Xact Nutrition
I ran my first marathon in the fall of 2021. I had a decent training plan which I followed religiously and a great running partner (whom had a lot more experience than I had). I thought that I also had a “decent” fueling strategy for my run (though in retrospect I now realize that I had almost no fueling strategy!). My pre-race fuel (or nutrition) on race day consisted of my then typical breakfast of overnight oats, some electroctrolytes and water for hydration (which I had to expel 8km into my race!). I then took a gel 15mins before the race, hydrated with a mix of water and electrolytes at hydration stations throughout the race, and consumed a grand total of 2 gels throughout my race. I felt great for most of the race, but at about the 32km mark I really started to struggle. I managed to finish the race in a time of 3:16 which I was satisfied with for my first marathon, though I immediately started to consider how I could improve upon this. Weeks of self-reflection led me to believe that either I had not performed enough lower extremity strengthening exercises (as I only ever wanting to run) and that perhaps I hadn’t done enough mileage (at the time an average training week consisted of about 80-90km of training). One variable that I never considered at this time was my fueling or nutrition strategy, in fact, it wasn’t until a couple of months prior to my second marathon this past fall, that I realized the flaws in my fueling/nutrition strategy. This past November Kratos Health decided to set up a booth at the Hamilton Marathon/Road to hope (https://www.hamiltonmarathon.ca) which I was also going to run in. Coincidentally, Xact nutrition (https://www.xactnutrition.com) was set up next to us. I decided to discuss my fueling/nutrition and hydration strategy with Marcel and his knowledgeable team. I was so impressed with what they had to say and so impressed with their products that I decided to change my fueling/nutrition and hydration strategy on race day (I would not normally recommend this!). On race day, I had my overnight oats and a banana along with the Xact electrolyte tablet(https://www.kratoshealth.ca/product/xact-electrolyte-hydration-tablets-lemon/118) (being careful not to overhydrate this time!). I had an Xact fruit bar about 15mins before the race ( https://www.kratoshealth.ca/product /xact-orange-fruit-bar/120) as well as one every 30mins throughout the race. I hydrated with the electrolyte drink only (no plain water) throughout the race as it has the optimal amount of sodium and doesn’t upset my stomach like many “sweeter” electrolytes. Post-race I had an Xact protein wafer (https://www.kratoshealth.ca/product/xact-protein-wafer-chocolate/122). I am proud to say that this nutrition/fueling and hydration strategy was certainly a factor in reducing my leg fatigue late in the run. I was able to maintain a steady pace throughout the entire race and came in at 3:00 and qualified for the Boston Marathon (https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon). I can’t wait to try out my Xact nutrition fueling/nutrition strategy in April 2024. Get your Xact nutrition products and more at Kratos Health! |