Tips for a Safe and Successful Peachtree Road Race!

With the Peachtree Road Race coming on Saturday, I thought it might be a good idea to go over a few important details for those who are participating.  Certain things like: what to eat the night before and the morning of and what to wear are important items.  I understand that most of the people reading this have no interest in winning this darn thing but you do want to finish the race at the finish line and not in the medical tent!

By the way, if you are not running in the race but know someone who is feel free to pass this along.

What to Eat the Night Before

When you are fueling up for a race how you eat the night before is extremely important.  This is especially true when the race begins early like the Peachtree.  Be sure to eat a well-balanced dinner complete with a good lean protein, a COMPLEX carb, and some vegetables.   Having a little dietary fat is not a bad idea either (olive oil, fish, flaxseed oil, etc).  The night before a race is not the time to uncork the vino and chow down on some pizza : )

The most important element here is the complex carb.  Remember, carbs are your energy source.  When you are fueling up for a race, energy is your friend.  Stay away from simple carbs such as white rice, white bread, etc.  These kinds of carbs absorb very quickly and will not be available to you as energy when the race rolls around.

Also, be sure the protein you eat is lean and not full of saturated fats.  Fish is a great choice because it is low in the bad fats but high in the good fats.

A good meal the night before a race should look similar to a healthy meal that you would eat any other time except you should increase the amount of complex carbs a bit.  You can do this by upping the portion size a little.  Below is a good example of a meal:

•    Grilled fish or grilled chicken
•    Broccoli
•    Brown rice or sweet potato

What to eat the morning of a race

If you are going to wake up late and rush right over to the race then it is best not to eat.  Your body will not have time to digest the food and you will feel full and nauseous as you run.  This is not the best idea.  My advice is to eat a SMALL meal about 2-2.5 hours before you begin running.  This ensures that the food is digested enough that is not sitting heavy in the stomach and ensures that the carbs are bio-available in the blood stream (meaning the carbs have absorbed into the blood stream as glucose and are available to burn a energy).

Just like the night before you want a complex carb.  Oatmeal, whole wheat toast, or a small whole wheat bagel are good choices.  I would also have a small piece of fruit such as an orange and a lean protein.  A couple of egg whites would work.

***Keep in mind that, although the Peachtree is no walk in the park, it is not a marathon or a triathlon.  You should be done in less than an hour and a half so there is no need to carb load (this means eating a TON of carbs to ensure energy for a long race).

Make sure your portions are small for this meal.  Have a small bowl of oatmeal, a small orange, and an egg white or two.

Another reason that the portions need to be small is that you don’t want to load up on dietary fiber before a race.  Fiber helps you digest food more efficiently which means you will have to move your bowels more frequently.  Somehow I doubt that you want to visit the porta-potty in the middle of the race while hot and sweaty…yummy!

What to eat after the race

The Peachtree is a tough race and you will exert a good amount of energy trying to finish.  So that you’re not completely useless for the rest of the day (you don’t want to spend the 4th of July in an ice bath and in bed) have a protein shake loaded up with carbs.  Putting fruit into a protein shake is a great choice.  This will replenish the body and give you a boost of energy!

What to wear for the race

The Peachtree is a 6.2 mile race so you want to make sure you have a newer pair of proper fitting running shoes.  If your shoes are too old and if they do not fit properly then running that far will wreak havoc on your feet.  You will regret it for days!  If you need new shoes then visit a running shoe store such as The Peachtree Running Company on Barrett Pkwy.  They can find the right shoe for you.  Plus, once the race is over you will have a brand new pair of shoes for boot camp : )

Also wear a loose fitting t-shirt and shorts. ..you don’t want chaffing!  Try to stay away from cotton t-shirts as cotton absorbs sweat and can be very uncomfortable.  Instead opt for a technical fabric such as CoolMax.  Technical fabric pulls sweat away instead of absorbing it.  You can find this type of clothing at most sporting good stores.

It may be a good idea to wear a hat and sunglasses as well.  This will keep the sun out of your eyes.  The hat will also keep some of the sweat out of your eyes.

I hope this helps!  If you are running the race congratulations, have a blast, and the best of luck to you!!

***To register for your FREE BodyBack! Boot Camp session, click the link below and register now:

www.BodyBackBootCamps.com

Our next boot camp session begins on Monday July 6th!

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In Good Health,

Jason