Most veteran triathletes and marathoners have at some point or another during their racing career “hit the wall.” For you newbies out there, this is not referring to a physical wall-although that has also been known to happen...
‘Hitting the wall’ can refer to a number of debilitating symptoms during a race, but generally this is total body shut down - it feels like you have applesauce for brains and scuba fins for feet -and can be a potential race ender. These symptoms will make even the most experienced athletes feel like they have been hit by a train, let alone a wall. So, what can you do to make sure you avoid this come race day?
Stay hydrated
Make sure that in the weeks leading up to the race you stay well hydrated; this also goes for during the race. A rookie mistake is to bypass the water and sports drink aid stands and think that you can race without liquids. This mistake leads to dehydration which can have disastrous effects on your race! Some people prefer just water, but sports drinks are a great option because they not only hydrate you, they provide glucose as well- a necessary component to avoiding the wall.
Sports drinks
Most people cannot stomach high concentrations of carbs during an event, which is why sports drinks like Gatorade contain around 50 per cent less carbs than fruit juice or sodas. This helps with better hydration as well as placing less stress on the digestive system.
Gatorade started the sports drink movement some 40 years ago as a bid to help the Florida Gators perform better during hot and humid weather – just the kind of conditions you are likely to face out on the marathon course in Cayman.
Carbs are good
You don’t see world class athletes shying away from the carbohydrates leading up to race week - this means you shouldn’t either. It doesn’t matter what experience level you are at currently, your body needs those carbs. Spaghetti and bagels are tried and true favourites of athletes everywhere, but there are lots of options. Find what works for you and stick with it. Begin to carbo load a few days before the big race to make certain that your muscles have enough glycogen stored up, which should give you enough energy to reach the finish.
How do you sweat?
As unsavoury as it might seem, it helps to know how you sweat. Some people sweat a lot, and consequently need to drink more. In order to develop a hydration strategy, weigh yourself before and after a training session. If you lose weight during the run, chances are you need to drink more.
Others lose a lot of salt in their sweat, and may find that the sodium in sports drinks is not enough to replace what they lose. It is quite easy to tell if you are one of these – if your clothing is covered in white sweat marks after a run, it means you lose a lot of salt. Some athletes who know that they fall in this category take salt tablets out on the marathon course to help replace the sodium they lose, and try to keep their performance up.
Rest
Do not underestimate your body’s need for rest. A week before your race, begin to taper. You do not have to stop exercising entirely, but in order to perform your best during your race it is advised that you begin to limit your workouts the week before and get plenty of sleep. An exhausted body and mind cannot perform at optimal levels and if you want a good race, your body needs to be well rested come race day.
Immune protection
Increased time spent training is sure to wear down your body’s natural levels of immunity and energy, and the last thing any athlete wants before race day is a cold. Take a supplement containing vitamin C, Echinacea, zinc and B vitamins that will give your immune system the boost it needs to keep you going. Effervescent tablets, like Haliborange Immune Plus from Seven Seas, tend to work well, as it adds another glass of fluid to your daily intake, and is also much more palatable than trying to swallow a dry capsule.
So, follow the simple steps above, power through the wall and have your best race yet! WH