Training Session

Increasing one’s level of fitness is a process and any exercise program is just one step in that process.

Mr. Rajinikanth Sivagnanam, professional fitness trainer to Tamil Nadu Football team is here to provide training to all the marathon participants. He is a former Senior National medalist in High jump. He will provide training to our participants which includes the following components.

The training program will be mixing up of four components of training with Speed, Strength, Endurance and Flexibility

The general structure of a training session is as follows:

• Warm-up
• Flexibility
• Conditioning
• Cool-down

Throughout the training session the gradual build up of physical activity is as follows:

• Easy to Difficult
• Slow to Fast
• Known to Unknown
• General to specific

The training program of Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type of work is basically based on their age.

• Up to 14years
• 15years to 18years
• 21+ years
• Older adults

Strategy of training for the above age groups

Up to 14years

• Run a mile twice in a week [steady state and mixed continuous]
• Interval training
• Fun games in beach

15 to 18years

• mile run twice in a week [steady state and mixed continuous]
• interval training [speed endurance]
• body weight circuit training [aerobic endurance]

18years +

• mile run twice in a week [steady state and mixed continuous]
• interval training [speed endurance]
• body weight circuit training [aerobic endurance]
• fartleg

Older adults

• mile run [steady state and mixed continuous]
• interval training[with low intensity and less frequency]
• strength training [body weights]

Place of training

• Assembling point : Light House
• Lady Wellington ground [opposite to beach]
• Mile run [near by beach]

Note: Specific training will also be provided for the professional athletes and participants already familiar with the training program.

The Marathoner's Diet for Optimal Performance

Our bodies are like cars that cannot run on empty and which will perform at their best when properly fueled. So, like racing cars marathon runner’s bodies should be honed to perfection to provide a winning combination of speed and endurance.

An expert sports nutritionist, Mrs.Grace Helina, says:"Diet of marathon runners should be high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat."

Foods are made up of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Marathon runners should eat a diet high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low in fat. Another key nutrient that is a must for participants is water. You should know why these nutrients are important, as well as how much of them you should eat and how much water you need to drink before, during and after exercise. If you follow these guidelines you can be sure that your body will be adequately and properly fueled, hydrated and ready to perform at its best!

Read on to prepare yourself for the marathon.

Good nutrition - both before the race and during - is critical if you hope to excel in any running race

Pre-competition nutrition

Carbohydrate loading

The goal of carbohydrate loading is to super load muscles with glycogen to delay fatigue and enable you to maintain high intensity exercise for longer.

How do you carbohydrate load?

• Think of carbohydrate loading as an exaggeration of your normal high-carbohydrate training diet.
• In the final three to four days before your marathon, taper exercise while increasing carbohydrate intake to 9-10 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight.
• The idea is to increase carbohydrate intake without actually increasing total energy intake.
• The easiest way to increase your carbohydrate intake is by replacing most of the fat in your diet with carbohydrate.
• You can also use carbohydrate supplements to increase your carbohydrate intake.
• You should aim to have a meal with more than 200 g of carbohydrate about three hours before your event. As marathon starts early in the morning you have to decide if you are going to get up early and eat, or if you will have a smaller carbohydrate meal 1-2 hours before, and concentrate on getting more carbohydrates during the actual marathon.
• In weight-bearing exercise like running, your stomach is joggled around and you may experience more gastrointestinal symptoms (stomach and gut upsets).

Strategies to reduce stomach and gut upset (gastrointestinal upsets)

• Reduce your fibre intake by choosing lower-fibre cereals like cornflakes, rice bubbles, white rice, bread and soft fruits with no skin.
• Reduce fat in the pre-competition meal. For example, have toast and jam with no butter, use low-fat milk and do not choose to have a fried meal for breakfast.
• Try liquid meals. They empty quickly from the stomach, and maybe useful for athletes who compete early in the morning or who find it difficult to eat solid meals before competition. Make the liquid meal with water or trim milk.
• Ensure that hydration is adequate.
• Make sure you have tested out your pre-competition meal in training.

Pre-competition fluids:

• Make sure you are well hydrated in the days leading up to the event.
• On event day, maintain hydration by drinking at least two glasses (500 ml) of fluid with your pre-event meal, then continue to drink up to start time, especially when it is hot.
• Use water, a sports drink, diluted fruit juice or flat, diluted soft drink.

Quick Guidelines for pre-competition meals:

• Eat high carbohydrate meals each day to fuel and refuel your muscles.
• Allow adequate time for your food to digest.
• Liquid ‘meals’ leave the stomach faster than solid foods.
• Avoid sugary foods within one hour before hard exercise. This “sugar boost’’ may result in a “sugar slump” (low blood sugar), leaving feeling light headed and fatigued.
• Eat familiar foods before a competition, eat well the day before .
• Drink plenty of fluids ( a good indication of adequate hydration).
• Consume beverages, ideally water, upto to 2 hours before the event.

During-competition nutrition: