I’m tapering this week which offers a TON of time to sit and ponder the race (the good, the bad and the ugly).
I find it helpful to concentrate on non-anxiety-provoking things, like what I’m going to put in and on my body to help me prepare for the big dance next Sunday. I want to be rested, pain free, well hydrated and carbed up when I hit the start line on Sunday morning.
Eating the Week Leading to the Race
First thing is what I’m putting in my body. Tapering means I’ve gone from an average of 60 miles a week to less than 30 a week for the last two.
The dramatic change in mileage means I can no longer eat everything in sight lest I blow up 10 lbs. before I hit the start line. I’ve dropped about 1,000 calories a day from my diet and while at the same time, increasing my carbohydrate intake.
One of the biggest mistakes a runner can make is the myth of the carbo load. Almost everyone I speak with thinks that eating one huge pasta meal the night before the big event is the right way to load up your glycogen stores (which in turn helps to keep The Wall at bay).
What I do is add ~20% more carbs per day every day for the week leading up to the race. In practical terms this means I’m eating a grain-based cereal for breakfast (rather than just fruit), sandwich for lunch (rather than salad) and some sort of lean protein and rice for dinner (rather than everything in the fridge). I’ll snack on apples and salty nuts throughout the day if and when I get hungry. The nuts help build up salt (an essential electrolyte) and will help keep me evenly hydrated through the day and on race day.
Hydrating
Speaking of hydrating, I’ve almost doubled my water intake. I’m at the point where I’m thinking about just setting up shop in the bathroom since that’s pretty much where I spend most of my time anyway. The payoff will be on race day when I can hit every other water station and not worry too much about dehydration.
I’ve also been drinking less caffeine since it’s a diuretic. And since I’m increasing my electrolyte intake, it’s the perfect excuse to drop a few Nuun Watermelon flavored tablets into my water a few times a day. I’m not a huge fan of sports drinks (I think they have way to much sugar).
Taking Care of My Feet
I try as much as possible to take care of my feet the last week leading up to the race. Since I’m not running as much, I’m spending more time in my Chuck Taylors. I love these sneaks but they are the absolute worst when it comes to arch support and cushioning – so I use insoles.
I had been using a brand that I bought at my local running store but to be honest they never felt great on my feet. I think the arches were too high.
Enter ProFoot. I had a chance to go for a run with the company CEO Dan Feldman last week. He had just finished the Chicago Marathon (his second 26.2) with a time of 3:49 and change. Color me impressed, here’s a guy, the same age as me who’s been running for about three years and has already beat my marathon PR (BTW, I’m making it official, I’m hiring a coach next year and finally running a 3:30 marathon).
But I digress.
Dan and I had a great run and chatted a bit about his product line, but more than that we talked about running. That’s what happens when you put two passionate runners in Central Park on a Tuesday afternoon. While I cautioned that I wouldn’t be able to try the insoles while running until after the races (so I could write a first person review), I did break my own rule (of nothing new race week) and popped a pair in my Chucks.
I’ve had them in for five days now and it’s like walking on a cushion of air. After about a day, it felt as if they were custom made – they fully conformed to my feet and make my (almost) one year old shoes feel like brand new running sneaks. Not to mention there’s a tab that sort of sticks up behind the heel that makes it feel like my heel is being cradled.
This is exactly the kind of pampering my feet need leading up to race day.
I get asked a lot this time of year if I’m ready. My usual response is, “does it matter?” I mean, I’m lining up regardless.
But the truth is I am ready. As I tell a lot of first time marathoners, you trained for the day, trust your training and you’ll cross the finish line. Any goals you’ve set (I’ve set) are just gravy.
Great post, I wish I read it 2wks ago. The best of luck, I'm sure with this prep you'll do great!
It's never too late! Good luck if you're running Sunday!