More than 30,000 people will hit the pavement Sunday morning for Spokane’s 48th annual Bloomsday Run.
Many will simply walk the course without doing any serious training. But thousands have been running and getting their bodies ready over the last several weeks.
Jake Deckert, a human physiology lecturer for the University of Washington-Gonzaga health partnership, says that preparation should include good nutrition and hydration. Deckert suggests participants use the day before the race to fill it with the right fuel.
“For a race like Bloomsday, I would recommend going out and eating a high carb lunch and dinner. You don’t really have a specific carbohydrate goal for this. I would just say eat as many carbs as you’re comfortable with,” he said.
Don’t get too filled up, he said, or you’ll feel like you’re dragging an anvil.
Carbo loading for a race of Bloomsday’s distance, 12 kilometers or seven-and-a-half miles, is not mandatory.
“For this distance, most everybody has ample carbohydrate stores to get them through without suffering a detriment to performance,” Deckert said. In fact, if you’re on a diet that that emphasizes protein or not eating carbs, he suggests staying with what you’re used to.
He suggests drinking lots of water the day or two before the race so that your body has plenty of moisture to draw upon.
“A good rule of thumb is about eight ounces of water per waking hour before the race, so if you’re up for 12-16 hours, you’re drinking somewhere around a gallon of water and that will get you amply hydrated so that the morning of the race you’re not trying to crush a liter of water and having to stop at the Port-a-Potty three times during the race,” he said.
On race day, Deckert suggests you prepare strategically.
“We would recommend that you eat two-to-three hours before the start of the race and we recommend that if you’re not on a diet that’s something like high fat or ketosis, we suggest that you really focus on getting some complex carbohydrates. Fruit, oatmeal, things like that, are really classic examples of a great breakfast before a race,” he said.
He suggests you stay away from high fat and high processed sugary foods on race morning.
“Things like that can really help decrease the risk of GI distress during the race,” he said.
Deckert offers one last tip for the last few minutes before the race.
“About 5-15 minutes before you start, eat just a little bit of carbohydrates, something that’s not heavy enough that it’s going to upset your stomach or it’s going to slosh around. Half of a bagel or a little bit of Gatorade, a granola bar, a piece of fruit, something like that, and that will make sure that your blood glucose is topped off as you go into the race,” he said.
