I have a special place in my heart for all you marathoners competing this upcoming weekend. I was a competitive runner back in the day for a few seasons on the Rutgers Track Team. I understand that running is a mind game more than anything. However, it is important to take care of the body to perform at your best. I have put together a few suggestions for you all running the NJ Marathon this week and in general for all you runners out there.
Also, Anyone registered for The New Jersey Marathon can come in for a pre-race and/or post-race treatment for $25 per treatment (reg. price $75-$175). Set Up Your Appointment Today.
10. We heal when we sleep. You have finished up your training. To make sure those legs are fresh, get at least 8 hours of sleep each night for the week leading to your race.
9. While sleeping, try to sleep on your back with minimal or no pillow under your head and neck. Then slightly elevate your legs by propping them up under a few pillows (no more than 30 degrees.) This will facilitate the circulation of any inflammation out of any achy joints.
8. Prevent inflammation. I suggest natural anti-inflammatories regularly while training and certainly the week leading up to a race. For starters, try Curamin which is a plant based all natural herbal supplement which has shown to provide anti-inflammatory responses.
7. Breath! – Before bed and as soon as you wake practice how you plan to breathe when you run. Slow, steady concentrated breaths will keep those muscles well oxygenated.
6. Meditate! – The idea here is to sit still for 5-10 minutes without moving. You don’t need to be a guru to do this. Try to not think about anything at all. Empty your mind. This is meditation. If this does not work, don’t beat yourself up. Just sit still for 5-10 minutes daily and you will quickly find yourself at greater ease and peace.
5. Visualize! After you have meditated, see yourself achieving your goal. See that time you set for yourself as you cross the finish line. Feel it! And feel good about all of your success.
4. Eat Complex Carbs to fill your Energy pantry (called your Glycogen Stores). Pasta, Bread, Rice and sweet potatoes are all appropriate a few days before the race and leading up until a few hours before the race.
3. Make sure you eat enough Protein all week. It’s important to feed those muscles so they can do their job under the strain of the race.
2. Be Grateful – The fact that your body can run 26.2 miles is extraordinary. Be thankful for the gift.
1. Have fun! I am pretty sure most of you are not going to set the world record during this race. Relax and enjoy yourself.
And again as a reminder, Anyone registered for The New Jersey Marathon can come in for a pre-race and/or post-race treatment for $25 per treatment (reg. price $75-$175). Set Up Your Appointment Today.
