Posts Tagged by marathon
My Go-To Pre Race Breakfast
| February 6, 2015 |
One question I always get from new runners is “what should I eat for breakfast on race day?” So I wanted to share my go-to pre-race breakfast with you: PB&J toast + banana + hydration
Technically speaking, I eat an AB&J (almond butter and jelly). And I guess if you want to get even more technical. I don’t own a toaster oven so I don’t actually eat toast unless I want to turn on the oven.
On average, one slice of whole wheat bread is around 12 grams of carbs. You can choose whatever bread you like but my favorites are the earthy nutty breads like Ezekiel bread. Adding the almond butter and jelly aid in flavor as well as providing a little bit of protein for muscle repair and extra sugar for additional carbs.
A banana is a good fruit option pre and post race because it’s a good source of potassium, B6, and magnesium. Potassium for me is very important. I am very prone to muscle cramps, especially in my toes due to my flat feet. With proper shoes, socks, and stretching I’ve been able to alleviate most of the problems I’ve come across during races, but I still struggle with the cramps from time to time and potassium is known to help prevent cramping. B6 is involved in transporting oxygen to the cells. This is vital for any athlete. Finally, magnesium helps to maintain healthy bones. With the prolonged pounding on your joints from running, magnesium is important if you plan to continue running through your 60s.
Last but not least, hydrate. If it’s race morning and you didn’t hydrate enough the past 2 weeks, this is not the time to make up for slacking off on your hydration routine. You don’t want a tidal wave swooshing in your stomach as you run. I like to drink about 1 bottle of water before the race depending on how much time I have from the moment I get up to the race start. I also like to add Nuun to my water. I’m a sucker for any flavored drink since I gave up soda and Nuun has added electrolytes – great for an athlete! Then I rely on the aid stations to provide my water along the course.
One big mistake you don’t want to make is trying something new on race day. What I shared with you above is what I personally do. But everyone is different and I am not a nutritionist. You’re training plan should have some long runs scheduled in. Plan to do your long runs at the same time of day that your race will start, that way you can get to know your own body and what it craves early in the morning.
… But let’s be honest. My race breakfast does NOT look like the photos above. It looks more like this. Packed the night before in a ziplock bag and a banana on the side.
It was freezing outside so I ate in my car with the heater at full blast until it was time to head to the start. This was before the Citrus Heritage Half Marathon. I did it last year for the inaugural event and had to come back for the 2nd annual race. It’s a beautiful run through the historic orange groves in Riverside and the sunrise was breathtaking! As I ran, I could smell the sweet citrus growing along the course.
My First Half Marathon at Disneyland
| November 19, 2012 |
Check that off my bucket list! I completed the Disneyland Half Marathon in September and wanted to relay some things I wish I knew before running. Words of advice and encouragement that you can use if you decide to run a half. (Ok, I know it’s been a while since I ran, but it took a while to get the photos I ordered and I wanted to get some good recipes up first.)
Firstly, let me tell you a little about my experience. I registered for the half marathon in January of 2012, a whole nine months before the actual run was to take place. I registered because I was having one of those moments. We have all experienced them. I was on Pinterest and pinning away – all these motivational quotes and healthy recipes and I was really in the mood to take a leap and really turn up the heat on my healthy lifestyle. I saw all those photos and I just wanted to get up and work out and eat healthy. That’s what Pinterest is for, right?
So I registered for the half marathon. Well precious training time went by and nothing happened. I continued my regular routine: gym 3xs a week, mostly healthy eating, 8hrs of sleep. But I never really started actually running. In late June, my gym trainer convinced everyone to do a 5k. I ran it with no prep but I fell in love! I loved being among other people that liked running (because I hated running). Feeling accomplished, I decided to start training for my half marathon. Too bad I still didn’t like running so I failed. I could not run more than a mile on my own without getting bored and walking back home.
I ran a few more 5ks before the Disneyland Half Marathon. I figured it might be enough. After all, a half marathon is only 4x the distance as a 5k. That meant I was 25% there! Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Day of, I woke up at 3am (more like 3:15, hello snooze!) and drove over to Disneyland. I thought I was all set with my favorite workout shirt, my iphone to keep time and for music if I needed it. Wasn’t feeling nervous at all.
The first 5 miles or so was all fun and games because we ran through the park and I was totally pumped with all that Disney music feeding my inner Disney Fanatic. At one point, I realized I had so much adrenaline that my legs were numb. I was having a blast! It was after we left Disneyland when the fun started to fade.
