I’m getting excited for back-to-back-to-back-to-back races in just a few weeks’ time. Well, excited and nervous. I’d bet that most of you will agree—it’s not the 5K or the 10K, or even the half marathon that keeps me awake at night; it’s the marathon following those races that just might be my coup de grâce. So I came up with a recovery, hydration, and fueling plan that will thwart every wall and leaden leg that decides to rear its ugly head (well, hopefully every one of them). You can follow this same plan to finish your own Dopey Challenge strong.
Start with recovery and do it immediately after every race. It’s not new news that proper recovery is essential to a solid training plan. With back-to-back races, it’s even more important—you’ll need every tool, gram of protein, and sip of build-up flushing fluid that you can get. By recovering right, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to run more miles without that “dead” feeling in your quads, and fend off injury and inflammation as well. How you might ask? Start by refueling—from every race throughout the weekend, even the 5K—within 60 minutes of crossing the finish line. Normally, you wouldn’t need a serious recovery meal after a race like a 5K but since you’re in the process of both recovering yet carb loading for the week’s end, you need to really pay attention to your intake.
So, consume half a gram of carbohydrate per pound of your body weight and a quarter to half as much protein. At the bare minimum, consume at least 15-25 grams of protein. You might be asking what this looks like in terms of food. If you’re, say, 140 pounds, you need 70 grams of carbs and 18-plus grams of protein. You can get that with a large bagel (45 grams of carbs, 9 grams of protein) with two tablespoons of peanut butter (6 grams of carbs, 8 grams of protein) and a banana (30 grams of carbs, 1 gram of protein). If you’re 200 pounds, you’d instead need 100 grams of carbs and 25 grams of protein. You can consume the same meal but add in a protein-packed fruit smoothie. I like to plan ahead when it comes to recovery and bring my go-to fuel with me. For this much protein, I’d really recommend bringing a ready-to-drink protein shake with you or trying to find some milk or yogurt at the finish line. The ubiquitous chocolate milk with work too.
The calories in the above recovery meals may seem high but remember, you’re recovering the depleted glycogen in the muscles as well as trying to stock them for Sunday’s run. In addition to carbs and protein, because you’ll be working out again soon, you need to snack on high-carb foods throughout the weekend (but eat within reason—you don’t want to show up to the race carrying extra pounds) and rehydrate. Sipping on fluids throughout the day will be critical to the next day’s performance. You don’t want to arrive at the starting line thirsty and you don’t want to have to cram fluids for the day’s test. Avoid jostling of liquids by simply sipping on fluids throughout the day and maintaining urine that is light in color. You can grab water, sports drink (the carbs in the drink help with your carb load) or, if you don’t like the simple sugar in most sports drinks, an electrolyte-rich beverage that contains some salt and some potassium.
Good luck in your last few workouts of the year and remember, if you’ve got any nutrition questions, please send them along by posting in the forums.
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Pam is training in preparation for the 2016 Dopey Challenge with the Runner's World Challenge (soon to be Runner's World VIP). To learn how you can be part of the RW VIP program, visit runnersworld.com/vip.
