Final prep days to marathon

I'm humoring myself that anyone is interested in what goes into training for a marathon. But in case you are interested in the epic saga that is marathon training here's what the days before my marathon look like.

Hydration
I need to drink at least 70 oz of water every day this week. To be completely hydrated for the marathon you have to start days ahead. There are, I think, 3 or 4 different kinds of cells in our bodies that require hydration. The ones that make you think you are thirsty can be refilled immediately. The other cells take whatever is left after those cells hydrate and need 3-4 days to be full.

You don't want to flush all your electrolytes out though. Friday I will drink my water and take in a bottle of gatorade.

Sleep
The plan is to get 8-9 hours of sleep all week. Last night was a bust. I tossed and turned after going to bed late. I blame it on the piece of cake I had right before bed. Hehe.

I'm going to try and get as much sleep in this week as I can. I won't sleep much the night before the race. I'm going to try and get to bed by 9:00, but I'm going to be excited and scared and my brain won't want to shut off. Maybe I'll try some light, stress relieving yoga before bed. Nothing strenuous. Just the laying down and relaxing kind.

The shuttle buses leave at 4:30 AM. That's right, 4:30!!! Ridiculous. So I'll be up at least by 4:00. There's just no way I'll get a full night's sleep.

Fueling
I can't eat anything I want all week. Some think so, but I'm trying to be scientific about it. I'll be plugging my calories in a counter to be sure at a minimum I take in at least as many as I burn. The week before the marathon is not the time to diet. So, break even all week.

What I will also try and focus on is nutrient rich food all week. I'm about to be very hard on my body. I want it in top shape. Same for the week following. Lots of vitamins and minerals to help repair the wear and tear.

I like to take in the majority of my calories/food in the morning, snacks, and lunch the day before the race. I like to give the food time to digest. I learned that the hard way on my first 1/2 marathon. I loaded at dinner and had stomach cramps the first 3 miles.

I'm already planning my meals out. Here's the plan for Friday/Saturday

Breakfast
Oatmeal (with almonds, berries, & honey or agave nectar)

Snacks
Granola bars, fresh mango slices, sugar snap peas, edamame

Lunch
Cameron's peanut satay chicken pasta, baked sweet potato on the side

Dinner--Not sure yet, going to go out with some friends who are also running. I'm going to suggest a burger or sandwich place (many runners to not like to eat fatty foods the night before, but I've eaten a burger and fries before a race and done just fine).

Saturday breakfast
1 instant oatmeal packet, 1/2 cup watermelon slices, 1/2 cup berries

I think I will take the fruit with me and eat it while waiting at the starting line. Ideally, I like to eat 1-2 hours before the run. It starts at 7:00 AM, but there will be an almost 3 hour wait time.

Workouts
I will run 3 miles today, swim 30 min Tuesday, run 2-3 miles Wednesday, Yoga Thursday, and stay as sedentary as possible Friday. Maybe some light stretching to stay limber on Friday.

My knee has felt completely fine for a couple of days now. I'm still nervous that it will flare up int he middle of the marathon. If all goes well, I am predicting a 4:30:00 marathon time. The goal is under 5 hours. We'll see. My whole family is planning to show up. This will be the first race ever my dad will be at so I really want to just finish.