For the week leading up to the race, Memorial Hermann Ironman Sports Medicine Institute human performance coordinator Kimberly Gandler has three tips to optimally condition your body in the final days before the race:
Stay hydrated. If you aren't properly hydrated, your performance will suffer.
Get plenty of sleep the week before. Gandler urges runners to sleep at least eight hours per night in the days leading up to the race.
Keep the body moving with easy workouts. While it's absolutely true that you should taper your workouts before a distance race, you shouldn't stop moving completely. Take a few shorter, lower-intensity runs or hop on a bike for a quick ride.
How to eat during a distance run
Additionally, sports dietitian Brett Singer has three nutrition recommendations to keep you running strong during the race:
Make sure you take in enough carbohydrates during the race. Singer recommends that runners consume between 30 and 60 grams per hour.
Start to carboload 24-48 hours before the race. Don't wait until your final meal to up your carb intake. It could backfire, leaving you feeling tired and groggy. Instead, gradually increase your carbs in the two days before the race.
Plan out your final hours in advance. Especially if you're staying in a hotel, map out your diet well head of time. You likely won't have your entire kitchen at your disposal in your hotel room, so be smart about bringing the food and beverages that you'll need.
Stay with ABC13.com for the latest about the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon, and tune to ABC13 on Sunday, January 15 for live coverage on race day.
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