Since my Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half, I did my research and ultimately determined that several factors could be to blame. It's possible I'm not getting enough potassium in my diet. It's possible I'm not getting enough magnesium in my diet. It's possible I'm not properly hydrated. The last one seems a bit weak to me considering I was on top of my game for the Dallas RnR when it came to hydration. I took That Pink Girl's advice and drank water "like it was my job"! This leads me down another path - perhaps I just plain sweat too much and therefore lose too much sodium. I am quite the sweaty girl, don't ya know?!
So, let's break it down by category, shall we?
What does it do? It works with sodium to maintain the balance of water in your body.
How much do we need? The RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for potassium in adults is 4700 mg per day.
What should we eat? We all know bananas are rich in potassium. In fact, a medium banana has 491 mg of potassium in it. Other foods rich in potassium include (but are not limited to): beets (blech), brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, lima beans, honey dew melon, skim milk, orange juice, baked potatoes, raisins, cooked spinach, tomato products, winter squash, and fat free plain yogurt.
Some say if you eat a healthy diet you probably consume the appropriate amount of potassium naturally. It can also be said, however, that athletes require more potassium than the average Joe.
What does it do? What doesn't it do is more like it! Magnesium helps with your body's consumption of calcium. It assists in relaxing muscles and clotting blood. It activates B vitamins in your system and is needed in bone, protein, new cell, and fatty acid formation.
How much do we need? The RDA for women over the age of 31 is 320 mg of magnesium per day. The RDA for men over the age of 31 is 420 mg of magneisum per day.
What should we eat? Halibut (blech), brown rice, whole wheat flour, oat bran, almonds, cashews, artichokes, most beans (black, navy, white, pinto, refried, etc), chickpeas, okra, cooked spinach, etc.
I'm not sure that eating a whole bunch of beans is a good idea pre-race, but I can definitely handle brown rice, nuts, and anything whole wheat.
What does it do? Sodium helps balance the fluid in your body.
How much do we need? The RDA for sodium is 2400 mg. Ultimately how much or how little you intake is a balancing act. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure. Too little sodium can lead to overheating, dehydration, and/or exhaustion.
What should we eat? In this case, it's more like what SHOULDN'T we eat. Processed foods incorporate sodium as a preservative. In other words, the fresher the food, the less sodium content. I think it would be safe to say that the majority of Americans have no problem getting enough sodium in their diet.
So where does all this information lead me...I'm not really sure. I should be consuming enough sodium to handle my extreme sweating. I mean let's face it - it was between 51 and 54 degrees throughout my Dallas RnR. If sodium depletion was an issue in that temperature range, then just think how horrific it will be in the upper 90s I will face while running my Hottest Half in mid August. Yikes! I think it's probably a safer bet that my potassium and magnesium levels are subpar.
What's my plan? I'm gonna take a multi-vitamin every day (I'm bad about this normally). I'm going to stretch before and after each workout. I'm going to use my foam roller daily. I'm going to drink H2O "like it's my job". I'm going to focus on consuming fresh fruit, fresh veggies, and whole grains to get my potassium and magnesium consumption to the appropriate levels. I'm going to conquer the Charlie Horses, by golly!
I'm gonna attempt to PR this half marathon despite the fact I won't be running at all. It's possible, I'm motivated, and yes...I'm that slow of a runner that I can probably walk faster - ha! Stay tuned!!!
