4 Day Taper to Victoria Marathon

…and counting.  What am I doing about nutrition?  One of the most important factors for me right now is not to eat too much.  I’m not running the distances I was, therefore not burning the same amount of calories.  This would be a very easy time for me to put on weight.  I certainly don’t need to carry extra pounds over 26.2 miles this weekend.

I’m going to make sure that I drink loads of water each day.  While I increase water, I will be decreasing wine (my vice).  Alcohol will affect my glycogen storage which I would like to be as full as it can be by the time next Sunday rolls around.  By the way, glycogen is what will provide you with the energy needed to go the distance.

Glycogen storage is a subject all on it’s own and can be complicated.  When we were participating in distance triathlons, we used to try suggested methods for increasing our glycogen stores, but these days, as an every day runner, we take the practical approach by increasing our carbohydrates about 3 or 4 days ahead of the race.  Again, I’m trying not to gain weight before the marathon.

Good sources of carbohydrates are potatoes, rice, grains, bread, pasta, oatmeal.  I believe the most important meal is lunch the day before the marathon.  Your body has enough time to process the carbohydrates into the much needed glycogen storage.  Dinner the night before the marathon won’t be big, spicy, high fat, high fibre or any other foods that my body may react to.  Since we will be out of town, we will probably go to a nice Italian Restaurant and indulge in pasta with a veggie/tomatoe sauce.

The morning of the marathon - my personal tried and true favorite race (or long run) breakfast - about 2 hours before the marathon, I will enjoy a bagel (hopefully toasted) and peanut butter.  A good “stick to your ribs” breakfast.

Nutrition for the Long Run

I’m sure that you’ve heard about it - Glycemic Index (GI). It’s typically an a term that diabetics would be familiar with, but probably a term that distance runners should also be familiar with.

Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that rates carbohydrate-rich food by how much they raise blood glucose levels. Have I lost you yet? In simple terms, foods that have a high GI ranking will raise your blood sugar levels quickly, whereas a low GI will raise your blood sugar levels slowly. In runners terms, if your blood sugar levels rise quickly, you will have alot of energy for a short period of time and then it’s gone.

For a long run, you need your energy to last so it’s optimal for your blood sugar levels to raise slowly which in turn will provide your body with the fuel that it needs to complete the run.

By choosing low to medium GI foods (the lower the better), you also lower your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes plus control your appetite. Here are some examples of low GI foods:

• Breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
• Breads with wholegrains, stone-ground flour, sour dough
• Fruit and vegetables
• Basmati or Doongara rice
• Pasta, noodles, quinoa
• Salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing

Typically, the longer you cook your food the higher the GI, so try your pasta “a la dente”. Try experiement with substituting out some of the high GI foods that you eat with lower GI food during your marathon training so that there will be no surprises on marathon day.

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