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1 "correct" answer available (10 pts) 2 "helpful" answers available (7 pts)
10 Replies Last post: Apr 15, 2008 2:39 PM by Tabasco7  
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Tabasco7
10 posts since
Apr 4, 2008
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Apr 8, 2008 1:06 PM

Meal plan - before race day

I'm running in my first race on Saturday - it's a half marathon. I plan to eat a big lunch of pasta on Friday, and have read that I should eat a relatively "light" dinner of easily digestable foods ( I don't want to have to hit the port-o-potty during the race). So what is considered a "light" dinner?

Also, I've been eating a banana shortly before my long runs on Saturdays. I'm guessing I should stick to my normal routine and still do this on race day, right?

Thanks in advance for the help. I'm a newbie with many questions.

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Active Toby
707 posts since
Jun 5, 2007
1. Apr 10, 2008 1:48 PM in response to: Tabasco7
Re: Meal plan - before race day
Tabasco7 wrote:
So what is considered a "light" dinner?

I'm guessing I should stick to my normal routine and still do this on race day, right?
I'd say stick with foods that you normally eat during your training weeks. Example, if you eat grill chicken breast, brown rice and steamed veggies, then go with that. Wait until after the race to change your routine and introduce anything "foreign," so don't go out to a Thai food or Indian food dinner the night before if you're not used to running with that in you the next morning. The same goes for the banana--it works for you so keep it going on race day!

I'm going to share some videos about pre/event/post event fueling with you, but you must promise me with that you won't try these techniques until after the race.
Promise? :)
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Tabasco7
10 posts since
Apr 4, 2008
2. Apr 13, 2008 4:45 PM in response to: Active Toby
Re: Meal plan - before race day

No problem! I stuck to my normal plan and it worked. I didn't finish with a great time - but I finished none the less. My first race ever!

So lets see these videos! :)

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Active Toby
707 posts since
Jun 5, 2007
3. Apr 14, 2008 8:48 AM in response to: Tabasco7
Re: Meal plan - before race day
Congrats on the finish! I'm glad to hear you stuck with your plan so now you've got some time to brush up on your knowledge base with the following videos. There's a bunch of information here with might take some time to absorb. There is a summary at the end of each video that recaps the take-away from each vi. I'd just try and go through each video with a pad of paper and your own stats and try and compute your own data. Let's chat about this once you get a chance to watch. Enjoy the show!

Pre-Exercise Fueling

Fueling During Exercise

Post-Exercise Fueling
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Tabasco7
10 posts since
Apr 4, 2008
4. Apr 14, 2008 7:36 PM in response to: Active Toby
Re: Meal plan - before race day

I watched. The first & third ones, anyway. The second one said it wasn't available anymore.

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Active Toby
707 posts since
Jun 5, 2007
5. Apr 14, 2008 7:49 PM in response to: Tabasco7
Re: Meal plan - before race day
Tabasco7 wrote:

I watched. The first & third ones, anyway. The second one said it wasn't available anymore.

OK, did this work?

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Tabasco7
10 posts since
Apr 4, 2008
6. Apr 15, 2008 12:34 PM in response to: Active Toby
Re: Meal plan - before race day
Okay, done. I'm pretty good with numbers, but that was a lot to take in!
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Active Toby
707 posts since
Jun 5, 2007
7. Apr 15, 2008 12:43 PM in response to: Tabasco7
Re: Meal plan - before race day
So tell us more about your fitness and training regimen and experience
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Tabasco7
10 posts since
Apr 4, 2008
8. Apr 15, 2008 1:37 PM in response to: Active Toby
Re: Meal plan - before race day

Let's see, me in a nutshell.

I've been pretty active my whole life. Softball as a kid, pretty much into exercise my entire adult life. I'd take some time off; a year here, a year there. I've been pretty active the past 6 years (aerobics, light weights at home) except for time off when having 3 kids. I haven't done anything really since Nov of '05, after losing baby weight from kid #2. I just had my youngest child in October. In Jan I decided it was time to get fit again and ran 3 miles on the treadmill (I was never really a runner). My sister-in-law had just gotten into running last spring, and ran a full marathon in October. I called to tell her about my accomplishment on the treadmill, and she talked me into training for the half marathon. I used Hal's Novice training plan and finished the race on Saturday in 2:20:18. Not great, I know, but not bad for having an almost 6 month old and running for only 12 weeks.

Anyway, my training plan thus far has just been Hal's novice half marathon training plan. This week I'm starting his Intermediate Spring Training plan, but modifying it a bit because I don't think I'm ready for speed work just yet. I don't need an injury. My sister-in-law is trying to talk me into training for a marathon in the fall, but we'll see.

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Active Toby
707 posts since
Jun 5, 2007
9. Apr 15, 2008 2:18 PM in response to: Tabasco7
Re: Meal plan - before race day
Very cool. Sounds like you're in it for the long haul and I think you have the right attitude, building your base training and knowledge toward the allure of 26.2 :)

I don't think there is any rush to get to 26.2 as long as you steadily progress with incremental goals along the way. The online community is helpful in that respect--defining your goals works wonders. Are there any other races or events this spring/summer that you are considering? Do you think 26.2 this fall is too soon or is something you have considered?
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Tabasco7
10 posts since
Apr 4, 2008
10. Apr 15, 2008 2:39 PM in response to: Active Toby
Re: Meal plan - before race day

I don't necessarily think that 26.2 is unattainable. To be honest (don't laugh), I'm afraid I'd be one of the people who drop dead during a marathon because their electrolytes are all out of whack or something crazy like that. :0 Which I'm sure is one reason why the videos you posted are important. I don't have any other races in mind yet, except maybe a 5-K in May. I need to look around online & see what's coming up around here.

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