Half Marathon Jitters

^I have a very bad case of it.

It's exactly two weeks tomorrow that I'll be trembling with anxiety about the mean feat that lays ahead of me (i.e. 13.1 miles of all-round body torture, to put it lightly! Haha, kidding. I hope). A gruelling slog with more than 25,000 fellow runners to accompany me (looking on the bright side, it'll make a nice change from always running solo!).



In times like these it's essential that I stay calm and plan ahead. Ok, so I haven't been upping the distance of my training runs per say, but I have been doing as much speed/interval training - combined with some treadmill hill intervals - as possible. I'm ever hopeful that this will provide an adequate amount of shock value to my body, in order for it to complete those 13.1 miles in a time deemed suitable for my runners'-ego.

Besides the niggling issue that is training, there are other, more fun things that I need to address. First of which being prerace nutrition; and second of which is my favourite part: HALF MARATHON ULTRA-MOTIVATING SOUNDTRACK! (Because let's face it, I will need all the motivation I can get)

Needless to say, there's a fine line when it comes to pre-race nutrition. Such a fine line that I'd be scurred to pop so much as a walnut in my mouth (repercussion: potentially too much insoluble fat. Drat). What makes things worse is the fact that there's so many contradictory advice articles on the web - coffee vs no coffee? Porridge vs low-fibre substitute? Fruit vs sports drink?!? Too much opposing advice, I CAN'T TAKE IT ALL IN DAMNIT! (and, calm...).



A pretty legit-looking article on Runners World suggests that between 1.5-1.8g carbs per pound of body weight should be consumed prior to a half marathon. I don't know how much I weigh exactly, but if I took a stab in the dark at 115lbs then that basically means that I should aim for between 172g - 207g carbs. Yes, that's right. The equivalent of a whole day's worth of carbs, all to be consumed before 9am! (the race starts at 9.30am or 10am, depending on which wave I'm in).

I eat porridge ever single morning, so effectively my body is used to this and thus it should be able to manage to digest it, despite the fact that it's considered a fairly fibre-dense meal. Sticking to what you know is probably the best option in this case. My usual combination of oats, almond milk, raisins, cinnamon and honey comes to approximately 82g carbs (according to the myfitnesspal app. Did I mention that I literally am in love with my new iPhone?). In accordance to the Runnersworld guidelines, I should be splitting my carb intake 6:3:1 at specific intervals in the run up to the race. So for me, my macros are as follows:

60% (consumed 3-4hrs prerace) = 103g - 124g carbs
30% (consumed 90 mins - 2hrs prerace) = 52g - 62g carbs
10% (consumed 30-60mins prerace) = 17g - 21g carbs

Doing calculations like these make me feel like I definitely have my shit together (oh sweet mathematic trickery, distracting me from the larger matter of the issue at hand).

Anyway, based on this little bit o' research, I think the best option for me is to stick to my porridge meal, consumed alongside a glass of fresh juice (toying between the idea of carrot, apple and ginger, or a new concoction that I'll need to practice making before the big day!) - that would be meal no.1. Next would be another glass of juice (beetroot for a nitrite boost), perhaps combined with something a little more sustaining. Finally, 30-60 mins prior to the race I think the good ol' banana will do juuust fine. Can't go wrong with a banana.



You might've noticed the running theme of coffee pictures in this post. Besides the fact I really like to take pictures of coffee (or, y'know, empty cups of coffee), it does sort of fit into this blog post - I didn't choose to put them in willy-nilly, people! Y'see, I have coffee on the brain as I'm seriously weighing up the idea of coffee vs no coffee prerace. I had planned to do a coffee fast (i.e. not drinking it at all from 10 days before the race. I know right, this is serious stuff we're talking about here), and then reintroducing it prior to the half-marathon, as I've read that caffeine works better as a stimulant after a (LONG!ish) break. However, now I'm a teeny bit worried that perhaps caffeine is indeed not the answer (I can't tell you how much I hope this is not the case. I drink coffee as an excuse prior to exercise; it's my prerequisite, and it is most definitely necessary, guys).

I plan to drink a lot more than I do now in the week leading up to the half, so that my body is properly hydrated throughout the run (and especially so to counteract the diuretic effect of the coffee that I'll most likely be consuming, despite those silly pre-warnings), plus plenty of sleep. My body clock is adjusting to early morning starts because of work, and I've been really feeling the effects of going to bed past-midnight over the past week or so. Not good, not good at all!

Another post will have to be dedicated on the pressing issue that is my half marathon playlist; clearly, I got a case of verbal diarrhoea discussing my prerace diet, and this has tailed off to be something of a brain-explosion. And in relation to my jitters, well...it's barely touched the sides on nipping those in the bud. In fact, it's probably done the opposite.

Anyone else doing their first half soon? Any advice for a fellow noob? Anything is welcome. Just please don't tell me not to drink coffee, ok? Deal.



^Aha, me after coffee. Ok, so I'll stop with the coffee hype now...

Crazy for Carrot Juice

Another beautiful summer's day most definitely calls for another tall glass of carrot juice to freshen me up before work. I juiced up around 22 carrots (plus one apple thrown in for good measure) the other day, which gave me just over a litre of the orange 'golden juice of healing' (source)! Lovely stuff.



