5/23/2017 0 Comments Carb-LoadingCross Country Probs
By: Josie Clayton You are a runner. You’re lacing up your new neon shoes, pounding the pavement, and breezing past pedestrians. Sweat bands, shin socks, water bottle, and music-- you have all of the essentials. But did you remember one very important thing? Did you remember to get your carbs in today? These carbohydrates can be the most important nutrient on the tough training days or the long races. During my freshman year running cross country, my team and I came up with this saying…. “Eat pasta, run fasta.” This saying basically meant that “carb-loading” was very important before any race. “Carb-loading” is a necessity for ALL runners. We need the carbs to restore our energy and keep us going, especially when running long distances. During the cross country season, we all lived and breathed by this saying, because carbohydrates played such a big role in us performing well in the races. The glucose that we get from the carbohydrates are used for our exercising muscles. They are what helps us cross the finish line. With distance, the faster and longer that you run, the more glucose you burn, so it is very important to “carb-load.” Before the day of a big meet for cross country, the team puts on a spaghetti dinner so the carbohydrates will have time to work their magic. A normal spaghetti dinner consists of big bowls of pasta, salads, and lots of cookies for dessert. All of this really prepares us for the race the next day. But on the other hand, there is such thing as too much “carb-loading.” If we ate spaghetti before every big race, we would all notice our shorts fitting just a little too snug. So here are some tips to ramp up your carb loading techniques:
My team and I take carb-loading very seriously, and you should too. “ Your body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the body to reside in.” -B.K.S Lyengar
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4/6/2017 0 Comments Shin SplintsShin Splints are a runner's worst nightmare.
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Josie Clayton1st year as a staff member of the Golden Fleece Media group. Archives |