Up until that point, I had no doubt I would make it. But at the 6th mile marker, I was thinking I might want to take a break. BIG MISTAKE! I am not a walk jogger by any means. Stopping to walk, for me, makes it so much harder to get back and run. I never walked in any of my 5ks (not even my first one). MIND OVER MATTER! But I stopped. I stretched. Then kept running. About a mile later, I stopped again… and so on. My goal was to run that last 5k so around the 9th mile I was all set to start running again. But the muscles in my legs were spasing and going crazy. I ended up only being able to run that last mile instead of 5k.
But I finished, and that is the most important part! I did it! My time was 3:33:45. (Ignore the time on the photos. That’s the time for corral A, and I was in E.) With little training and no experience, mission accomplished. Besides more training, here are a few things I wish I had known I needed for the half I thought I would share with you:
- Running Belt – I saw this Spibelt at the RunDisney Health Expo but I didn’t think I needed it, especially for the price. But now I wished I had gotten one. They expand to hold however much stuff you need to carry. Great for holding your snacks, phone and travel vaseline. And I would have preferred this for my phone over my arm band because I ended up not needing my music and my arm band just became an annoyance. There are so many options/brands, so get one that suits your needs.
- Vaseline – This is a MUST! There are also brands like BodyGlide made specifically for runners that I hear do a better job than vaseline. But there are also a lot of runners that tell me Vaseline does the job just fine. Your call. Rub some in between your legs, under your arms (where your arms rub against your shirt) and if you’re a guy you might want to put some on your chest. It keeps the chaffing at bay. I would also suggest carrying a small bottle with you just incase you need to reapply. Take it from me, I was in some serious pain!
- Lara Bars – Half way through I was craving Lara Bars. Pick whatever snack you choose, but have it on hand for when those cravings hit.
- Good Shoes – Hopefully you train more than I did so you are able to recognize how bad of shape your shoes are in before you run. I didn’t, and by the end my feet were killing me. Wear good shoes. End of story.
- Sweat Band – I saw the HALO head band at the expo and thought I’d try it. I sweat a lot and would get sweat in my eyes (ouch) during 5ks. So I could only imagine what it was going to be like doing a half. So I splurged and got one. It has a Sweat Block Seal that is basically like a rubber sweat catcher that makes it so your sweat falls on the side of your face versus into your eyes. It worked like a charm! I highly recommend this.
- KTape – Also known as kinesiology tape. At about the 7th mile, my muscles were throbbing and cramping and there was nothing I could do. In my attempt to stretch, another runner suggested next time I use my KTape. Well if I had KTape and knew what it was, I would have used it. Basically it’s a fitness tape that gives a little extra support to the applied muscle. Some tape brands are pre-cut to give you the right shape for the right area and some provide a how-to for each muscle location on the body. I haven’t tried it yet but I will give it a go next time I do a long distance run and let you know. It’s best to get to know your body during training so that you know where you need to apply the KTape. Most commonly, KTape is applied to support the knees.
**This post is in no way affiliated or sponsored by RunDisney or any of the companies mentioned. All content is of my own opinion.
Sunday Runday: The 5k
| September 20, 2012 |
Running has never been my thing. When I was in middle school, I used to fail every mile we ran (if you took more than 13 minutes to run the mile, you got an F). When my gym decided to get together to run in a 5k, I was skeptical. I hate running. But then again I did, for whatever reason, sign up for the Disneyland Half Marathon. So I joined in on this 5k. Mentally preparing myself, I decided that my goal was to not stop. If I stopped, I was worried it would be that much harder to start back up again. My only stop was for a sip of water because at the 1.5 mile mark, I failed at drinking water because I was running and ended up pouring it all over my face. But I had so much fun running with everyone, I am now addicted.
I’m not going to lie and say that I miraculously now like running. I still hate it. But I loved the feeling I had after the race, the natural high and feeling of accomplishment. AND it is so much easier to run when you are running with a bunch of people that do like running. If you haven’t tried a 5k yet, I suggest you do so. You might just surprise yourself. I’ll post about my Disneyland Half Marathon weekend as soon as I get my photos in the mail, so sit tight.
My First 5k Time: 39:28
My Second 5k Time: 39:10
My Third 5k Time: 36:38