And now for the (not-so-gory) details - you knew they were coming! Carrots are mostly known for their betacarotene and vitamin A content, which namely plays a role in maintaining vision. But besides that, carrot juice is good for a whole host of reasons. It's a cleanser for the liver, which makes it an excellent detox drink (perfect for those who've been to one festival too many this summer!).

As carrots are deep soil root vegetables, this means that they're able to absorb a vast array of minerals, plus plentiful amounts of B vitamins and folates. And the most important benefit of juicing carrots (as opposed to cooking) is that the body is more able to metabolize nutrients into the body's cells, since uncooked vegetables retain their enzymes. Raw vegetables provide all the enzymes you need for optimum digestion and absorption, and are an excellent source for quick and natural carbs/sugars (needless to say, a great choice for a pre- or post- workout treat, without the added fibre that can upset a stomach when eaten prior to exercise).

Here's a breakdown of the nitty-gritty deets for the contents of 100ml carrot juice (source):

2.1 mg of beta-carotene and 350 micrograms of vitamin A
Up to 3 mg of vitamin C, which is necessary to maintain immunity
0.2 mg of vitamin PP, which has beneficial effects on metabolic processes in the body
0.01 mg of vitamin B1, required for proper function of the brain and nervous system
0.02 mg of vitamin B2, needed to maintain healthy metabolism and vision
0.3 mg of vitamin E for healthy cells and synthesis of hormones (several times greater than in beet juice)

If you're as big a fan of the humble (yet powerful) carrot juice as I am, then it's probably worthwhile investing in a decent juicer (mine is a Kenwood, and was around £50). It's probably worth it in the long run, seeing as it's so expensive to buy fresh juices out and about (£3.30 for 300ml at Wagamama, say what!), whereas you can make a whole week's worth of juice for just a couple of pounds worth of carrots. It definitely pays off after just a few weeks of juicing! (well, depending on how often you buy fresh juice, anyway).

One last thing (and perhaps the most apt for fuelling our superficial tendencies) is that the carotenoids (antioxidants) found in various fruit and vegetables (especially carrots) actually help to naturally improve skin tone and produce a healthy glow (as opposed to the sun-induced lobster effect). Read more here. And with that said, need I sing its praises any more?



Hope everyone's enjoying this glorious (and completely un-British) weather as much as I am! Happy sunbathing/juice drinking (and may your tan be truly flourishing!).

Whizzing up a Storm

Ever since our recent splurge on this Phillips super-juicer, my boyfriend and myself have been whizzing up some magnifique fruit/veg juices - which certainly have been going down a treat!

A couple of days ago we stocked up on our essential ingredients from the local fruit/veg market and Yate's trusty Tesco superstore, and came home armed with bags and hands full of apples, carrots, and not forgetting two giant pumpkins - staying true to upcoming occasions, and all.

Then comes the fun part - the juicing!

The machine is powerful enough to juice fruit and vegetables complete with their skin, which reduces the boring job of cutting, slicing and dicing significantly. The beauty of this kind of juicer is that it separates the pulp from the juice, so unlike your typical food processor/blender, you're just left with the pure juicy goodness that has been squeezed from your fruit/veg. Meanwhile, you can use the pulp to bulk up a soup (though of course you may find it's too dry and thus lacking in flavour).

Back to the topic at hand. We made a delicious blend of pure carrot, pumpkin and apple juice - as odd as it sounds, the taste is - for me - unbeatable! The flavour of the carrot is most notable, but the pumpkin adds a unusual twist and an extra health-kick, whilst the apple provides that necessary hit of natural sweetness (note: the majority of the sugar in apples is from fructose, for slow-releasing energy - enough brownie points yet?).

If you hadn't guessed already, this juice basically has healthy written all over it. Carrots contain the active ingredients of vitamins A, C, E, K, and thus are absolutely packed full of nutrients and antioxidants. According to my handy energy drink book, the orange colour is a result of the betacarotene content - just one carrot contains enough of the stuff for your body to convert into a day's supply of Vitamin A (a vital vitamin for healthy skin, night vision and disease resistant mucus membranes - ).



Meanwhile, pumpkins are also a storehouse of antioxidant vitamins and are loaded with magnesium, potassium, zinc and dietary fibre. Perhaps most significantly for the athletic minded, pumpkins have an anti-inflammatory effect, so regular consumption of this mostly unappreciated* vegetable (*not including the Halloween season) can protect against joint inflammation and arthritis. Pumpkins have been known to provide relief from inflammation quickly, so it's naturally a perfect accompaniment to a go-to, post-workout juice.

As I'm sure you're well-aware, I'd wholly reccommend a fruit juicer if you're looking for a bit of a powerpunch/pick-me-up style beverage, and an almost guaranteed cold-free Autumn/Winter (ok, I'm not sure on the reliability of that statement but I'm going along with the idea of being sans-'runny nose face' for the next few months).

Anyone else a bit of a juicing-addict? Have you any exciting juicing recipes for me to test-run? I'm more than willing to use an assortment of ingreds to create that perfect blend of fruityveggyjuice.