This is not the time to go on the Atkin’s Diet. Eat a diet rich in
carbohydrates which should comprise around 60-70% of your daily caloric
intake. Eat whole wheat bread and pastas, fruits and vegetables. You
should consume 200-400 calories of carbohydrates within 2 hours of hard
training and the same dose of carbs 2 hours after your workout. If you have
no appetite after running, drink your carbohydrates in the form of a
sports drink or gel. Experiment to see which special drinks and gels are
right for you.
Remember to drink plenty of fluids, even more than the recommended 8
glass a day guideline. Sip while running, every 15 minutes or so.
Even though you should be eating an extra 1,300 calories a day, don’t
fill up on fats which are hard to digest and tend to be void of
nutrients. When you do eat fat, try avocado, tahina, oily fish or other healthy
mono-saturated fats.
Get to know how much food you can eat comfortably before running. Eat
small, frequent meals and avoid stuffing yourself at one sitting.
Practice eating your marathon day breakfast so you will know which foods are
best for you before the big race. Avoid consuming sugar or caffeine
before running, as they tend to give a high but also cause a drop in
energy levels later on. Caffeine also can causes dehydration.