How much water should I drink?
One of the most important factors that can impact your performance on race day is whether you are properly hydrated or not. Losing just 1% of your body weight in fluid can decrease your performance by up to 10%. For this reason, you just need to follow a few simple steps in order to ensure that your body reserves are at full capacity on race day!
Be sure to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water on a daily basis. Increase this amount the day before the race. Drink 2-3 cups of water 2 hours before the race and 1/2 to 2 cups of water 15 minutes before the race. If you feel the need to drink water during the race, there is usually a water station about half way through the course. Drink only a small sip, since over consuming can cause cramping.
A good way to check if you are adequately hydrated is to check your urine. If you are urinating frequently, and it is a light to clear color, then you are probably drinking enough. If you notice that you do not urinate often or that it is a dark color, you may want to increase your consumption of water.
What Should I eat prior to the race?
Your last large meal should be finished at least 12 hours before your scheduled start. For this Saturday’s race, since we are scheduled to start at 8:30 am, you should be finished with eating your dinner by 8:30 pm on Friday night, in order to ensure that everything is fully digested for the race.
As a general rule, you want to avoid complex foods that are hard to digest, such as those that are high in fat, high in fiber or other high processed meals. Eating complex carbohydrates on the night before the race will help you to be energized on the next morning. Don’t overdo the carbs, though! A serving includes a small baked potato or 1/2 a cup of pasta or rice.
On the morning of the race, you can chose to either have a small liquid or solid meal that is easy to digest. Eat foods that your body is used to. Do not try to experiment at this time. Also, avoid eating sugary foods before the race, as it can cause glucose levels to spike and then drop rapidly, leaving you with low levels before the race. You should be done eating your breakfast or snack at least 2 hours before your start time. After that, continue to drink water and keep hydrated.
Some examples of what to eat on the morning of the race:
half of a whole wheat bagel with low fat yogurt or banana
a serving of oatmeal with fruit
or, if you’d prefer to eat something lighter, you can drink some unsweetened fruit juice
What should I eat after the race?
After the race, you want to drink plenty of water and eat something as soon as you can. Your body replenishes its glycogen (carbohydrate) stores fastest if you eat food within two hours of exercise. So, again, you want to have some complex carbs or fruit. A glass of low-fat milk is also a great recovery drink. Usually, at racing events, drinks and snacks will be provided for you at the finish line. Replenishing the electrolytes lost during exercise is also important, but can usually be accomplished with a balanced diet.
Ladies, eating healthy, balanced meals, especially before a big race is very important, but please keep in mind that we are still trying to stick to our goals and burn calories! So, on that note, try to monitor what you eat, and make healthy choices as to what you put into your body!
Also, if this is your first 5k race, remember to pace yourselves and take it easy. Your goal should be to finish the 3.12 miles and still feel good afterwards! You do not need to run the entire distance of the race if you feel that it is too challenging. Combine running with speed walking in order to reach that finish line!
If you have any questions or concerns about the upcoming event, please feel free to contact us or reply to this post!
Stay tuned for more information about where we will meet on Saturday morning, and for changes in the schedule for Saturday’s bootcamp class.
Good Luck!!
Miami Women-Only Fitness Bootcamp 