Wednesday, April 8, 2009

How to taper before a race; what food to eat before a race


Marathon runner Patrick O'Brien shares some personal reflections on the practice of tapering before a race in, ‘Tapering helps body prepare for big race,’ a column for the Times & Transcript. With some help from his wife, a nurse, O’Brien explains the science behind tapering and dietary changes prior to a marathon.

I felt a similar withdrawal from the addictive practice of daily running before my 5K earlier this year. As someone who wants to eat healthful foods, I felt an initial resistance to the practice of ‘carbo loading’ before a race, but I did feel the positive benefits of giving my muscles enough fuel to be able to work constantly and powerfully through a long race.

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