London Marathon Milestones: Being Prepared for Race Day

London Marathon Milestone 5: Being Prepared for Race DayThis is the FIFTH and final episode in our London Marathon Milestone series, so race day is fast approaching. To ensure everyone is race day ready, we look at nutritional and lifestyle strategies to encourage adequate and quality sleep in the coming days (and nights!!). We also outline some food and nutrition strategies to ensure everyone is fuelled appropriately on race day and then finish with some TIPS on being physically and mentally prepared for the BIG event.SHOW NOTES (04:13)Outlining the importance of SLEEP for a marathon runner with an emphasis on “good sleep health” (09:21)Some nutritional TIPS for attaining optimal sleep including:STOP caffeine intake by middayIncrease magnesium rich foods DAILY for example: dark green leafy vegetables, dark chocolate, nuts and seedsIncrease daily protein intake for example: chicken, fish, eggs, tofu(11:49)Introducing some lifestyle TIPS for attaining optimal sleep including:Get to bed ONE HOUR earlierAim to complete ALL tasks by 8pmPrepare the bedroom for sleep for example: tidy away anything lying aroundIntroduce restorative yoga(17:07)Thinking about food and nutrition strategies for race day including:Night before the marathon – a healthy, balanced and colourful meal with optimal complex carbohydrate foods and adequate protein portionMorning of the marathon – a healthy and balanced breakfast between 2-4 hours before the raceDuring the marathon – a quick release carbohydrate snack every 30-60 minutes throughout(27:32)Highlighting hydration and electrolyte supplementation (36:23)TIPS on being physically prepared on race day including:Use the “What if….?” Strategy. Think of a potential circumstance that could change on race day (e.g. the weather) then come up with a strategy to overcome the obstacleSet ABC goalsWrite a check list of EVERYTHING you will need on race day e.g. food, phone, bib number, safety pins, money(47:11)KEY TAKEAWAYSRestorative sleep means having sufficient sleep for an appropriate duration that them leaves you feeling satisfied afterwards. This then allows for high efficiency and sustained alertness during waking hoursThere are many nutritional and lifestyle approaches you could implement to help support good sleep health including: no stimulants after midday, increase intake of Mg rich foods (including DGLV), switch off all screens at least an hour before bed, restorative yogaThink about the meal you will choose to eat the night before the race and ensure that it is balanced but with a good amount of complex carbohydrates to help maintain glycogen storesRace day food and hydration choices are equally important and remember that your choices will depend on how much time you have from waking until you start runningDon’t forget to pack some food for after the race too…you don’t want to become over hungry as it could lead to detrimental physical and psychological symptomsFinally, to help ensure you don’t forget ANYTHING – produce a checklist and tick off each item as you prepare for race dayRELATED TOPICSFood For SleepEat Sleep RunFuelling Marathon RunningListen to ALL...