Training for an athletic event, should be planned out with precision. You wouldn’t walk on to the starting line of a marathon if you had never run, wouldn’t enter a power lifting event if you never lifted, and wouldn’t sign up for Tough Mudder if you were on a diet to lose weight right? I REALLY hope you say “right” to all of these scenarios. So why do people enter events, then not prepare? Because they have the motivation, and the determination, and the dedication, but they are usually missing a key element. The nutrition and dietary practices needed to become a winner. The mapped out way to train. The plan.
Training for an event should include many things. A mapped out time line of how to progress to getting stronger, or faster, or more muscular. A plan of how to keep adding endurance, reps, and more or less time, if that is what your event calls for. And a plan on how you will eat, and drink to get stronger, faster, and recover properly for your training, so that you keep on progressing.
If you are an endurance athlete, you need to know what fuels endurance.
If you are a strength athlete, you need to know how much you need to eat, and what, so that you get progressively stronger.
If you are one of the maniac’s that are going into tough mudder, warrior dash, crossfit, or some other insane contest….you need to know more than the average athlete.
Carbs are your friend in almost all of these events. You need protein to build and repair your muscles. You need carbs to fuel your workouts, and you need sports drinks immediately before training to be able to keep training hard, and long, without hitting a wall too soon. Add a protein/carb drink after for faster recovery, and the assurance of a good workout next time.
Simple carbs get into your blood stream in the form of a high carb sports drink faster than anything, and if you add a scoop of BCAA’s, Creatine, and Glutamine, you should be filling up your energy stores for the long haul.
Add a good nights sleep, lots of hydration, lots of spaced out meals, and a well thought out plan, you should be reaching the finish line of your event stronger than ever!
Write down your plan, and separate it into weeks, then months. Allow for the unforseen, (it always happens)
Stock up on groceries, supplements, and get to work.
This should be fun, and you should be able to measure your progress on paper.
Above all, stay “in the know” about your training. Finishing your event, or winning can be one of your life’s great successes!
You are already a champion if you are considering training for an event.
Make yourself the best you can be. You are in control of your destiny, your athleticism, and your dreams!