It is Marathon season in NYC! There are only 5 days until the TCS New York City Marathon - are you feeling nutritionally prepared? We at Nutrition Energy have been discussing marathon fueling with many runners over the past few months and are getting excited for Nov 1st.

Whether you are running a marathon this fall or not doing another endurance event until 2016, the following tips will help ensure you are optimally hydrated and fueled, so you can reach your optimal performance on your big race day.  2-3 days prior to your race you should start to decrease your intake of vegetables and protein and increase intake of carbohydrates. Increase your portions of grains, fruit and yogurt by about 50%, while decreasing your protein and veggies by about 50%. Those adjustments to your diet 24-72 hours before the race coupled with your decrease in training, will allow your muscles to store carbs to fuel your race! The night before the race you should have mostly easily digested carb that you have eaten before long training run. Add a good dose of salt (soup, V8 juice, pickles etc), and plenty of water. You can have a small side of protein and vegetables if you like, but they are not necessary on the night before.

The TCS New York City Marathon starts in waves and is a later start time than many other races. Most runners should have a plan for 2 breakfasts and a final pre-race fuel/snack. Upon awaking (at 5am!), or at least 3 hours before the race, you should have a good source of carb with a little fat or protein such as a bagel with peanut butter or egg. Your second breakfast should be 1-1.5 hours before YOUR start time and be easily digestible carbs such as an energy bar or a slice of bread with some jam. As you are counting down, your pre race fuel should be consumed 5-10 minutes before the start and it can be another easily digested carbohydrate along with water or fluid such as 8 oz of your favorite sports drink or a gel.

While you are running those amazing 26.2 miles, you can avoid hitting the wall with just a few small steps. Be sure to have 30-60 grams of carbohydrate each hour..or as practiced during your training. Rely on the Gatorade Endurance they will hand out every mile for much needed fluids, carbs and salt! Excessive intake can lead to GI cramping...and many port-a-potty stops, but too little and you will feel fatigued. Carry your gels or energy chews with you, then plan to grab another 1-2 as needed  when they hand out PowerGel Energy at mile 18. Many marathoners do better when they also add salt tablets or salt packets (again, as practiced in training)-this is especially important if the temp is hot, if you overdress (accidentally), or if you have a history of muscle cramping and or are a "salty sweater". 

At the finish line, recovery is just as important as your finish time. After your well deserved celebration, you should have some carbs and protein within 30 minutes to maximize recovery. The rest of the day you should continue to hydrate and include salty foods such as pickles or even V8 juice. Include either fish or red meat as your dietary preferences dictate, to help facilitate muscle recovery. Include anti-inflammatory foods such as guacamole, olives, nuts or salmon as well as green leafy vegetables and you just might be walking "normally" the next day :). 

Having, and sticking to, a nutrition and hydration plan will prepare you for your race and any future sporting event . We unfortunately cannot control the weather, but we can control how well fueled we are. Have a great run!