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needed to burn fat. You want your stomach to be mostly empty when the race starts. All the fuel you need is already in your system ready to be burned. For sprinters, carb loading for races is not necessary. Their energy output is high, but fast, on race day. Therefore they should eat differently than they would for high-intensity training sessions that last for several hours. Race-day food choices should be low in fat and calories. What to eat depends on what time of day the race will occur. If the race will be at least four hours post-meal, then the meal should be hearty. Example meals include a turkey sandwich on wheat, brown rice with chicken, or whole grain pasta with sauce, not butter. Breakfast choices could include cereal with banana in low-fat milk or some fruit salad with low-fat yogurt.

“Focus on this in training. Do not let your shoulders come up (when running), do not panic, keep the rhythm, and when they move and react, you move and react.”

– Khadevis Robinson, four-time U.S. 800 meter outdoor champion

For earlier races, between one and two hours before the race, the meal should be lighter. A fruit smoothie, low-fat yogurt, fruit, protein, or cereal bars and whole grain cereal in low-fat milk are all good options. About thirty minutes before the start, drink between six and twelve ounces of water.

“You never know how you’re going to feel on race days, so the best laid plans can sometimes go amok. So don’t put too much emphasis into your race strategy because the day could come up totally differently from what you were expecting. Run the way you feel.”

Warm-Up It is important for distance runners to try to keep their bodies warm and loose on race day. About three hours prior to race time, a runner should get in a light half-mile jog.

– Joan Benoit Samuelson, 1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist

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