KET Fitness

Tip 64

What are you eating? Look at it and assess the contents. Are you eating complex carbs(whole grains, frts, veggies, pasta, baked potato)? Eat to train. Do not train to eat!

Tip 65
Eat Fruits and veggies not only for nutritional content but for the water content as well. This will help with hydration. Your muscles will appreciate it.

Tip 66
At meal time have a lot of color(green, orange, red, yellow) on your plate. Unless it is the night before a long training run than go for the pasta(not a heavy cream sauce), baked potatoes, and rice.

Tip 67

Try gel packs ( Gu http://www.guenergy.com/, PowerBar Gel http://www.powerbar.com/, Clif bar gels http://www.clifbar.com/, etc). They are easy to digest while you run. Just remember to wash it down with some water. This can be done while appraoching a water station (100 ft away) during the marathon. Many events have the gels available at the pre race expo and during the event. Just remember to use what your stomach tolerates.

Tip 68
Resistance train 1 – 2 days per week. It only takes 15-30 minutes for 1 set of 10-15 reps. Practice 4 exercises for the upper body and 4 for the lower body. http://www.youtube.com/ has excellent exercise videos you can review to learn the proper technique or use a personal trainer for one session.

Tip 69
2 days before the marathon rest. This means off your feet as much as possible. You want fresh legs for your big day.

Tip 70
1 day before the marathon do a slow run of 15-20 minutes. This loosens up the muscles and will remind your body and brain about the pace as well.

Tip 71
The night before eat the carbs(pasta, potatoes, rice, bread) that made you feel the best during your long training runs. No alcohol….just water. Lots and lots of carbs.

Tip 72

Limit your time at the expo prior to the event. It is easy to shop for some good bargins. You want fresh legs. You will have time to reward yourself following the marathon.

Tip 73
The morning of the marathon eat some light carbs such as a bagel, banana, some gel or what works for you. This is very individualized so remember what you did during training and what worked and what gave you GI distress. But you need to “top off the tank”. But keep it small portions not alot like the night before.

Tip 74

Get a good nights sleep. This is more important 2 nights before the marathon. The night before expect to be a bit nervous. That’s normal.

Tip 75
If the morning is cold use gloves and a old sweat shirt you can discard once you warm up.

Tip 76
At the starting line close your eyes and imagine yourself running smoothly on the course and crossing the finish line strong. Ideally, drive the course or review it on the event web site so you are familiar with the hills and turns and their locations. This will help you have an enjoyable marathon. Professional athletes practice this. You should too!

Tip 77
Wear a trash bag at the start if it is cold. Yes, a trash bag. This will help keep you warm at the start and you can easily throw it away at the first water stop. Believe me you will not be the only one. Take it with you if you forgot that old sweatshirt.

Tip 78
When times get tough during the marathon repeat a motivational mantra from someone you admire—Lance Armstrong, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mahammad Ali, Micheal Jordan, etc. or make up your own original mantra.

Tip 79
During the marathon relax and mingle with other runners if you feel comfortable. I once ran 20 miles with someone I just met at the start of the race. He helped maintain a good pace as well as good conversation!

Tip 80
If you have to stop and stretch. do it! You have a long way to go. Stopping for 30 seconds and stretching will help you reach the finish line.