What foods do I consume while training for a Marathon

The marathon is probably the most difficult race that one can run. Watching Kenyans winning the Boston and the London marathons gives one a false sense of how easy it is to run it. Watching it on TV is one thing, running the marathon is an experience that one never forgets.

Training for a marathon requires a lot of motivation and hard work over a number of weeks. It is not surprising that most aspiring marathon runners give up before the race due to the demanding training program that one needs to complete just to finish the race.

If you are in any sort of carbohydrate free diet, then the marathon is not for you. Eating carbohydrates and lots of them, is the only way to ensure that your body has enough energy to complete the 21 miles.

You will need to have a diet rich in carbohydrates to keep your glycogen stores full. This will enable you to feel energised throughout the training day and on the day of the marathon too. Glycogen stores are simply stores of sugar that provide energy to work your muscles.

If your glycogen levels are low, you have less energy to work your muscles and are doomed to fail running the marathon. Every meal should contain a carbohydrate rich food. Eating whole grain breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables is best for your muscles.

Other than your normal meals, you should also take a carbohydrate rich food within hours of your training program. Glycogen stores are depleted when training for a marathon and one needs an immediate booster in order to prevent fatigue. Think of carbohydrate rich snacks like bagels, fruit, juice or a granola bar.

When training for a marathon, you are going to lose a lot of fluids. If you wish to keep yourself from being dehydrated, it is important to drink lots of fluids. It is not enough to wait until you are thirsty to know that you need fluids. In fact, if you feel thirsty during a marathon, you are already in real danger. You should be drinking before you are thirsty.

Water is great when it comes to quench thirst but is not enough in a marathon race. Every step you are taking towards the finish line is a step that is reducing fluids as well as electrolytes like potassium, sodium and chloride. An imbalance in electrolytes can be fatal and a marathon race quickly depletes electrolytes. Sports drinks are essential when training or running the marathon.

Some things to consider include drinking about 24 oz. of fluids some 2 hours before exercise. About 12 oz. of sports drinks every 15 to 20 minutes during the marathon practise. After the exercise, consume enough fluids to make your urine pale within 30 minutes.

Staying off fats is also important as these may make you feel sluggish. A good nutrition schedule will make your marathon training easy and let you get the most out of it. Eat moderately and stick to foods that you are familiar with. And never let yourself feel thirsty when marathon training.

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