Have a lot of people running races this weekend… from the Palos Southwest Half Marathon and 10K, to the U of marathon, marathon relay, 10K and 5K to some of our runners running the races at Flying Pig.
Here is a general guide on what to eat leading up to the race, before during and after!

2-3 days before hand:
(For all)
– Eat 60% carbs, lean proteins and healthy fats leading up to the race. Try and stay away from the pop, junk food and greasy stuff for now. Often times as your mileage decreases closer to the race your immune system takes a hit. To prevent colds, bump up the Vitamin C and Zinc, fruits and vegetables.
– Watch the alcohol in excess as well, and keep hydrating, especially if you are traveling!

The night before:
Eat your dinner meal earlier if you can, to you leave room to digest and maybe even have a snack before bed. No need to consume massive portions of pasta. (Make reservations if you are headed out of town). Ditch the fatty meats, greasy pizza, heavy dressings. Best bet some grilled chicken with pasta and a salad.

Good evening snacks: pb and crackers, banana, granola bar.

Morning of:
For half and full, try and eat at least 200- 400 calories before your race about 2 hours before hand. (For marathon, some people wake up to eat something and head back to bed for an hour, depending on how far you have to travel to get to your race).
Foods to NOT have: pop, anything high in fiber or super sugary. Can led to bathroom problems during the race.
Suggested items: white bagel with thin layer of peanut butter and jelly, or  Cliff bar with some Gatorade
Remember the rule of thumb. NEVER TRY SOMETHING NEW BEFORE YOUR RACE. Caffeine has been proven to help boost performance but only do coffee or caffeine if you have practiced it before.

For 10K or less:
Eat about 150-250 calories when you first wake up as long as you have practiced it beforehand. Eat what works best for your system

For everyone, drink 16 oz of water in the morning at least, plan on a few bathroom breaks before race starts.

During race:
Ideally for longer races you need at least 30 carbs an hour. So that could be taking 1/2 cup Gatorade every other mile, or eating 1 gel packet an hour after the first hour. Don’t forget though, You CANNOT take a gel packet with Gatorade. (You will be running for a bathroom). Always take water with gel packets or chews.

Some things to think about: You want to stay hydrated but OVER hydrating is a problem too. You should not have to stop to go to bathroom during the race. If you are, lets problem shoot for next race. (You can also weigh yourself before and after. If you are gaining weight during race, you are consuming too much. If you are losing more than 2-5 pounds, then you are not hydrating enough and this can lead to huge problems especially in the heat).

For 10K or less: Take 1/2 cup water or Gatorade at a few stops in the race to stay hydrated. Weather looks to be cool so overheating shouldn’t be a problem.

After race:

Enjoy! Your done!
Ideally if you can get some carbs and protein in your body before the post race beer that would be great!
Grab a chocolate milk if its offered and some post race carbs as well.

Your body needs some time to heal after racing so keep up the healthy eating! Eat foods such as fruits and vegetables, salmon, walnuts and almonds, a daily shot of tart cherry juice and some dark chocolate can help decrease inflammation and boost that immune system.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend! The hard part is over. Have fun and enjoy your race.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will… When the road you are trudging seems all up hill.. When the funds are low and the debts are high… And you want to smile but you have to sigh.. When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but dont you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns.. as everyone of us sometimes learns.. and many a failure turns about.. When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Dont give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow. Success is failure turned inside out.. The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
You never can tell how close you are.. It may be near when it seems so far.. So Stick to the fight when your’re hardest hit..
Its when things seem worst… that that you must not quit!

~Kelly

Go Team Run to the Pub!