Lara's Tip on Nutrition
People often ask me what they should eat before training. From my experience, especially as we train so early, is nothing! If anything then a small banana or a cup of tea/ coffee. You should eat a well balanced meal the night before that includes carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals.
What is more important is what you eat after training. You must refuel! If you are wanting to lose a few kilograms through you training then skipping breakfast is not the way to do it. You are not giving you body what it needs to avoid muscle breakdown.
When you run, you use the glycogen in your muscles. So after training session you need 40 - 50 grams of carbs to replenish glycogen stores. That is 2 -4 servings of fruit or complex carbs like rolled oats. A perfect breakfast would be rolled oats with banana mixed in.
If you don't refuel your body will go into starvation mode and cling on to any fat it has. You will also be at the risk of binging, being burnt out and injury as your muscles aren't as strong. Eat three well balanced nutritious meals, stick to your training program and you will soon see the kilo's fall off and you fitness go to the next level.
Una's Tip on Hydration
During the winter months your sweat levels aren't as obvious due to the cold weather. Just because you don't see as much sweat, does not mean you are not sweating! It is just as important to keep up your hydration levels.
30 Minutes Before Your Run: Drink 0.5 litres of water.
During Your Run: Try to consume 0.5 litres water for every hour you are running.
After Your Run: Drink water until your urine is pale.
Daily: Drink enough water to keep hydrated and urine pale.
Cynthia's Tip on Training
Consistency: The human body thrives on routine. The easiest way to improve your running and your mental toughness is consistency. Develop a daily training routine that stays mostly the same from week to week - regular habitual activity brings positive change. Say you wake up, come to workout, go to work, home for dinners, and sleep. The key thing is to build your workout into your daily schedule so it will become a habit, rather than a chore. Excellence cannot be an on-again, off-again endeavor. It is a full time dedication and commitment.
Understand Each Workout: Running too fast on easy days and not challenging yourself on tough training days will lead to mediocre training, fitness, and performance. Understand the objective of each workout. Interval workouts and hill sprints require short and intense effort - focus on your breathing, relax the shoulders, go beyond your comfort zone, suffer a little, and the interval will be over. On easy recovery days, go easy. The purpose of a recovery run is to promote recovery for your next hard effort.
Get Adequate Quality Sleep: It is during rest that the body adapts to the stresses of training and grows stronger. Without rest there is no improvement. As the stress of training increases, the need for rest accumulates. Get plenty of quality sleep, treat sleep as a recovery toll and invest in it. Try going to bed at a regular time every night, darkening the bedroom, avoiding stimulants such as caffeine in the evening, and restricting alcohol prior to bedtime.
