Eating For A Big Race

Hey guys! I'm sure you all know that this Thursday is the Metro Championship meet. As in, BIG IMPORTANT RACE. Yay! I want to make sure no one gets a stomachache on race day or starts randomly puking because they ate something funny. So here's my idea of race week nutrition, based on experience and way too much knowledge about nutrition.

The Week Leading Up To The Race...

 Don't eat a lot of crap. You know what I mean... Cheetos, Snickers, 7-11 Slurpees... I don't care if those are your favorite foods, they have no nutrition and won't help prepare your muscles for Thursday. Just try to be eating healthy this week. You don't have to go out looking for organic chicken and chia seeds all week (even though chia seeds are AMAZING) but just avoid the things that have an ingredients list a mile long, please.

The Day Before The Race...

Again, just eat smart. Don't eat a bunch of spicy food or you WILL feel awful the next day. On Wednesday night we're actually going to have a pasta dinner so everyone gets some good carbs into them. Carbs are good because they provide energy that --trust me-- you will NEED for Metros. On Wednesday you should also really try to stay hydrated, even if you have to pee a million times in an hour.

The Day Of The Race...

Eat a good breakfast with protein and carbs- a bagel with peanut butter, eggs, potatoes, cereal... DO NOT eat anything weird like leftover nachos with chili sauce. Also avoid anything really greasy. Hydrate more in the morning, but don't try and drink 8 gallons of water if that's not what you're used to. For lunch again, simple carbs and water are good. Bread, granola bars, trail mix, bananas... Finally, I don't recommend eating anything at least two hours before the race, but if you're starved then have half a cookie or something REALLY EASILY digestible and simple that will stop your stomach from rumbling but won't make you puke. For me part of a simple granola bar works, but Coach Glover recommends something lower in complex carbs and higher in sugar and simple carbs. A few pretzels, a cookie, a cracker, etc.

Aaaand After The Race...

Eat whatever you want. You don't have to run for the next 24 hours. :)