What to eat in the final week.
People should choose relatively concentrated sources of carbs, like juices, pasta, potato, rice, bread, veggies and sweets topped up with protein like chicken. That way the volume of food needed isn’t so enormous. In addition, lower-fibre foods may be good since that could reduce the potential for stomach distress during the race. Don’t completely upend your normal diet though. Stick to foods that are familiar. It’s always a bad idea to experiment right before a race. And don’t expect that diet alone will lift you from the back of the pack.
Have you participated in the 5km time trial on offer. Far more important in the overall determination of people’s finishing times was their training and their fundamental fitness. Runners who were fastest during the time trial generally are fastest in the marathon.
The evening before the race, spoil yourself with a good feed of quality fish and chips. Does not take long to prepare! No dishes and boy oh boy after the weeks of controlling that diet, it will taste like the best meal you have ever had.
On the day eat a light breakfast.
You can’t alter your training or talent at this point. You can though, have a chocolate chip cookie on Saturday and call it race preparedness.
What to drink in the final week.
Start one week out from the day drinking plenty of water interspersed with your favourite sports drink. Drink enough that you need to visit the bathroom regularly and also your urine is clear or near to it as possible. If it stays yellow, drink more. You must be the judge.
While out running in preparation for the day also practise if you can to drink successfully out of a plastic cup. The secret is to drink the water, not bathe in it.
Cease this regime the night before. Drink sufficient on the day to keep you topped up.
Do not overhydrate. Drinking too much water, known as hyponatremia (low blood sodium), is a leading cause of death among marathoners. So drink just enough. You’ll have no problem determining what that precise amount is late in the race as your muscles seize, your head throbs and your blisters erupt. By then it is too late. It is all in the preparation.
During the race, do not miss a drink station to take on liquid even if you have to stop to take it. There is no race rule that says you must start running and stop only when you cross the finish line.