Marathon Countdown, Nutrition for 24 Hours before the Race
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Ingredients
  • And here are some important reminders:
  • • Focus on getting plenty of fluids.
  • • Maximize your muscle energy stores (glycogen) by including carbohydrates at each meal.  Now's the time to have really enjoy it!  Good options are brown rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, oatmeal and pasta.
  • • WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T TELL YOU: Most people feel both excited and a little anxious—even good stress/ excitement taxes the body, so you’ll want to make your body and immune system are as strong and well-equipped as possible for your run. And running a marathon puts a huge stress on the immune system. It’s easy to get nervous and feel tempted to try something new that a friend mentions helped them. But don’t stray too far from your typical diet since your body can tolerate it and is accustomed to it. Be careful not to get so focused on manipulating carbohydrates that you forget about bolstering your immune system. Pack your diet with stress-fighting, damage-preventing nutrients that also fight inflammation so that your body is strong and in good working order when you head out on race day.
  • • Use our
  • Red, Orange or Green rule
  • to choose one produce item that is any of these colors at each meal to ensure you are ingesting antioxidants to fight free-radical damage as well as anti-inflammatories (to keep your insides more calm) and fiber to keep any possible toxins moving out of your digestive tract.
  • • Steer clear of foods that don’t pack nutrients and that add stress to your system like alcohol, refined grains and sweet and fried foods.
  • •  If you've been practicing with beet juice before your runs, continue on with your loading phase and continue to drink about 6-8 ounces today.  If you don't like the way it tastes, add some apple juice to it.
  • • Limit refined grains, fatty meats, sweets and fried foods. They’ll weigh you down and make you feel sluggish and crowd out healthy foods that may provide nutrients and long-lasting energy.
  • • A MISTAKE MANY RUNNERS MAKE: They eat a large meal the night before the run.  This can backfire when you wake up feeling lethargic and bloated.  Think of the way you feel the morning after Thanksgiving.  Now imagine running 26.2 miles.  It seems nearly impossible!  So have a carbohydrate-rich meal that will top off your glycogen stores.  A favorite among are runners is pasta with some chicken and vegetables.  Keep the portion moderate in size so you don't feel sick, bloated or heavy in the morning.
Instructions
Recipe by Nutrition Twins at https://www.nutritiontwins.com/marathon-countdown-nutrition-for-24-hours-before-the-race/