Preparation guide for your first marathon

You have been running daily and you have noticed your improvements day by day, you are gaining confidence, you beat your marks. What’s next? It’s time for you to step up your pace to sign up for your first marathon and show yourself what you’re made of. If you have been thinking about it, then this is your chance. Surely those 5k, 10k or even 20k marathons have been held in your city. No matter what distance you decide to run, what is valuable for you is having participated with the goal of surpassing your marks and the distance you commonly run. Above all, you will meet more people who prepared like you and you will have the opportunity to share techniques with them, types of diet and good healthy habits that helped them get to where they are today. Here we will show you some things you have to do before a marathon. Preparation is very important, as you will want to last until the end of the marathon.

Feed

Let’s start with the most important thing, the fuel you will consume to run long distances. It is very important that you eat correctly before and after going for a run:

30 minutes before running

You can choose one of these three options.

• Toast with jam
• A handful of pretzels or low-calorie cookies
• 8 ounces of hydrating sports drink

1-2 hours before running

• Turkey sandwich and a banana
• Yogurt with grain and an apple
• Toast with avocado and a boiled egg These foods will provide energy for your muscles, a diet with carbohydrates is necessary for very intense and long-lasting exercises. However, there are foods that you will have to avoid at all costs. These are those that have high fiber content. Stomach upsets can happen during those long distances for many reasons, but eating too much fiber before going for a run will pose a long risk of “accidents.” Fiber is digested slowly in our body. That’s why it’s best to avoid eating it 12 hours before running.

Hydration

Another very important factor is to stay hydrated before, during and after running. Well, this exercise causes you to lose a lot of fluids through sweat, of course it is also a key element in enduring the distance you have set. Staying hydrated will keep you safe from cramps and an episode of dehydration. You have to pay attention to how much fluid you consume to run long distances. To know this you just have to look at your weight. If you have gained weight, that means you drank too many fluids and you are at risk of hyponatremia, this means your blood is thinning. Don’t you sweat when you run? So, you don’t need much hydration. If you lose more than 2% of your body weight, then you haven’t drunk enough water. It is time for you to drink more fluids at certain intervals even if you do not feel thirsty. In conclusion, do not wait to eat after running, once 30 or 45 minutes after your run, eat even a snack that contains carbohydrates. Food is the key to getting you ready for that big day. Don’t give up and fight to meet those goals.