Mumbai Marathon: Last-Minute Hacks

This is it! The day before the marathon. Here’s what you need to do to run the best race you can.

1. Taper and conserve: Conserve your energy. You’re going to need all of it and more. Run less, sleep well, eat well.


2. Carbohydrate load: Increase your energy level, for which you need to up your glycogen reserves, says fitness trainer Sumaya Dalmia. In layperson terms, it “means eating carbohydrate-rich food — like rice or pasta — a day before and on the morning of the race. The extra carb will be stored as glycogen in the body and will give you an energy boost when your body would normally begin to slow down”.


3. Find your pace: Run on the edge of your aerobic tipping point, which means beyond your usual comfortable threshold. Running at a pace of ‘controlled discomfort’ is when all you can manage is short snatched sentences.


4. Sugar it up: “Eat two dates before you run for a quick dose of fructose,” recommends nutritionist Shonaalii Sabherwal.


5. Hydrate: Sabherwal advises runners to drink 1 litre of water with 1 tablespoon of honey and a pinch of rock/sea salt dissolved in it first thing in the morning. “This keeps the natural electrolytes in balance and replaces minerals you may lose while running through sweating,” she says.


6. Your way is the right way: “Running is a personal thing and there is no right or wrong way,” says Dalmia. “There are endless debates about mid-foot strike versus barefoot running. Ultimately, it boils down to how efficient you are as a runner.”


7. Clear your head: Your mental state can affect your final time by as much as 20%. If you’re well rested, calm and not distracted, you’ll run your best.


8. Stick to the old: Don’t try anything new the day of the race – shoes, drinks, shorts, anything. Reach early. Pick up your kit the day before. Keep all your clothes and gear ready the previous night so you don’t forget anything in your pre-race anxiety.

Source: Jabong