Foods that can make you run longer...

A healthy diet will significantly influence your marathon training and race-day performance. Good nutrition both before and during the race is critical for good performance. When you run long distances, your energy requirements increase 3 or more times above resting values.
Long distance runners training for a marathon require a balanced diet of carbohydrate, protein and fat with other important micronutrients.

• Carbohydrate rich foods are absolutely the best fuel for endurance workouts. Carbohydrates should make up 50-65% of the diet when training for a marathon in order to maintain energy levels. If a marathon runner does not consume enough carbohydrates, he or she may suffer from hypoglycaemia (a very low level of sugar in the blood) during training and during the race.
Some examples of carbohydrates include pasta, potatoes, rice, wheat, ragi, wholegrain breads and cereals, oats.
• Don't forget about protein!! While carbohydrates are important as a source of fuel, proteins will help repair muscle tissue. Good sources of protein include fish, lean meat, skinless chicken, eggs, low fat dairy foods, pulses, nuts, tofu and other soya products.
• Fats in small quantities. They might make your food taste great but they will fill up just your stomach and not your glycogen stores. However, some important functions of fats include the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, joint lubrication, and energy production. So, use fats in small quantities.
• When training for a marathon, good hydration is essential. It is necessary to drink more than the recommended 6-8 glasses of water each day because more fluid than usual is lost via sweat and breathing during running. Dehydration leads to a decrease in blood volume, causing the heart to beat faster in order to get an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and remove waste products.

3 Tips for staying cool during the run:
1. Drink before running: Drink adequately and drink often up until two hours before the start. Excess body water will be passed as urine before you start to run. Two hours before, however, stop drinking otherwise you'll be ducking into the bushes.

2. Drink while you run: you can start drinking again just before you begin to run. Once you're moving, you'll sweat off any excess liquid before it reaches your kidneys.

3. Walk to drink: Don't try to gulp it down while running. You'll be able to drink more if you stop or at least walk. You'll lose less time than you think.

"Of all the races, there is no better stage for heroism than a marathon." -George Sheehan

All the Best!!