Playing sport was my utmost passion growing up and I’ve always enjoyed pushing myself physically. Despite this, I just never thought I would be capable of a marathon! I know that sounds cliché but when I completed the Bath Half Marathon in 2019, I remember thinking ‘I just don’t think I could run double that’. Regardless, when I wrote down a list of ‘my dreams’ in my notes on my phone in 2020, ‘to run a marathon to raise money for Cancer’ was on there. Stumbling across this random note while spending a Wednesday night in A&E back in November and being staggeringly reminded of how lucky I am to be able to live life to the fullest, I entered the 2024 Edinburgh Marathon.
So last Sunday 26th May, I participated in the Edinburgh Marathon and finished in a time of 4.02.03. Leading up to the race was not without challenges; in late March I developed an inflamed chest wall and chest infection which prevented me from training for 6 weeks. Trying not to get too anxious about the fact I had trained less than I had hoped for, I managed to get close to my initial goal of finishing under 4 hours. While there were likely other factors at play, I strongly believe that my fuelling strategy played a crucial role in this success; one of the most clear indicators of this was the fact that despite not being able to walk properly for the rest of Sunday and some of Monday, by Tuesday any muscle soreness had been eradicated.
Having only completed a longest distance of 18 miles in the lead up to the marathon and in fact my life, combined with the fact I am the biggest overthinker, in the couple of days prior to the run, I was so anxious I wouldn’t actually be able to finish the 26.2 miles. On reflection, my fuelling strategy leading up to Sunday was key to running continuously for over an hour more than I ever had before. During my first 10-mile run as part of the marathon training, I had experienced runner's trots! I aim to consume a fibre-rich diet as it is highly beneficial for health and long term performance, but fibre-rich foods can also lead to gastrointestinal issues when consumed too close to exercise. Since it was 'only a training run', I didn't pay enough attention to fuelling properly and suffered the consequences!
This made me determined to prevent a similar situation during the actual marathon and so I opted to intentionally fuel gradually over the 5 days prior. Starting from Wednesday evening, I began to boost my carbohydrate consumption. I didn't track grams or calories, solely focusing on choosing more carbohydrate based snacks and slightly increasing carbohydrate portions in meals. Being a tennis coach, this was especially crucial considering the energy demands of the job. As someone with polycystic ovary syndrome, I was intentional to prioritise wholegrain, low glycaemic index carbohydrates to avoid spiking my blood sugar in this build up as this would have increased my cortisol levels (stress hormone), something my anxiety about the race was doing fine on its own! Heightened cortisol increases the risk of illness and injury.
Timeline leading up to, during and post-race
Pre Race:
Wednesday Evening Meal: 1 smashed avocado on wholegrain toast x1, 2 poached eggs, chopped tomatoes. Normally I would have this on its own but I added a portion of sweet potato fries.
Starting on Thursday, I prioritised maintaining a consistent fluid intake by sipping water every 20-30 minutes throughout the day until 1 hour before bedtime. I continued this every day up to the race, consuming approximately 3 litres of water daily. I opted not to use electrolyte supplements as I knew I was able to obtain enough electrolytes from the food I ate.
Friday evening I prioritised my larger carbohydrate meal. I had heard of recommendations of doing this the evening before, but I know for me eating a large meal later on in the day can be detrimental to my sleep and often I don't feel I have fully digested the meal when I wake up. I hate that bloated feeling and that was something I wanted to avoid on race day.
Friday Evening Meal: Wholegrain pasta, tomato, pepper and basil homemade pasta sauce, tuna, green beans, spinach broccoli and mozzerella cheese.
On Saturday I travelled up to Edinburgh. I ate small and often throughout the day to ease digestion and so that I didn't make myself so full that I would not be able to fuel up enough.
Saturday Carbohydrate sources throughout the day:
Oat based granola bowl
500g grapes
Duck wrap
4 x Belvita Bakes (the ones with chocolate inside because they taste so good!)
Banana
Saturday evening Meal: Dough Balls and Niçoise Salad with Dough Sticks from Pizza Express. By Saturday evening I was feeling quite carb full and was craving something refreshing like a salad! It wasn't just leaves of course, lots of fish, potatoes, tomatoes, capers - eating the rainbow!
Sunday morning I was pretty nervous. Normally a Premier Inn Breakfast is the opportunity to have an absolute feast, but I could hardly stomach anything.
Sunday morning Breakfast 3 hours pre Marathon: Fruit Salad Bowl, Latte, bowl of porridge topped with nutella (but I could only eat about a quarter of this).
Sunday morning Snack 2 hours pre Marathon: Belivita Bake.
During the 26.2 mile race:
1 HIGH FIVE energy gel at 2 x 40 minute intervals followed by 5 further gels at 30 minute intervals. Sips of water at every station along the race. I had been using the gels in my longer runs in training to check I responded well to them.
Immediately Post Marathon:
1x cereal Bar, 1x Belvita Bake and 1x electrolyte sachet in water. Recovery is reduced by 47% if intake post exercise is delayed! It is crucial to consume carbohydrates within 30 minutes of finishing intense exertion.
1 hour Post Marathon: Breaded Fish, chips and garden peas (celebratory restaurant meal).
Recommendations:
Fuel for your body. We all respond to food differently. Personalised nutrition strategies are vital beginning in the days prior to the race.
Test out fuelling strategies for beforehand. If you haven't consumed it before, race day is not the time to try it.
Fuelling well throughout the race is essential for completing a marathon. Remember your brain also needs fuel and mindset is massive to get across the finish line!
Effective post marathon recovery strategies, prioritising timing of carbohydrate intake are key for effective recovery.
Fuel for the work required - don't underestimate the demand of a marathon.
Following the marathon, increased hunger not satisfied via eating, may be a signal from your body that it is craving more nutrients (protein, fats, vitamins, minerals). We eat food not calories.
To donate to Cancer Research UK and for more information about why this cause is so important to me follow this link.
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