You trained hard for months, worked on your mental toughness, and tapered appropriately. The only thing that remains is race day itself. As all runners know, race day is not just simply showing up at the start line and then crossing the finish line. A successful, enjoyable marathon or half marathon requires having strategies for pacing, coping with discomfort, and nutrition. A smart, individualized nutrition strategy can set up you for a strong race; the lack of one can lead to bonking at the ...
Nutrition
Can Beet Juice Improve Running? {Red Ace Review}
Disclaimer: In 2017, I was sent a package of Red Ace Organic Beet Juice in exchange for a fair review. Since then, I've used and repeatedly tested this product. All opinions expressed are my own. This post has been updated to reflect my experience with Red Ace over the past couple years and to reflect the most recent research in beet juice supplementation. Beet juice is one of those trendy foods in the world of sports nutrition. Some of the trends aren’t back by legitimate ...
Managing Marathon Training Hunger
“I’m so much hungrier than normal!” In coaching marathoners and half marathoners, I frequently hear these comments. Marathon training hunger often strikes after mileage increases or in the peak of training. It makes sense that you need to eat more - your body is burning more calories in training! Many runners worry about overeating, which just exacerbates the problem. You want to manage marathon training hunger in a way that helps you train strong, feel good, and stay injury-free. These tips ...
Race Day Fueling Options for Sensitive Stomaches
After months of hard training, every runner wants to perform their best on race day. There are a few culprits for a bad race - inclement weather, poor pacing - but few seem to strike as often as gastrointestinal distress. Whether it manifests as nausea, vomiting, mid-race bathroom stops, or cramping, research published in Human Kinetics Journals suggests that up to 90% of runners experience symptoms of GI distress on race day. Severe GI distress can play out in one of two scenarios on ...
Nutrition for Injury Recovery
Today's post is a guest post from Holly at The Run Experience! The Run Experience is another fantastic resource for runners, especially on preventing injuries. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said "let food be thy medicine;" while food will not substitute for a treatment protocol and possible physical therapy, your diet can improve the rate of recovery from injury. Holly discusses nutrition for injury recovery in today's post. Thank you to Holly! Injuries happen. And ...