Post #13 22 days 23 h 27 m 39 s

I thought I might say a word on diet. I’ve not had to drastically change mine while preparing for the marathon. As in most aspects of my life moderation rather than excess is more my norm. Okay, sure I am human and can be tempted as my post regarding the Starbuck’s ice cream sale bore out. My diet is normally healthy and well balanced with fruits and fresh vegetables, a moderate amount of meat and a casual intake of beer, sweets and starch. Not having to make a radical change, as training progressed I slowly backed almost totally away from this last grouping.
The one necessity I’ve tried hard to increase is my water intake. There have been times when a run has taken its toll and for hours afterward I can’t stop drinking. But generally I don’t thirst a great degree. The key is to remain hydrated. In my first marathon, while waiting in Fort Wadsworth Park for the starting cannon, I kept guzzling water. It did nothing to hydrate me but instead filled me up and made me have to pee before I even got over the Verrazano Bridge. Dreading the thought of stopping at the very start of the race to stand in line at a Port-a-John, I like many others relieved ourselves off the side of the bridge. I now will only drink a cup of coffee on race day morning. If I’m not hydrated by then it’s too late at that point. I will make quick water stops on the racecourse and pour some of it over my head.
Much the same goes for carb loading. A friend had a suggestion that I would have to say judging from my body’s reaction works well. His claim was that if one is to load up on carbohydrates just prior to the run your body’s cells after a few pasta meals simply thinks “carbs – we’ve been seeing a lot of these. There’s no need to stuff ourselves with them they’ll be more where this came from.” The key is at about three weeks prior to the run to stop eating all carbs for about ten days. No bread, no pasta, no more muffins or croissants for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch or potatoes at dinner. Before the ten days are up I’ll have to cross the street to avoid passing a bakery or I might kill to reach the source of the fresh bread aroma. I can feel my body thirsting for carbohydrates. Then for the final days my diet is toasted bagels, baked potato with sour cream and pasta dinners. Maybe I’ll have all three at one meal. Then those same cells will say ”carbohydrates – haven’t seen these in so long. There’s no telling when we’ll see them again. Let’s pack them away.”