The inspiration for this entry arrived around mile 4.  It was at this point where I felt bold enough to ask you, the reader, to consider this neglected blog once again.  It seemed like a good idea at the time; I was on an emotional high while running the streets of New York City on marathon Sunday.   The sun was shining, the crowds were cheering, and everyone and their brother, sister, uncle, grandmother, neighbor, bellman, and so on, was sporting a bib (yes, it was that crowded).  At mile 4 I was feeling great.  After all, I had already accomplished my first victory of the day; reach the starting line.  

 You probably already know this but getting to the start of this fabled race is a marathon in itself.  This challenge goes something like this: Board the subway at 6am.  Walk to the Staten Island Ferry Station.  Board ferry at 6:45.  Float leisurely past the Statue of Liberty.  Dock.  Exit ferry and walk to the bus.  Board bus.  Arrive at starting village.  Do whatever it takes to get some coffee.  Get in line (again) for the port-a-john.  Enter corral.  Stay in corral until summoned to the starting gate (which moonlights as a toll plaza) before the gun fires at 9:40.  Now go run 26.2 miles.    

 A few miles after #4, I remained positive that enough carbohydrate, caffeine, and fluid would negate the fact that my longest training run had been 19 miles.  By mile 9 I was still naïve (i.e. arrogant) enough to assume that a well-designed carb load would make up for the fact that I had wimped out of almost every long run in the prior weeks.  But at mile 15, reality set in.  While walking though the water stop, I came to the harsh realization that if you don’t put in the work, fully loaded glycogen stores are not going to carry you to the finish.  

 Four gels and 19 miles later, I found myself moseying along, contemplating pulling a “Rosie Ruiz”.  The voice in my head reminded me that you don’t travel all the way to NYC to quit.  And you don’t put in 4 months of training (regardless of how laughable the training may have been) to come home with a DNF.  And, most of all, you don’t drop out simply because you are TIRED (injured, yes, tired, no).  It was at this point that I leaned on the crowd support.  With over 2 million spectators lining the streets, it was difficult (read: embarrassing) to slow the pace down to a crawl.  So I began to run, every step painful, but one step closer to the finish line.  

 Like thousands before me, I crossed that line in Central Park and said prayers of thanksgiving.   Thankful for the thousands of race volunteers who handed out fuel, fluids, sponges, and support.  Thankful for spectators who lined the streets for a solid 26.2 miles.  Thankful for the family and friends who were sending happy thoughts, prayers, and energy my way.  Thankful for my husband who is also my #1 fan.  Thankful that I lived to cross another finish line and run another day.  Onto the next Challenge!

Ah, marathon season.   It really is the most wonderful time of the year.  Yesterday was my first marathon of 2010 (The Flying Pig Marathon in Cincy, OH http://flyingpigmarathon.com/) and I’ve decided that there’s nothing quite like lining up with 19,000 of your closest friends; everyone thinking the same thing at the exact same time, which is, “what the *+&%*$ was I thinking?!?”.  There’s nothing like waiting in the pouring rain for the gun to go off and being soaked from head to toe before you even run a few feet, let alone 26.2 miles.  And there’s nothing like the comfort of knowing that while non-athletes might think you’re just a wee bit crazy to take on such a feat, there are others running along side you who are just as mental as you. 

So for all of you readers gearing up to compete in a full or a half or a sprint or an international or even the full monty this year, we at Swim, Bike, Run, Eat! salute you and wish you the best of luck with your training and racing.  And being nutrition nerds from head to toe, we’d like to remind you to load up on that carb, pay attention to your fluid status, aim for the lean protein, and look to us to send helpful tips and tidbits your way.

For many of our readers, race day brings excitement and also worry- what should I eat?  when should I eat?  what should I wear?  and what in the world was I thinking when I signed up for this 4 months ago?   Well, while you should NEVER try anything new on race day, I can tell you what I’m doing and some of the best practices in the field of sports nutrition.

Question 1: What should I eat?

Answer 1: Well, that depends!  You’ll want to focus on your carbohydrate load in the three days leading up to the race while simultaneously decreasing your training load.   So no 15 milers 5 days before race day!  What I’ve been doing is carefully focusing on my carb intake by seemingly eating all of the time.  And by eating all of the time, I mean frequent snack breaks for items such as fruit and yogurt, pretzels, and an energy bar or chew.   Overall, you want to make sure that your food intake is quality fuel – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and complex carbs.  Aim for lean protein from low fat dairy, legumes, and lean meats.

Question 2: When should I eat?

Answer 2: In the days leading up to the race, try to snack throughout the day.  On race day, you should follow the same fueling practices you developed while training.  Personally, I’ll be aiming for an intake of at least 30 and probably closer to 45 grams of carbohydrate per hour that I race.  I plan on getting the carbs from gels, sports drinks, and chews because this is what I trained with and this is what my sensitive stomach can (hopefully!) handle.

Question 3:  What should I wear?

Answer 3: Wear what you’ve been training in.   There’s nothing like hitting mile 20 of a marathon and realizing that that new shirt you bought at the expo is causing chaffing and bleeding in areas you didn’t even realize existed.  I’ve been there and it’s neither pretty nor pleasant.  If you’re still struggling for what to wear, I’m a big fan of Brooks running gear so I’ll be sporting on marathon morrning.  No matter what you choose, make sure you take a spin around the block in the outfit and I’d really encourage you to choose some wicking fabric (and deodarant).

Question 4:  What was I thinking when I signed up for this?!?

Answer 4: Whatever it was, I’m pretty sure  you weren’t thinking about the concerns that are currently running through your head such as; “How am I going to cover 26.2 miles with a raging case of tendinitis?”  and “Will the blister covering the entire bottom of my foot start hurting at mile 10 or will it wait until later?”   You probably made the decision as you were going on a pleasant 6 mile run and you thought “I can handle 6 miles, why not 26.2?”  Or maybe you’re like that guy I came across while running the Chicago marathon a few years ago; a large man wearing nothing but a Speedo & chaffing terribly, with the words “thou shall not bet while drinking” inscribed on his back.

No matter what your reasoning for running a marathon, or a half, or an ultra, or a 5k this season, we wish you well, remind you to fuel and hydrate, and would love to hear about what works (or doesn’t!) for you.  Happy trails friends!