Paula Mee, Nutritionist, BSc, Dip Dietetics, MSc Health Sciences, Dip Allergy, MINDI
Congratulations! Signing up to run, walk or crawl the Flora Mini Marathon is a great physical challenge, and one that will hopefully, leave you elated as you cross over that finish line. Participating will really help children with Cystic Fibrosis achieve a better standard of hospital care, so you’re supporting a great cause too.
In your preparation for the weeks of training ahead, we thought you might like some simple nutrition tips to help you along the way. Of the 1000 women who will be sporting our bright orange 1 in 1000 T-shirts on the day, a very small number will be serious runners. Most of us, will be gentle joggers or speed walkers. There may be others who want to shed those extra pounds that Santa gave them for Christmas through training for the big day! So the tips are designed to be fairly universal and I will cover a different topic every week.
We will begin with a ‘Nutrition Bite’ on this site and if you like the taster and wish to read more, click on to http://www.paulamee.com for more on the nutrition topic.
Â
Welcome to Nutrition Bite Week 10
The Last Week
Well done.  You’re nearly there! The feet may not be blister free, but hey, the end is in sight! Here are some tips to bear in mind for the mini marathon day itself.
Breakfast suggestions for that morning
- Porridge with raisins and honey or cereal with low fat milk and chopped banana
- Wholemeal toast with sliced banana or yogurt and fresh fruit
- Bottle of water for the journey to the start line.
Drink before you race – drink 500 ml of water or diluted fruit juice during the two hours before the race. Don’t take a sports drink at this stage!
During the marathonÂ
You need to start drinking after the first 20 mins instead of trying to rehydrate later. As a rough guide, aim to drink 100 – 200ml (about 3 – 6 gulps) every 20 minutes or according to thirst levels.
Use whatever drinking method you have trained with. It’s especially important to drink plenty in hot or humid weather.
Slow down to drink at the designated drink stations along the way. Don’t be tempted to miss out the early drinks stations to gain time – dehydration later will slow you down even more.
Choose the right drink
If there’s a choice, select plain water for the first hour and a dilute drink or sports drink after that. However, if you are not used to sports drinks, stick with plain water on the day as the sports drink may give you cramping and a dry mouth.
After the marathon
Congratulations! Now you have to replenish your fluid losses and depleted glycogen stores.Â
Drink lots of water for the rest of the day. Eat a high carbohydrate snack that contains a little protein (such as a cereal bar containing nuts, or a dried fruit and nut mix) immediately after the mini marathon or try to eat a main meal within 2 hours of the mini marathon. Even if you are starving, choose wisely. Fried and fatty foods are not the best foods for recovery and may cause bloating. Stick to easily digested meals such as pasta and chicken in tomato sauce, baked potato with tuna, chicken sandwiches or prawn stir-fries.
Suitable Snacks:
- Bananas, pears, apples, oranges, grapes
- Cereal bar containing nuts
- A mix of dried fruit and nuts
- Currant bun, scone or small muffin
- Small sandwiches
- Dried fruit – apricots, raisins
Here’s to all you fantastic ladies taking part in the mini-marathon. May it be everything you expected and more! As you parade (or limp) around in your medals afterwards, I hope you all feel very proud of yourselves.  It’s a great achievement and you are raising funds for a great cause.
So enjoy yourself and the ‘girl-power’ energy that emanates from the collective group. Finish off with a nice glass of wine or your favourite tipple as you compare blisters (when you have fully rehydrated with your water bottle and had a snack or light meal first of course!). Make sure you have a designated non-drinking driver and safe home.
For the full article and for Nutrition Bites for all previous weeks please log onto http://www.paulamee.com.
