I am signed up to run a marathon. Should I “carb-up” the night before with lots of pasta, bread and salad?

The worst thing you can do the night before the marathon is to load up with huge plates of pasta, salad and high-fat salad dressing.  You don't want all that extra weight in your digestive tract the next morning and you don't want any roughage. It will make you sluggish, bloated and uncomfortable.  If you have been eating a balanced diet the week before the marathon, you will have already loaded your muscles with fuel. Remember, what goes in must come out and you wouldn’t want that happening while you are running somewhere around mile 12!

The week before your marathon eat a diet consisting of a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates but don’t over or under eat.  If you really want to have a pasta fest, do it two nights before your marathon and again, don’t overeat and make sure to drink plenty of water. Eating a lot of pasta and salad with lots of roughage the day before you compete is not recommended. One day before the marathon, eat low-residue foods, eat only enough to satisfy your needs, eliminate alcohol and reduce caffeine intake. The morning of the race eat a bland, easy to digest, small breakfast and drink a glass of water one or two hours before the race so you are hydrated but have time to eliminate anything.  Good luck on your marathon – let me know how it goes!