This post is in honor of my Bro and for encouragement. You can do this again Bro!! I love you lots.
My Younger Brother has always had a weight problem. A few years ago he lost 100 lbs and he has entered 4 Half Marathons since then. His next run is coming up and our family is most proud of Denis! The next Vancouver Half Marathon Run is on May 6th. MY Hubby and I will be there at the finish line with my camera.
BMO Vancouver Marathon (Photo credit: Walker*)
Make Sure You Are Not Running On Empty
Hydration guidelines to make sure that you are getting enough fluid:
- Drink regularly when you are not active-sip 125 ml (1/2 cup) to 250 ml (1 cup) per waking hour of your day.
- Centre some of your fluid intake around your runs or other activities.
- Drink 500 ml (2 cups) of fluid in the two-hour period before exercise.
- Take time out to drink 150 ml (2/3 cup) to 300 ml (1- 1/3cups) of fluid every 20 minutes during exercise.
Endurance training profoundly affects metabolism or the way the body uses energy (calories). Training for a BMO Vancouver Marathon involves hours of prolonged activity. The stress imposed by this kind of training dramatically increases a runner’s need for energy.
If this need is not met through a high-quality diet, chronic fatigue, rapid weight loss and a decrease in physical performance can occur, making consistent training next to impossible.
Balance, variety and moderation are keys to a healthy training diet:
- Abundant whole grain products, vegetables and fruit.
- Moderate protein and fat.
- Limited margarine, butter, higher-fat snack foods, sweets, alcohol and caffeinated beverages.
Carbohydrate is an essential nutrient that serves as the body’s prime source of fuel during physical activity. Without adequate amounts of carbohydrate, your body will be unable to draw on your fat stores to fuel your run.
Endurance athletes can also store glucose in their muscles and liver in a complex form called glycogen. During prolonged activity, the body can dip into its glycogen stores for an added source of glucose.
When carbohydrate intake is small, glycogen is not stored in the amounts needed to support runs that last for more than an hour.
As a result, endurance drops dramatically in runners who do not take in enough carbohydrate. This is called “hitting the wall.” You cannot rebuild your glycogen stores during a long run or training session.
It’s critically important that you take in enough carbohydrate . At least 55-65 per cent of the calories in a distance runner’s diet should come from this nutrient.
Source: The Province Newspaper Article:John Stanton (Marathon Man)
