The big day is nearly here, but if whether you're running or taking part in the Chelmsford Marathon, there may be some things you may forget.
What should you do, how should you prepare, and what should you eat?
We've got it all covered below
1 Make a checklist of all the things you will need, including running gear, snacks, drinks, and your race number
2 Prepare your snacks and meals and stick to a plan that has worked for you in the past to avoid any "runner's tummy" incidents while participating
3 Cut toenails neat and short, with no sharp bits, to avoid them from hitting the front of your shoes, leading to bloody or black toenails
4 Review the course map to know where there'll be water stops and potentially challenging sections such as steep inclines so you know exactly what to expect.
5 Carbohydrates are the body's preferred energy source during high intensity activity, so you should have 8-10g of carbohydrate per kilo of your weight per day, spread throughout your meals, in the last three days before the race. Recommended foods include wholegrain pasta, rice, porridge, potatoes, and certain fruits and vegetables.
6 Avoid gas-inducing carbs like broccoli, cabbage, beans or too much fruit as they will likely lead to discomfort when running.
7 Rest and stay off your feet for the last three days before the race and drink plenty of water.
8 Don't do anything new in the last few days – don't try new foods, clothing or equipment (all of which should have been tried and tested if it is to be used in the race), or deviate from a set plan in any way as change poses potential health risks.
9 Get hydrated the previous day. Do not wait until on the day when it's too late
10 A few hours before you run your marathon, eat a meal high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat such as porridge with fruit or a peanut butter bagel - but not too large in size. This will give your body all the nutrients it needs for the next few hours. Just before the race starts, you could have a snack like a cereal bar, sports drink or low fat yoghurt.
11 Walk around a bit in the half hour before the start, and stretch, but don't do too much in order to preserve glycogen stores.
12 Drink 90-180ml of water every 15-20 minutes of the marathon to replenish fluid levels.
13 Sports-designed isotonic drinks, cereal bars and certain fruits are ideal to provide fuel every 45-60 minutes. Recommended foods include Lucozade Sport, bananas and oranges, dried fruit, jelly sweets (to keep blood sugar levels up) and special K cereal bars.
14 Refuelling afterwards is essential, so eat or drink 200-300 calories of carbs and protein within an hour in order to refuel and repair muscles. Chocolate milk is a good source of both, or a smoothie with lots of fruit (frozen berries with oats, or pomegranate juice with soya, banana and honey are recommended).
