So you want to run a marathon? That’s great. Really, you are an exquisite specimen of the human race.
You are also insane.
I mean, you’re aware that the first person who ran a marathon nonstop died instantly, right? According to legend, Pheidippides burst into the assembly at Athens and said, “We have won!” Then he promptly expired.
I’m sure you already knew that, though. It’s probably what made you want to run a marathon in the first place. You are insane, after all.
So since I won’t be able to convince you to change your mind about the marathon, the best I can do is tell you how not to die. Marathons these days are actually quite survivable, statistically. All it takes is some training, lots of persistence, and above all, good nutrition.
Eating for a race is mainly about building muscle and keeping your body fueled, but there are different stages depending on where you are in relation to the marathon. The best rule of thumb is to eat fresh, unprocessed foods, such as fruits and vegetables, dairy products, fish, and meat that comes from free-range or grass-fed animals. Excess body fat increases the energy cost of running, so you want to avoid low-quality foods, such as refined grains, fatty meats, sweets, and fried food.
Training
This is the most important part of the marathon diet. Your main goal during this stage is to increase your capacity to store glycogen, which comes from carbohydrates and is stored in your liver and muscles. Glycogen depletion is the most common cause of “hitting the wall,” which usually occurs sometime after mile 20.
Humans need between 2,000 to 2,500 calories each day, depending on how active they are. It’s probably a good idea to find a calorie calculator online to find a starting point because everyone’s needs are a little different. On the days that you train, you should add about 100 calories per mile you’ll be running.
Roughly 60 to 70 percent of your calories should come from complex carbohydrates. Good sources for this include potatoes and yams, beans and peas, wheat bread, bananas, cereal, raisins, apples, brown rice, and corn. You’ll also need 20 to 30 percent of your calories from unsaturated fats, and the last 10 to 20 percent from protein.
Remember to always eat a portion of carbs and protein within 30 minutes of exercise. It’s also not a bad idea to take a daily multivitamin supplement.
On heavy-training days, up your carb intake and make sure to eat some protein before bed to assist with muscle regeneration while you’re sleeping. Your fluid intake should also increase a little bit.
On regular training days, you’ll want to have a meal high in unsaturated fats for dinner and make sure to include iron-rich foods, such as meats, beans, and leafy greens a few times a week.
On low-intensity days, you should lower your carbohydrates and increase both fat and protein intake to help your body recover. Beet juice contains nitrates, which help increase blood flow to muscles, so you should drink half a liter of it two or three hours before running.
Two Weeks Before the Race
This is where things start to get tricky. Starting at the two-week mark before the race, you want to switch from carb-loading to fat-loading. 65 percent of your calories should come from unsaturated fats, such as cheese, avocados, eggs, nuts, olives, and whole milk. This will help your muscles burn fat more efficiently.
After ten days of fat-loading, switch back to carb-loading so that your muscles will have plenty of glycogen on race day.
During the Race
Limit your fluid intake to just 24 ounces on the morning of the race, and don’t drink anything for an hour before it begins. The most important thing about race day is finding a rhythm for your food. A marathoner burns 150 to 300 calories per hour, which is the equivalent of 38 to 75 grams of carbohydrates.
There are plenty of refueling options, from sports drinks and gels to dried fruit and licorice. If you don’t want to carry a fanny pack for food, make sure to check the race website to find out where the aid stations will be and what will be available.
After the Race
Just like after any run, you want to give your body 100 to 300 calories of carbs and protein. Chocolate milk is great because it contains both whey and casein proteins. Pistachio nuts are a good choice, too, because they have sodium and potassium, which your body will have lost in sweat. Eggs are the best source of protein because they contain all 20 types of amino acids, but other good sources of protein include lean beef, chicken, fish, yogurt, nuts, peanut butter, and tofu.
Now that you’ve accomplished a marathon, your body probably hates you — and it has every reason to. Nobody would blame you if you promptly died. As long as you follow this nutrition plan you will probably survive. But if you die, don’t come complaining to me.
@t_stocking