficient energy to complete and enjoy the Great Scottish Run.
